8. Mikhail

8

MIKHAIL

For a minute there, Lucia was actually getting me to change my mind about her.

After seeing her hold her own with those two guys in the park, I saw her in a completely different light.

Gone was the spoiled party girl, and in her place was this fierce, kick-ass woman.

I will say watching her kick like that in those knee high boots was an image I replayed in my mind way too many times last night when I tried to sleep, which didn't come easy when I knew she was right across the hall.

That was a mistake on my part. I should have put her in the bedroom on the top floor, but for some reason, I wanted to have her close, in case she needed some… comforting .

I don't know if the sex was so incredible because it was in public and we could've been caught at any moment, or simply because it was her .

Either way, I want more.

Fuck, she's got me acting like a feral animal. One taste, and I'm hooked.

I swear my cock has been hard since the moment she walked into Angelo 's wearing that pissy expression on her face. That and the spray on black dress that could barely contain her full breasts.

This is exactly the opposite of what I wanted. I'm meant to be the one with all the control and yet, I can't even get her to stay in the house.

How the hell am I going to get her to back out of this marriage if she thinks she's got me wrapped around her finger?

Well, that stops now.

After the little stunt she pulled today, she's right back to her spoiled brat persona that has me seeing red. But that's exactly the sort of wakeup call I need.

I can't have her thinking she can just do as she pleases and expect me to just roll over and take it because she bats her eyelashes at me and pushes her breasts together.

It's a good thing I decided to cut my morning meeting with my brothers short to come back to the townhouse to check on her.

I knew Lucia would be pissed about having to stay in the townhouse alone, but there was no way I was going to bring her with me. I couldn't risk my brothers becoming distracted by her charm and quite frankly, her beauty.

Two of my brother's might be happily married, but they're not blind.

But the second I walked through the door, I knew she was gone. I was stupid to put so much trust in a girl who is proud of not using her brain cells.

And this little stunt could have gotten her killed.

She has a fucking target on her back and yet, she just walked straight out the front door without a care for the consequences.

I guess part of me was hoping that she would want to listen to me. After all, I went through with her ridiculous bucket list and helped save her fucking life.

The least she could do was stay home for a few hours.

It took me less than a minute to decide to call Anton and have him come over to fit a lock on her door. Despite what Lucia might think, I take no pleasure in locking her up, but she didn't give me much of a choice.

She's Massimo Conti's daughter for Christ's sake. He'll have a lot more than my balls if something happens to her on my watch.

I don't particularly enjoy having Massimo breathing down my neck, so the sooner this situation is dealt with, the better.

Until then, I'll happily play the villain in Lucia's story if it means she's safe. And it doesn't hurt to have her so angry with me either.

I'm meant to be getting her to call off this wedding, not plan one.

I head straight back to my family's penthouse to put some distance between us. She might be locked up, but that won't stop her from crawling her way into my thoughts, and I need to stay focused.

As I'm driving over there, a call from Anton comes through the speakers, and I fight the urge to send it to voicemail.

The second I answer, I wish I had gone with my instincts as it seems my cousin is in the mood to press all of my buttons.

"How's playing house with the party girl going? Did she like her little present?"

"That's why you're calling me?"

"Just catching up, Mikhail. I take it Lucia made it back in one piece? "

"Yes, thank fuck." I run my fingers through my hair.

"Is this payback for the little incident the other night?"

"She's staying with me until we find out who the guys that attacked us are working for."

"Alexei told me about your little run in. Still no word on who's behind it?"

"No. I'm hoping we'll have something soon."

"But until then you're having to play babysitter?"

"Yes."

"You really are na?ve." He chuckles.

The sound grates on my nerves, and I tighten my grip on the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white as I dodge in and out of traffic.

"Excuse me?"

"You truly thought if you asked nicely enough that Lucia Conti would do as you tell her? Fuck, Mikhail, even I know that would have never worked."

"I know that now. And I thought a threat to her life would be enough of a reason."

"Clearly, you are a terrible judge of character. I wonder how long it will take for Massimo to appear on your doorstep ready to chop off your balls for letting his daughter out of your sight."

"Look, I need you to keep this quiet, and this time, I fucking mean it, Anton. Don't go spilling this to Alexei. I can't afford to have him thinking I can't handle this."

"Can you?"

"I don't have a choice."

"That doesn't answer the question, Mikhail."

"It's the only answer I have." I hang up the phone.

My brothers are still in the lounge, slowly making their way through a bottle of vodka, when I arrive twenty minutes later .

Dimitri is leaning against the mantel. "How's your little wife-to-be?"

I shoot my brother a glare as I take a seat beside Danil on the couch, my teeth grinding as I think of the situation with Lucia.

"Not in the mood, Dimitri."

"Trouble in paradise?" Danil slaps me on the shoulder.

I slap his hand away, ignoring his jab, and put my attention on Alexei.

"Has Andrew called yet with the fingerprint results?"

"No, but it should be any minute." He crosses his ankle over the knee as he lounges in his armchair.

"Fine."

Once fresh drinks are poured, and Danil fills me in on what I missed in the few hours I was gone, Alexei's phone starts ringing.

"It's Andrew." He puts the phone on speaker and sets it down on the table. "Go ahead."

"We ran the fingerprints like you asked," Zara's father says. "It seems these guys have got quite a history with the NYPD."

I glance at Alexei.

I frown. "In what way?"

"Their mafia connections have landed them in quite a bit of trouble over the years. So, I appreciate you taking care of them, Mikhail."

I keep quiet, my mind racing as I try to think of who they could be linked to.

Alexei is the one to voice my thoughts. "Do you know who they were working for?"

"They've got some strong connections to Alfonzo Morano."

Dimitri looks at Alexei, then at the phone. "Who? "

A deep crease forms between Alexei's eyebrows. "He's an old enemy of Massimo's."

"It seems Massimo Conti is at the top of his hit list for killing his two sons a few years back," Andrew explains. "It started a huge territory war that I'm not certain was ever resolved."

I pinch the top of my nose. "So, Alfonzo is coming after Lucia as revenge?"

"It seems that way."

"Fuck," I hiss.

Alexei adjusts his phone on his hand. "Thanks for doing this Andrew, we really appreciate it."

"Of course," Andrew says before hanging up the phone.

My brothers and I sit in silence for a moment, trying to digest this new piece of information.

"You know what this means?" Dimitri leans forward. "If Alfonzo is coming after Lucia, it means he's coming after us too. Our families are linked now."

Alexei nods. "That was always the risk with this deal. That Massimo's enemies would become ours."

Danil frowns. "And you chose to do it anyway? It seems counter intuitive."

"I had to think of the bigger picture, Danil. Igor Ivanov is exactly that."

I sigh, rubbing my jaw. "Well, now he's not the only one we have to worry about."

My oldest brother looks at me. "Can you handle this?"

I frown. "What do you mean?"

Alexei lets out a breath and leans forward, resting his forearms on his thighs.

"If Alfonzo wants Lucia dead, he's not going to stop until he's achieved it. I am willing to bet that he's learned of your betrothal. "

"That's just business."

"How would he know that? For all he knows, you're loved up, which means not only is a target on her back, but on yours as well."

Well, fuck .

I square my shoulders. "I have things under control."

Alexei regards me for a moment, a doubtful expression on his face, but I make sure not to look away.

I only hope he can't see the guilt in my eyes.

If he found out that I let Lucia out of my sight after promising Massimo I would keep her safe, it would undo everything I've been working toward.

He can't know I've already screwed up.

"Okay, then. Well, I say we start looking into Alfonzo Morano."

Dimitri nods. "I'll call my guy, see what he can dig up."

"Good, and in the meantime, let's do everything we can to make sure Lucia is safe. I'm trusting you with this, Mikhail." He offers me a stern look.

"I won't let you down."

As I climb behind the driver's seat of my car an hour later, I can't help but picture the doubt in my oldest brother's eyes.

Does he really believe that I'm not capable of handling this? That I'm not up to the challenge?

I thought I'd proven myself over the last couple of years, what with helping to take out Mario Gilanto and then Giovanni Saccone.

Not once did I question my brother's motives or refuse to get my hands dirty.

I do what's expected of me, and I do it well.

But from the way Alexei was looking at me today, it's as if he has forgotten everything I've done, everything I've sacrificed for this family.

I can't deny it fucking stings to think that he doesn't trust me, but I don't have time to dwell on it. Instead, I need to use it as motivation to show him once and for all what an asset I am to this family.

And pray that Lucia Conti doesn't screw things up for me in the process.