Chapter Six

Nikk

I spread my hands out over the back of the leather couch in our private jet, a giant smile on my face a week later. My ingenious plan worked and now I’ve got the Mancini Donna eating out of the palm of my hand. And she’s going to be doing it for the next year, but with what I have in mind, it’s going to be longer than that.

I have plenty of suits in my closet, so picking out one for a sham wedding is no problem. You can never go wrong in an all-black tuxedo. Even if the marriage to the Donna is fake, I can’t wait to see what she’s going to look like walking down the aisle. Yegor, Dimitri, and Yakov are all suited up in Armani, and so far, it’s been a smooth ride to Sicily. The least I can do is accommodate Elena with the wedding location. I’m still shell-shocked she folded so quickly, but nonetheless it’s a win from the outside for her too. See, I know the minx thinks she’s got a shot at taking back New York, but she’s only going to get as far as I let her. If I have my way with her, she’s going to be occupying my bed, and I’m going to find many other ways to keep her distracted.

I take a glance over at Yegor who is slamming down a shot, his face red and eyes bloodshot. I tap him on the chest. “Easy on the shots. I’m not a married man yet. There’s nothing to celebrate,” I scold, the other guys just as mute as he is. They don’t know the ins and outs of the agreement, but I’m not a stupid man; I know what I’m doing.

“Fuck, I have to do something. Please rethink this, Boss. I cannot believe you’re going to marry the Mancini Donna.”

Scoffing, I shake my head, not moving from my position. “You think I’m marrying her for fucking lemons?”

Yegor’s face crumples in disgust. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re doing.”

“Trust me, I’m not. I told you a wild beast needs to be tamed, and that’s what I plan on doing. Once we’re married, I’m going to control her.” I eye off the shot of tequila Yegor just downed, wanting one for myself. I signal to the inhouse bartender. “As a matter of fact, we do have something to celebrate. The fact she agreed to be under my thumb. Line us up four shots.”

The bartender does just that bringing over the glasses, sitting in front of us with slices of lemons and a shaker of salt. “Fucking lemons,” Yegor grumbles, shaking his head.

Smacking him on the back, Dimitri laughs. “Well, it’s going to go well with all the vodka we’re about to sell. It’s a win.”

“Fuck that. You can’t control her.”

“Then I will end her,” I quip without hesitation, drizzling the salt onto the back of my hand. “Alright. Knock it back on three. Here’s to lemons and power.”

In unison, my associates repeat; “Here’s to lemons and power.” I knock back the burning alcohol and suck on the lemon, thinking of the downfall of the Mancinis. Oh, it’s going to be a steep decline into the barrels of Orlov hell for Elena.

“I am curious as to what your plan is. How do you plan on controlling her?” Yegor asks as I chase down the tequila with water.

“I plan on using her to control the Italians. She’s going to do everything I say, because if she becomes a problem for me or the Bratva, or she wants to try any tricks, I’m going to kill her. She won’t want to step out of line.” Shrugging my shoulders, I adjust my black onyx ring which is housed in brass.

“Huh,” Yegor grunts, offering a conciliatory nod as if coming around to the idea.

“See, you have to remember, Yegor, she has no direct relatives, and when I do kill her, the distant relatives will fight amongst themselves for the top-dog position. But those aren’t the ones I’m interested in,” I tell him with a glint in my eye, the alcohol rushing through my system. “No, I’m interested in the workers. The Italian men will want someone to lead them. The Mancinis have a strong workforce, and they will be useful to me. None of them will be able to deny the opportunities and money I offer them, and that’s when I will pounce and crush them.” I pound my fist into my hand, turning it.

Yegor chuckles, now understanding the inner workings of my plan. “I should have never doubted you. It’s the long game,” he retorts gruffly.

I stare at the gold clock on the wall, it’s chime irritating me as much as the terms the Donna set. “Terms and clauses as she called them.” Cringing, I think about the ones Elena put forward resisting the urge to rip them up, but I had to give away some concessions initially, even though in my head, those terms and special conditions aren’t going to last long.

“You will not touch me without my consent, and the marriage is purely for show and is strictly business related .” Her pretty little mouth uttered the words on the screen a couple of days after the boat incident made me laugh. I want to do more than touch her, I want to conquer her, and have her screaming my name.

“Fine. I can live with it,” is what I said at the time, but again, I’ve got plans for the dark-haired beauty and with that smug fuck Matteo sitting near her, I didn’t have much of a choice. “Oh, and I will continue to work after marriage and build Italian businesses in New York. We’re not doing things the Bratva way. I won’t be sitting at home.”

“This is part of Bratva condition. Can you not do it for a couple of months?” I pushed, knowing she wouldn’t go for it, but aching to see what she would say.

“No, I can’t. I won’t sign the contract if you don’t agree. That wasn’t what we discussed, Nikk.” She issued a stern warning and all it did was make me want to punish her more. Ever since the conversation, I’ve been conjuring up several ways in which I can manipulate her to breaking her own clause.

If there’s one thing I like, it’s a challenge, and as far as a woman is concerned, I’ve been bored with the same old, same old, but I pretended to give her what she wanted. It will hold for the time being, but once she’s in my space, and we’re breathing in the same air day in, day out, eating together, talking, negotiating…. Oh yes, shortly after, we will be fucking, and I’m going to make her beg for more, and more. It’s going to be easy getting her to hand over her workforce to me. I’m fantasizing about her doing it willingly.

“You drive a hard bargain, Elena, but I will comply with your wishes. I can start introducing you to my New York nightclub contacts once you settle into your new abode.”

“Then that’s perfect. And I will introduce you to the farmers in the region and explain the shipping arrangements and distribution. It’s all there in the contract,” she punched out, waiting for her to talk about more obvious arrangements between the two of us, but she didn’t. Foolish of her.

“Excellent. I think it’s going to be a fruitful partnership and a good year for both the Orlovs and the Mancinis, don’t you think?” I added smoothly, Matteo playing it a little too close to her.

He wants her. I can tell. No man protects a woman that way without harboring some feelings.

“ Yes. It can be. And I’m fine with the wedding date. The quicker we set it, the quicker we can get this arrangement over with.”

It was at that point I wanted to taunt her, but I have an entire year to get under the cracks of her smooth olive skin I reason. The plane shakes a little, catapulting me back into the present as I study the clock on the wall once more.

One hour until touchdown, and one hour until my new plan to tame the L’vitsa springs into action. It’s about to be one wild ride.