Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Dario

Valentino isn't happy with me when I enter his library. He's seated near the fireplace, sulking. We usually get along like butter and pasta. Our relationship is more like brothers than boss and employee, and sometimes the lines get blurred. But we aren't brothers. He's the leader of the Black Knives, and it's important I remember that. It's dangerous not to.

I don't blame him for being upset with me. I behaved recklessly with Alessio, and now Valentino has to deal with the repercussions. By giving Alessio my bite, I've complicated an already complicated situation. Valentino doesn't like complications, so now I'm in the doghouse.

"Boss," I say softly, "I'm sure I'll get through to him eventually. He's young and he thinks he's in the right. That makes him pig headed."

He scowls at me. "He's never going to see it our way. You must know that."

My stomach churns as I hold his surly gaze. I do know the odds of Alessio ever coming to his senses are teeny tiny. "I have to try."

"Do you?" He sniffs dismissively. "I say we slit the punks throat and be done with it. Why won't you just let me kill him?" He sounds like a petulant child. "I'd be happy to do it. You wouldn't even have to be there."

I clench my jaw because just hearing him talk about killing Alessio makes the hairs on the back of my neck stiffen. I worry what I'd do if he tried to kill Alessio. I don't think I'd be able to just stand mute. Even though I can't conceive of going against Valentino, I also can't fathom allowing him to kill Alessio right in front of me.

"If I hadn't given him my bite, I'd be only to happy to kill him myself, sir."

"Yes, but you did give him your bite." He narrows his eyes. "That was unusually reckless of you, Dario. What the hell were you thinking?"

"I wasn't thinking." I sit in a chair opposite him, slumping against the arm rest. "He went into heat and I went into a rut."

"That explains why you fucked him, not why you claimed him."

"Yes." I grimace, feeling foolish. "Your mother thinks we might be fated mates. She says that's probably why I lost control."

Valentino rolls his eyes. "Yes, I'm well acquainted with my mother's nonsensical ideas about fated mates."

I happen to know his mother thinks he and Nico are fated mates. I also happen to know Valentino has accepted the idea. I ignore the nudge of irritation that goes through me. Why is he willing to accept Nico and he are fated, but reject the idea I might be fated to Alessio?

Mine is not to reason why.

I sigh. "Whether we're fated or not, he's my problem."

"He's my problem too, seeing as he wants me dead." Valentino's expression is dark. "What good are you to me if you're only worried about that omega? I need my second to be at his best. If you're perceived as weak then I look weak."

"Neither one of us are weak," I grouse. "And I'm perfectly capable of doing my job, Valentino."

"You should have killed him on that mountain."

"I know, but I couldn't do it." My voice is painted with frustration. Valentino has every right to be irritated with the situation. I'm just hoping I can keep him calm enough not to kill Alessio before I can figure out a solution that pleases all parties involved.

His irritable expression softens slightly as he watches me. I'm sure it's more than obvious I'm a wreck. He leans toward me, clasping his hands. "Do you think he's carrying your child?"

"Probably." I pat my shirt pocket. "I have a packet of morning after pills. I planned on giving them to him when I went to his room." I exhale tiredly. "I got distracted when I walked in and saw you about to gut him like a fish."

"He's lucky you came when you did." Valentino looks a little sheepish. "He got under my skin."

"He's an expert at that," I mutter.

Valentino rises and goes to pour a whiskey. He returns and hands me a crystal tumbler as well. He lifts his glass. "To getting rid of Alessio before the we both lose our minds."

I clink his glass, smiling weakly. "I'm sorry about all of this. I really am. If I could do it all over again, I'd have picked up some other omega that night. Unfortunately, he's the one that caught my eye."

He doesn't respond. He just reclaims his seat, sipping his drink. Valentino doesn't hand out forgiveness easily. I'm sure he'll hold this fuck up against me for a while. I don't blame him either. This was a major misstep.

"So, how do we not kill him?" Valentino asks bluntly. "In what scenario will that work? The kid wants me dead. I'd rather that didn't happen. How do we both coexist when he's determined to end my life?"

My gut aches and I'm not sure what to say. It's not like I have a plan.

When I don't respond, he says, "You're loyalty is still to me, right?" His voice is emotionless, but uneasiness shivers through me. If Valentino gets it in his head I'd be loyal to Alessio before him, I'm not a hundred percent what he'd do. He'd hate to kill me, but be might lock me away somewhere.

I meet his gaze, making sure not to waver. "Of course. I'm not going to let him hurt you, Boss."

"You'd kill him if it was him or me?"

Why must he push it?

Clenching my teeth against the stress eating at me, I nod. "If it's you or Alessio, I'll protect you sir. I promise."

"I see you avoided my direct question." He swirls the amber liquid in his glass, looking displeased. "I hope you're who I think you are, Dario."

"I am. I'd die before I'd let Alessio harm one hair on your head, sir." I frown. "I would think you know that."

"I suppose I have little choice other than to trust you." He sighs.

We sit in silence for a bit then Valentino glances at me. "Carlo must know I have Alessio by now. Do you think he's hoping I just off the kid?"

"Without a doubt. But Carlo must also know I'm going to want payback for what he did to me."

"Oh, I'm sure he knows." Valentino smirks. "We could just put him in a room with Alessio and let them fight it out. Might be fun to watch. We could take bets on who would win."

I stiffen, but say nonchalantly, "My money would be on Alessio."

"Isn't that sweet?" His tone is mocking.

My face warms but I remain silent.

"I think Carlo will be easy to deal with once we locate him. Alessio is the problem." He lifts one dark brow. "Because of your unwillingness to let me do what needs doing."

I wince guiltily.

He sips his drink, looking thoughtful. "Nico and me were talking earlier about possible solutions to the Alessio problem."

"Were you?" I'm glad to hear that actually. Nico isn't generally in favor of murder, if it can be avoided. He wasn't born into this lifestyle. "Did Nico have some suggestions?"

He smiles slyly. "Why yes, he did. His idea is pretty out there though. He thinks it might be a good way to keep Alessio alive, and appease me. I suspect you'll hate it."

"Why?" I ask, with a feeling of trepidation.

"Because it involves you."

I give a nervous laugh. "Okay. In what way?"

"Well, I was saying to Nico that now is the perfect time to make a calculated move. I'm always looking for ways to grow the Black Knives, as you well know."

"Yes. But I don't see how that would have anything to do with Alessio or I."

He twists his lips, then says softly, "It has everything to do with you two. Because of what happened between you and Alessio, things are already in motion. Nico suggested that, instead of just jumping off the train, perhaps it would be smarter to take control of the train."

I wrinkle my brow. "I'm not following."

He bites his bottom lip. "Well, think about it. You already gave Alessio your bite."

"Yeah. I'm well aware of that horrible mistake."

He laughs. "What if we took that mistake and used it to our benefit?"

"How?"

He looks excited as he says, "Instead of looking at it as a mistake, what if we see it as an opportunity? What if you were to embrace the fact that you claimed Alessio?"

"Embrace it?" I mumble, feeling uneasy.

"Yes. What if you were to marry him?"

I bug my eyes. "Marry him?"

"Yes."

"But," I sputter. "Why on earth would I do that?"

"Because then we could absorb the Abella mob into the Black Knives." He smirks. "We could merge together and be one big happy family."

Disbelief rolls through me as I hold his calculating gaze. "Alessio would never go for that. First of all, he wouldn't want to marry me, and second of all he hates you too much to join with the Black Knives."

His smile is spiteful. "Of course he won't want to do it. You'd have to convince him it's for his own good."

"How would I do that? There's nothing I could say that would convince him." I shake my head. "And for the record, I don't want to marry him. I have no desire to marry anyone, nor do I want to have a kid right now. Not yet. I like my freedom too much."

Valentino scowls. "It wouldn't be a real marriage. You would still be free to fuck around. It would be a marriage of convenience."

"It sounds decidedly inconvenient for me," I grumble. "And once I marry, I won't cheat. I'm like you about that. I take marriage seriously. Why do you think I've put it off so long? I know once I do that, I'm stuck with that omega for the rest of my life."

"Well, it's not that bad. In fact, it can be amazing. Look at me and Nico." Valentino wears a sappy little smile. "We're as happy as can be."

"Yes, but you two are different," I mutter.

"Don't be closed minded. Look at the big picture." He laughs. "If you were willing to do this, we'd have control of the Abella syndicate."

"How? Alessio would still be the boss."

He shakes his head. "Technically, yes. You've forgotten about the Alpha Incipiency Law. As an alpha, when you claimed Alessio, you automatically inherited the right to run any business he owns with him. In this case, his business is the Abella syndicate and if you were his husband, you'd have the legal right to run it with him. In essence, we'd have control."

I wince. "The Alpha Incipiency Law is an antiquated law. These days omegas have the same rights as alphas. I can't remember the last time I heard of an alpha exercising his rights under that law."

"Some do. I think you should. The Incipiency Law has never been struck down, therefore it's still in existence. Besides, I'm sure Alessio's men would much prefer an alpha was at the helm instead of just an omega. There are very few omegas running any of the powerful syndicates these days."

"But, Alessio is the rightful head of the Abella mob." My stomach churns as I meet Valentino's shrewd gaze. "By blood, that's his inheritance."

"I know, but circumstances change. He got himself into this mess and he needs to appease me somehow."

"Taking his rightful place as head of the Abella syndicate feels too cruel."

Valentino rolls his eyes. "You only say that because he has your bite. If he were anyone else you'd be fine with my plan. Besides, he'd still be running things with you. He wouldn't be out entirely."

"Valentino, I never planned on staying with Alessio. You must know that. Just because I have trouble killing him doesn't mean I want to be with him. As I said, I don't want to be married with a kid. I don't want to be tied down."

"It's high time you thought about doing that, Dario. You're twenty-eight. You're of the age when an alpha would usually take a mate. This union would bring you power and wealth." He purses his lips, watching me. "I'm sure you'd like to have more power than you do now."

"Not really." I frown. "I'm happy being your second."

"And I certainly don't want to lose you from that position. That's why I'm proposing we absorb the Abella syndicate into the Black Knives. We would grow even more powerful, and the Abella syndicate would thrive. They're weak right now. After losing Joeseph, and with Alessio running around trying to kill me, they're becoming a laughing stock. It's only a matter of time before they're taken over. Hell, that's what Carlo was trying to do. I say we do it first. Let's take a truly fucked up situation and turn it into something that benefits us."

I blow out a shaky breath, flustered by Valentino's persistence. "Even if I were willing to… marry him, Alessio will be livid at your suggestion. He's angry enough without me suggesting to him that the Black Knives take over his family syndicate."

"Too bad," Valentino rasps. "He has to pay for what he's done. If I'm going to allow him to live, he needs to pay a huge price for my leniency. For God's sake, Dario, he came against the Black Knives' second and it's boss. He has to pay for that. Agreeing to this marriage would satisfy my grudge against him. He'd be dead already if I'd had my way. Don't forget that."

"I haven't," I say softly.

He rubs his jaw, nodding. "If you'll just think logically for a moment, you'd see that this could actually work, Dario. The Black Knives would become untouchable, and I'd have a reason to keep Alessio alive without losing face."

As I listen to him, it's obvious Valentino feels he's come up with the perfect solution to punish Alessio. But I know Alessio will never willingly go along with his plan. "Having spent a time with Alessio, I'm a hundred percent sure he'd rather die than be a part of us."

Valentino lifts one shoulder dismissively. "Then maybe we just kill him and take over his syndicate the old fashioned way. At least I'm giving him an option. Not that he deserves one. He's insolent and arrogant. But I'm willing to overlook all of that and spare his life, if he's willing to go along with this plan."

My stomach sinks because I know Valentino very well. He's not bluffing. He will end Alessio's life if he doesn't cooperate. It won't matter that I don't want him to do it. Valentino will do what's best for the Black Knives. The bigger our syndicate is, the safer we are. He knows that and he's not wrong that this move is perfectly timed. The problem for me is I'm in the middle. I'm linked by my bite to Alessio, but also bound to Valentino by years of loyally standing beside him.

He leans toward me and says softly, "You need to remember that this isn't about what Alessio wants, Dario. This is about coming to a solution that pleases me."

I say in frustration, "And the fact that I have no desire to marry doesn't sway you at all?"

He shrugs. "I'm actually looking out for you. Nico thinks it would be good for you to marry, and I'm inclined to agree. It makes you look respectable to have an omega and a child. You can't remain a bachelor forever. You've already given Alessio your bite, so this works out perfectly."

"For who? Certainly not for me. Are you really going to force this on me?" I grip the arms of my chair, feeling cornered. If I don't give Valentino what he wants, Alessio will die. But if I do go along with Valentino's plan, I'll be stuck with a mouthy omega I don't want, and a kid.

"You're being dramatic. It's not the end of the world. As I said, it would merely be a marriage of convenience. Your life would hardly change."

I widen my eyes. "How can you say that? You've met Alessio. He's nothing like the type of omega I eventually planned on settling down with. He's way too high strung. I like my life just the way it is. Alessio would turn my life upside down. Especially since he won't want the marriage either. He'll probably take his frustrations out on me. How does that equal a happy home?"

Valentino's expression darkens. "If you refuse, he's going to die. Is that what you want? This was my way of allowing him to live."

I grimace. "I appreciate you're trying to think of ways to punish him without killing him. But why am I being punished too?"

"Need I remind you that you actually helped exacerbate the problem?"

I scowl. "If he hadn't kidnapped me, I'd never have been in a position to give him my bite."

He narrows his eyes. "It's your fault you were kidnapped. If you'd been thinking with your big head instead of your little head, none of this would have happened."

"Not true. He was always going to come for you."

"The problem isn't that he came for me," Valentino growls. "The problem is you gave him your bite. If that hadn't happened, he'd be dead already. We both know this. Even he knows it. But you claimed him and now here we are, Dario."

I clench my jaw, embarrassment washing through me. He's not wrong. My stupid actions have brought us to where we are today. I let out a shaky breath. "So he dies if I don't agree to this?"

"Of course." Valentino shakes his head. "There is no other way out for him."

Feeling resigned, I grate out, "What if I can't convince him to marry me? I can't force him and drag him down the aisle."

"Dario," Valentino rumbles. "You know the answer already." He sighs and comes closer to me. "I've only kept him alive this long because of my friendship with you. But that can only take us so far. You know as well as I do how things work in the syndicate. You make a mistake, you pay a price."

"I know―but―"

"I'm offering him a way out of a situation that should, by rights, end with his death. He should be grateful, but I know he won't be. I don't have to give him this chance. I could take everything he has and kill him today. I'm doing this for you, Dario. Because, if he dies, you'll suffer. I don't want that. I don't give a fuck about that kid, but I care about you. I don't want you to have to go through the physical and mental hell that you'd endure if he dies."

"It's not terribly flattering to admit, but I'm sure he'd rather die than marry me," I mumble.

Valentino nods. "So if he doesn't care about his life, what does he care about? What can you use to convince him? Who does he care about?"

"With both his mother and father gone, I don't think there is anyone. His men are the closest thing to family he has left. He does seem to care about his men." I remember how upset Alessio was at the thought that Enzo had been killed.

Valentino brightens. "Then we use his men's lives as leverage. You should tell him that if he doesn't agree to this marriage, I'll slaughter all his men."

I glance up, startled. "You would do that?"

"No." He laughs. "Why would I? If he's stupid and he chooses death, I'll just take over his syndicate anyway. I want his men alive. But he doesn't need to know that. He already thinks I'm a ruthless monster. Let him believe I'd murder all his men if I don't get my way."

I groan. "The kid is so damn hard headed, he still may refuse."

"Then that's his choice." Valentino's gaze is empathetic as he watches me. "I'm sorry, Dario."

I believe he is sorry. For me. Not for Alessio. "I'll go talk to him," I say gruffly.

"Good." Valentino nods. "Let me know what he says."

"Of course." I leave the library, stress buzzing through me.

I have to figure out some way to convince Alessio that marriage to me is a good thing. Because, while I have no desire to get married, entering into a sham marriage will be less painful than watching him die.

I hope.