Chapter 4 Chapter four

~DEAL WITH THE DEVIL~

DIANA’S POV

There was an authority in this man that made Carlos seem small by comparison. I caught a glimpse of the gun on his hip, swallowed hard, and forced my feet back toward the couch. "I am only taking a seat because I choose to," I snapped, refusing to let him see me shake.

I deliberately looked anywhere but at him. I was already pissed, and I was beginning to regret letting him rescue me the night before.

Alexandro sat down across from me. “I’ll get straight to the point. I’m Alexandro Massimo, president of the Valkyries Biker Club in Greece.”

That was where I had heard his name. Carlos had mentioned him before. A few years ago, Carlos and another biker organization had tried to invade the Valkyries, but the response had been brutal. None of the men Carlos sent came back alive.

I looked at the man sitting across from me, remembering the stories I had heard about the ruthless Alexandro Massimo.

He continued, “Like I said last night, I know about you because I came to Italy for you. I came to get you because I need your skills. I want you to work for me.”

I stared at him. “What’s the catch?”

"We will have a one-year contract. You work on my side to eliminate my enemies."

A bitter laugh escaped my throat. "I spent my whole life working for people who broke every promise they made to me. Why would I trust you?" I leaned back against the cushions and held his cold stare. "Go ahead and shoot me right now, Alexandro." I let his name roll off my tongue, searching his face for a reaction.

He simply shook his head. “I’m not them. I’m a man of my word. When I give my word, I keep it.”

Something about the certainty in his voice made me believe him for a few seconds, but I quickly pushed the thought aside.

“So what do I get in return?” I asked.

“When the contract ends, you get a new identity and a house in whatever country you choose. You’ll also get revenge on the people who betrayed you. They’re my enemies too.”

My jaw tightened at his last words. “What if I say no?”

“I’ll send word to your club. You won’t make it a few blocks before they find you.” He said it so casually that I knew he wasn’t bluffing.

I let the silence stretch between us before meeting his gaze. "In other words, I do not have a choice," I replied. "I have one request."

His eyes remained on me.

“You’ll help me find out about my family. Where I’m from, who they were, and when we find the people responsible, you’ll help me take revenge.”

His expression became thoughtful. He considered my request for a moment before nodding. “Okay.”

I looked down at my hands and thought about everything that had happened. The club had betrayed me. For years, they had promised to help me find information about my family and eventually let me go, but instead, they had tried to kill me.

At least with this man, I would be safe for now.

I didn’t trust him, but I had learned something during my years with the club. Sometimes staying alive mattered more than knowing exactly who you were trusting. I had to stay alive to fight another day.

Across from me, Alexandro waited without rushing me or interrupting my thoughts. He simply gave me the time to make my decision.

Finally, I looked up at him. “We have a deal.”

His expression didn’t change.

“I hope I don’t regret this,” I added.

A FEW DAYS LATER

The moment we touched down in Athens, I put on my sunglasses and stepped onto the stairs of the private jet. I stopped halfway down the steps. My eyes moved slowly across the hot tarmac, taking in every detail of the scene waiting for me below.

The fleet of black vehicles lined up beside the runway was insane. Several motorcycles were parked among them, their polished bodies gleaming beneath the afternoon sun, while rows of men in dark suits stood waiting.

They looked more like a presidential security detail than members of a biker club. Even Carlos, the president of my former club, had never had anything close to this.

I glanced at Alexandro as he stepped down behind me. Clearly, he wasn’t just some biker with a few men following him around.

The tattoos covering his arms made it obvious that he was definitely deeply involved in a world far more powerful than the one I had known.

He brushed past me without a word, walking with an authority that made every man on the tarmac lower his head as he approached. He stopped briefly to deliver a few quiet orders, and no one dared to interrupt him.

Turning to watch his movements, I saw him reach one of the motorcycles. He pulled on his helmet, mounted the bike, and brought the engine to a roaring life. A second later, he tore off down the runway, with a string of black cars following closely behind.

I stared after them in disbelief. “That jerk just left me.” I walked down the remaining steps, still watching the convoy disappear.

One of the men approached me. “I’m Jace, the vice president of the Valkyries,” he introduced himself.

I looked him over carefully. He was yet another ridiculously handsome man. I could not help but wonder if Alexandro was selecting his entire crew based entirely on their looks.

“Welcome, Ms. Diana,” he said.

So he knew who I was too.

“Follow me. I’ll take you to the clubhouse, and Sweetpea can fill you in on everything you need to know.” He gestured toward an SUV waiting nearby.

I raised an eyebrow. “Someone’s name is Sweetpea?”

Jace smiled. “Apparently.”

I could not stop a brief look of amusement from showing as I walked behind him toward the dark SUV. Holding the door for me, he waited while I climbed inside and sank into the leather seat. Jace slipped in right next to me.

I stared through the tinted glass at the fleet of bikes and security cars outside. I had no clue what I was getting into, but a strange gut feeling told me there was no turning back from the choice I made back in Italy.