Chapter 51
Dominic POV
Dominic stood near the tall windows of the penthouse suite, watching the snowfall drift over Moscow and collect along the tops of the buildings surrounding him.
He rolled his shoulders once, then again, still replaying the conversation he had with Alek earlier in his mind. Across the room, Romero was making himself a drink at the minibar, the ice clinking in the glass far too loud in the silence that fell over them the moment they stepped off the elevator.
When Romero finally broke the silence, it was to say, “So… are you going to do it?”
Dominic didn’t bother asking him to clarify. That conversation had apparently been burned into both of their brains. “I don’t know.”
Romero snorted softly, the sound of liquor pouring from a bottle following. “Handing over the consigliere’s daughter to a mobster like some procured gift basket sounds like more trouble than it’s worth. Even if it’s to get us out of the debt we owe them.”
Dominic sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Yes, I’m aware.”
In the reflection of the window, he watched Romero lean against the counter, swirling the amber liquid in his glass.
“It’s a hell of a deal.” Dominic said quietly.
“Not if it means triggering a war. Or at the very least, backlash from the Carusos. We can’t afford to get into a scuffle with them while still rebuilding our own ranks.”
He knew that.
Of course he did. He sat at that table more times than he could count on one hand wishing them all away while also remembering how difficult taking both families out would be without a proper army of his own ready at his back.
The problem with inciting anger from the Carusos is that since his father’s death, they now held the upper hand. While Dominic’s own family was scrambling to knit their ranks back together, the Carusos remained steady as ever.
He’d known this would happen the moment after deciding to end Leonardo’s life years ago. Dominic knew there would be a low point for the Guerreros until they found their footing again. That had all been a part of his plan.
What he never accounted for was other forces—other syndicates, rather—to join in the fray as well.
“I suppose a counterpoint would be to take her in the middle of the night and ship her to Russia. Make it seem like a kidnapping instead of us handing her over willingly.” Romero said. “That is, if you’re truly considering Alek’s offer.”
A fair plan. Though one Dominic wasn’t so sure he wanted to follow through with.
The problem wasn’t so much the logistics surrounding getting Gianna out from under the eyes of the Caruso family.
His problem was actually Aurora.
Dominic had been thinking about it ever since Alek slid that photo across the table with the cold smile of a man who knew exactly what he was asking and how good the bargain was if the task were to be completed. Gianna’s face frozen amongst the chaos around her, captured in the moment everything went to hell at the wedding reception.
For some reason, Alek wanted her.
Badly.
And Dominic had no doubt he’d get her one way or another if this little crush of his were to manifest into something more. If not through him, then through something or someone else. Another broker willing to put himself in the line of fire dealing with the Carusos, perhaps.
Weeks ago, Dominic wouldn’t have hesitated in being that broker. Gianna would have already been on a plane by now, doped up and blindfolded. He might even have delivered her personally just to make sure she arrived as advertised and shaken Alek’s hand before going home with all his debts erased and a future free from IOUs.
But that was before Aurora.
Before those eyes of hers lured him. Before her body moving against his felt sweeter than any sin. Before that devilish anger of hers got her to play her hand and blackmail him, giving him a taste of his own damn medicine.
Before he ever realized that somewhere along the way, she’d stopped being a pawn and started becoming the one person he couldn’t afford to lose.
“She’d never forgive me,” Dominic said finally with a sigh.
If she were to ever find out, he would lose her forever. There would be no gaining her trust back after that. He could shower her with gifts, lavish vacations, or whatever else he could manage to put his money towards.
None of it would soften her hatred of him if her best friend was sold off like a prized cow.
Romero didn’t ask who he meant. He didn’t need to.
“If she ever finds out I’m the one who delivered her best friend to a Bratva kingpin, she’ll never get over it.” Dominic continued.
Romero replied simply. “Then don’t let her find out.”
Dominic shot him a glare over his shoulder.
“I’m serious,” Romero said, shrugging. The ice in his glass clinched against the sides of it. “We have ways to get Gianna on a plane to Russia if that’s what you’ve chosen to do. I don’t think it should matter what Aurora’s feelings are. What matters is the backlash of the Carusos if they find out we’re involved in this in any capacity. You need to stop focusing on Aurora. She’s irrelevant to the plan.”
Dominic didn’t say anything. He didn’t trust himself to. He understood what Romero was getting at—that Aurora was never supposed to be a factor in his decision making when it came down to putting the pieces in motion to eventually take over his family.
Week ago, she hadn’t been.
She was a mere convenience.
But now things were different. Now Dominic couldn’t imagine a world in which Aurora hated him and iced him out of her life.
He wasn’t sure what that said about him. Her becoming his underbelly had never been part of the plan.
All he knew was that the second he pictured Aurora crying over Gianna, screaming at him, hating him—it made his chest ache in a way that was both maddening and terrifying.
What was this woman doing to him?
“We’ll see what happens,” he muttered under his breath before turning away from the window and walking deeper into the penthouse.
He tried calling Aurora later that night.
Twice with no answer.
The phone rang and rang until it cut to voicemail, an automated message stating her phone number back to him with no answers as to where she was. He’d checked the time twice before calling her, knowing that it was only the middle of the afternoon in the states and not after midnight where he was.
Where the hell was she?
Instead, he paced the bedroom like a caged animal. She always picked up when he called. There was never a time when she ignored him, even when they were at odds after he first blackmailed her. Accepting his proposal and agreeing to become his wife was supposed to be the start of a new chapter for them.
He yanked his phone off the nightstand where it was charging and called Luca first. He swore to God if either of the twins ignored him too, he was going to actually lose it.
Thankfully, the other end of the line clicked and Luca picked up.
“Why the hell isn’t Aurora answering her phone?” Dominic snapped.
“Oh, hello, Boss.” Luca said. “She may be a little busy.”
“With?”
“Unpacking her things. She and Gianna requested to be brought back to the Caruso estate to retrieve some of their personal items.”
“What?”
Luca paused for a moment on the other end. “She expressed wanting to see her father. Gianna, I mean. They were both very persuasive in asking us to drive them back to the estate. Quite a lovely piece of property they have. Don’t worry, they are back safe and sound at the safehouse.”
Oh, Dominic was going to lose it. It would be a miracle if he made it back to the States with his head still attached to his body and not exploded all over this room from the sheer amount of anger currently coursing through him.
“Did I, or did I not, tell you to never bring them there? I specifically remember having this exact conversation with you and your brother.”
“But—”
“Go find Aurora and put her on the phone. I can’t believe either of you actually went against my orders.”
“Trust me,” he said. “They were very convincing.”
“Now. Luca.”
