12. Damian

12

Isit hunched over my desk, the stacks of documents and files completely forgotten. My mind is elsewhere, replaying the events from a few weeks ago, over and over again.

The memory of Alexis's bare skin against mine, the softness of her lips, the way she had trembled with desire in my arms—it is all seared into my brain. I can still smell the faint traces of her perfume that seems to linger in my office.

And then I remember the cold, harsh reality of what I had done. How I had abruptly pulled away from her warmth with a bullshit excuse about needing to attend to business. The confused and hurt look on her beautiful face as I retreated.

Guilt twists in my gut. I had let my own cowardice and fear of vulnerability take over in that moment. Now, Alexis is shutting me out, refusing to speak to me, and she avoids me completely. Not that I could blame her after the way I treated her.

I wearily scrub a hand over my face. As a powerful Don, I am accustomed to always being in control, never allowing emotions to rule me. But Alexis has a way of getting under my skin, stripping away every calculated layer of bravado I show the world.

I have to make this right. I have to find a way to explain myself without the usual lies and deception. If I don't, I know I'll lose her, and that makes me feel hollower than ever.

The door to my office swings open, interrupting my brooding thoughts. I look up to see Uncle Vinny striding in, a gruff but warm smile spreading across his weathered face.

"There's my boy," Uncle Vinny booms, his voice rasping slightly from too many years of cigarette smoke. He pulls me up from my chair and envelopes me in a tight embrace.

Despite his burly frame and imposing demeanor, I feel a surge of affection for my uncle. After my parents and little sister were brutally murdered years ago, Uncle Vinny has been the closest thing to a father, despite the little hiccup of his trying to take over as the head of the Iacopelli Family. He's the last tie to my father, a man I idolized like no other.

As Uncle Vinny releases me, I manage a ghost of a smile. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Uncle?"

Uncle Vinny's expression turns more serious as he takes the seat across from my desk. "Any leads on the Hartley girl's whereabouts?"

A knot forms in my stomach at the mention of Alexis. Right, I'm supposed to be hunting her down. I wonder what color Uncle Vinny's face would turn if he knew Alexis Hartley is only a floor above us?

Normally, I would have told Uncle Vinny that we have her, but since Vinny brought Mario to me and has been encouraging me to help in the search, it's best that Uncle Vinny knows nothing.

"No updates to report, I'm afraid," I lie smoothly, keeping my face an inscrutable mask. "My guys are combing every inch of the city, but she's proving a slippery one so far."

Uncle Vinny scowls, an ugly look coming over his face. "Goddammit. It's crucial that we get our hands on Alexis Hartley soon, Damian," he growls, his expression hardening. "Mario is breathing down my neck about it."

I raise an eyebrow. "I don't understand the significance, Uncle. Why is this one girl so damn important? Seems like we could find another target to sell. There's no shortage of options prowling the streets after dark."

I regret the words as soon as they leave my lips. Uncle Vinny's eyes flash with a rare burst of anger and he slams a meaty fist on my desk, making everything rattle. "Don't question it, boy!" Vinny snaps, his gravelly voice rising in volume. "We need Alexis Hartley specifically. No substitutions. Mario's orders."

I recoil slightly at my uncle's vehement reaction. It's unlike the normally even-keeled Vinny to lose his cool like this. Clearly, there are larger machinations at play that I'm not privy to.

Does that piss me off? Sure. But I know when it's appropriate to ask questions and when to keep my mouth shut, and this is one of those times.

Holding my hands up in a placating gesture, I slowly nod. "You're right, Uncle. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked. We'll redouble our efforts to locate her immediately."

My mind races over this new revelation. What makes Alexis Hartley so goddamn special? And who is she to The Brotherhood that Mario himself has such a vested interest?

This clearly goes far deeper than any of us know. And my self-imposed personal conflicts are only going to keep getting more and more tangled in the wider web.

The door bursts open again as Nat comes storming into my office, her face twisted into a scowl the moment she spots Uncle Vinny.

"What's that miserable bastard doing here?" she spits, refusing to even look in Uncle Vinny's direction.

Uncle Vinny scowls right back. "Nice to see you too, Natalia."

Nat's eyes flash at the usage of her full name and I sense a rising war. I hold up a calming hand. "Easy, you two. Uncle Vinny is just leaving."

Uncle Vinny stands, understanding the dismissal. "Remember to find her, Damian. As soon as possible."

I incline my head. "Understood, Uncle."

With one last withering glare at Nat, Vinny shakes his head in disgust and turns on his heel, grumbling under his breath as he exits.

As soon as the door closes behind him, Nat rounds on me, her eyes blazing with fury and distrust. "You need to stop letting that fucking snake in here."

I sigh, mentally bracing myself. "Nat, come on…"

"I'm serious!" Nat insists, slamming her palms on my desk. "I don't trust Vinny as far as I can throw his fat ass. He's been sketchy ever since I can remember."

"You don't trust anyone, Nat," I counter, unable to hide the weariness in my voice. "Besides, Uncle Vinny has looked out for me. We're family."

Nat laughs viciously. "Oh, yeah? Then explain why he's so desperate to find Alexis, huh? You've been acting like a world-class dick to that poor girl."

My jaw clenches at the mention of Alexis. Alexis had better not have told Nat anything about how we had sex. I can't keep the defensive edge out of my voice. "Don't bring her into this."

"Like hell I won't!" Nat shoots back fiercely. "In case you've forgotten, I'm the one who's been with Alexis while you've had your head shoved up your ass!"

"Oh, so now you're a fan of Alexis? What were your original words when I said we should keep her here? ‘Ditch the bitch', right?"

Nat pierces me with an accusing glare. "I've gotten to know her these last few weeks. She's a good kid who doesn't deserve to get tangled up in our nasty shit. But you've been tossing her around like a goddamn ragdoll."

I swallow hard, Nat's words cutting deep. As if I didn't already know I was being an ass to Alexis. The constant warring between my priorities and my emotions has been torture.

Nat opens her mouth to argue more, but I cut her off. "Look, we can debate Uncle Vinny's ethics and my supposed asshole tendencies another time. Right now, we need to get to The Underground. We have a meeting there soon."

Nat scowls at me but thankfully drops the subject. "Fine. Let's go, then."

As we head for the door, I can't help but think about Nat's vehement mistrust of our uncle. I know she has her reasons, her natural skepticism and disinclination to let anyone get too close. But Vinny has been like a father to me. Doesn't that count for something?

My thoughts continue to gnaw me over the true nature of Uncle Vinny's involvement with The Brotherhood. I know I'll eventually need real answers—no matter where they come from or whom they implicate.

The club is hopping as always, the pulsing beat of music and flashing lights providing a hypnotic backdrop. Nat and I weave our way through the raucous crowd, exchanging terse nods with the security stationed at every entrance.

Once we reach the VIP lounge and sit down, a small entourage appears—three bulky bodyguards leading the way for a statuesque woman with flowing red hair and ice blue eyes. Even from a distance, her aura of coldness and disdain is palpable.

My whole body tenses as I recognize the woman. Goddammit. Here comes Scarlett Rafa.

"Well, well," Scarlett purrs as she approaches, a cruel smile playing across her crimson lips. "If it isn't Damian and his raging Chihuahua, Natalia."

Nat instantly bristles, her body tensing like a loaded spring. "Why don't you slither back into whatever sewer you crawled out of, Scarlett?"

Edo quickly moves to place a restraining hand on Nat's arm as she looks ready to launch herself at Scarlett. The two women engage in a heated glare-off, the air practically crackling with animosity.

I step forward, my voice cutting through the tension. "What do you want, Scarlett? I know you didn't come all this way here to catch up with old friends."

She turns her icy eyes on me, giving an airy shrug off her bare, freckled shoulders. "Can't a girl stop by to say hello to her ex-fiancé without getting the third degree?"

Uh, no. When Scarlett visits, she wants something or has something up her sleeve. And it's never good.

When I simply stare her down, Scarlett rolls her eyes. "Oh, alright, keep your pants on. I only came to offer a… polite invitation."

"We don't deal with scum like you," Nat spits before I can respond. "So you can take your ‘invitation' and shove it up your ass."

Rather than getting riled up, Scarlett just tuts lightly. "Such nasty manners, as always, Natalia. I was simply going to suggest a little… business partnership, of sorts."

She turns to me and sits down on the couch, crossing her legs so her short skirt slides up even more. "You know, Damian, we could do so much more together than apart," she murmurs, idly tracing a finger on the back of the couch. "Merge our operations, become a real powerhouse."

Scarlett fixes me with an expectant look. "The Iacopellis and The Brotherhood, ruling Chicago's underworld as partners. Has a nice ring, don't you think?"

I scowl, immediately recognizing where this is going. "Save your breath, Scarlett. We're not merging shit. That flew out the window the moment our engagement ended."

"Oh, come now, don't be so hasty." Scarlett tsks lightly, her blue eyes remaining flinty shards of ice. "That's ancient history, dear. I was simply a silly, naive girl back then. But I've grown… and my ambitions have expanded. I'm offering you an opportunity here, one I'd think you'd be stupid to pass up."

Her eyes glint with veiled menace. "Especially since those Invicta pains in the ass have been breathing down my neck lately. Could use some… reinforcements to put them back in their place."

So that's her play—she wants to absorb the Iacopelli family's muscle and resources to bolster her own position against their rivals. I'm not surprised in the least that her motivations are as transparently self-serving as ever.

"Need I remind you, Scarlett, that you are not the head of The Brotherhood. If your father, Mario, wants to initiate a discussion, then I'd be open to listening. But you?" I give a mirthless chuckle. "You've got no sway here, sweetheart. Keep dreaming of your little fantasy merger."

For a long beat, fury blazes behind Scarlett's icy eyes. A terrifying smile slowly spreads across her ruby red lips. It is a smile completely devoid of any warmth or humor—cold, cruel, utterly devoid of humanity. The smile of someone not just unhinged, but unbound from any semblance of morality or empathy.

"We'll see about that, Damian, dear," she purrs, her tone laced with soft menace that raises the hairs on the back of my neck. "One way or another, you'll come around to my way of thinking."

With that chilling promise, she gets up and sashays away, her bodyguards falling into step behind her like shadows. I can't tear my eyes away from the sway of her hips, my heart pounding with a sense of sickening dread.

"Mio Dio, I hate that bitch," Edo murmurs. "There's a black hole where her soul should be."

I can't help but agree. Scarlett's last words were no idle threat. The last look in her eyes, that paradoxically warm yet utterly cold smile—it bored straight through me, stripping me down to the bone.

This won't be the last I see of Scarlett Rafa.