Aurora had looked tense the entire time. I noticed the way her family treated her with indifference. They didn’t care about her. I saw it more clearly now than ever before. They’d given me and the Bratva a daughter they held no regard for.
After my wife threw up on her sister’s dress, Isabella had changed into some clothes of Aurora’s, which had started a whole conversation about the size difference between the two women. I’d immediately brought a stop to it.
Her sister Isabella had talked the whole time, and while she did, the sound of her voice grated on my nerves. Her family doted on her, though. It was like she’d hosted our party last night, not Aurora. As for the chef, well, he’d gotten what was coming to him. Telling my wife what he’d serve and not listening to her. He’d come from one of our restaurants, and clearly, he hadn’t been given the update on who was in charge. I’d enjoyed every single moment of reminding him.
“Yes, I’m looking at it, and it seems to occur during two specific times where the rate of men versus income differs.”
I listened as Ivan gave me the few remaining details of the puzzle. All I had to do now was go back to Cara with them and we could run down a list of employees who would have full access to the office, along with the ability to take money. It wouldn’t be a hard deal to handle.
“How is the lovely Cara these days?” Ivan asked.
With Ivan being in the tower of power, it was rare for him to see Cara. She was considered under my jurisdiction. Of course, if he actually wanted to see her, all he’d need to do was make a phone call.
“Well, from what I saw.” I’d never been one to make small talk.
“And your wife? Have you started to make babies yet?”
I ran a hand down my face. If Ivan wasn’t my friend and my boss, I’d tell him to go and fuck himself.
“Everything is going well.”
“Don’t fucking lie to me, Slavik. You and I know how important this treaty is. I’ve given you a woman because I know you’ll follow instructions and she won’t be dead within a few years at your hand. This play cannot work without all the cogs working. Get her pregnant and do it soon.”
He hung up and I stared at my phone before pocketing it.
I glanced up at the night sky, taking a final deep breath. The play was the chance to expand, to take more turf. With Aurora as my wife, it made the Italians look weak. They wanted an alliance to stop the bloodshed, as we’d been killing their made men for years. This treaty, however long it lasted, would gain us the power to completely wipe them from our list of enemies.
It was always about ground and money. Two of which always equaled power, and we always wanted a lot of it.
Entering the warehouse, I heard the screams. My men stood waiting for the instruction. The man hanging upside down, blood streaming from several slashes that had been made into his flesh, whimpered, and the almost animal-like sounds he made echoed around the room.
I’d long ago been desensitized to the noises of the tortured. This man had stolen from us. Taken product in the intent to hand us over to the law. We didn’t take betrayal easily. He’d also been trying to get out of the country ever since he realized he was the piece in a trap.
“No, please. No. I’ll do anything.”
I crouched down so we were at eye level. “Who were you going to meet with?” I asked.
After he’d called to try to buy protection for the information he believed he had, he went running to one of our enemies, the Italian mafia. This morning, I got the call from Fredo himself, the man willing to trade secrets. This was why the treaty worked.
“I’m dead anyway,” the man said.
I tilted my head to the side, looking at him. He’d already pissed and shit himself. The contents of his body swirled on the floor, creating a stink. I hated weak men. This man was the lowest of the low.
When you swore loyalty to someone, you gave yourself to the cause, and this fucker was everything I despised.
Ivan Volkov was a fucking king in our world, and to all those who turned on him, turned on us, I never showed mercy.
“True, but I can make it an easy death. You wouldn’t feel pain. Or I can keep you alive for days, weeks, months, and every single day, you will feel nonstop pain.” I tilted my head to the side with a smile. “What’s it going to be?”
When I smiled, it terrified people.
I was used to having that effect on people because I rarely found humor in this life. I had no desire for it. I had one set mode and that was to kill. To annihilate my enemies.
He still didn’t talk, so I figured it was time to remind him. I’d already plucked his toenails and fingernails, but now I would extract his teeth, one at a time.
Two of my men lifted him, holding him still as I pried open his mouth. He thrashed, trying to get away, but he was no match for our strength. I used the right tool for the job, and within seconds, held a very healthy-looking tooth.
“Please, I’ll tell you anything.”
“I’m listening.” I was sure to keep the sight of the tooth for him to see as a reminder. It worked. He told me all about the knowledge of our treaty. How the Italians had insulted us by granting us a marriage with a daughter they wanted to get rid of and how there was a rumor of a takeover.
Now this was news to me.
He continued to explain the gossip running rife about our enemies, how they were willing to band together with some MCs, and even the cartels had been seen coming and going through their turf.
Once he was done, I had enough to work through, and so the death was clean, precise, and over with. He had given me far more work.
We intended to take the turf away from the Italians. Any attack now would be suicide. I filled Ivan in on the details I’d gained, and along with it, I heard the new anger in his voice. We’d been aware of Aurora’s lack of desire, but this went beyond that. We couldn’t attack now, but we would be aware, gathering the necessary intel that would be required for us to completely wipe them off the face of the earth.
“What do I do with Aurora?” I asked.
“Simple. I have a feeling if she’s as expendable to them as everyone believes, they won’t care about her death. We keep her alive. You use her. Host several more of those family dinners. Find out everything we know and play the loving husband. We will hurt them for this.”
I agreed and hung up.
My biggest problem … I didn’t like the way they’d disregarded Aurora. She was my wife, and it was my duty, for now, to keep her alive, but I had a problem with how they treated her. From the moment the agreed treaty of a marriage was negotiated, I’d seen the way she was handled. How they pushed her to one side as if she didn’t matter. Not only that, but even the other night with those women at the dinner table. They couldn’t stand to be around her.
I didn’t get it. Aurora was sweet. She was kind. I saw it in her eyes even though she tried to hide everything. What I also saw was acceptance. She lived with this, being constantly passed over, ignored.
Arriving at my penthouse suite, I discovered it was empty. No sign of Aurora or Sergei, which pissed me off.
I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Sergei.
“Where are you?” I didn’t like this one bit.
“We’re at the pool. Aurora wanted to do some laps.”