Maximo parks the car in front of the house, but before Leandra can get out, I grab her wrist and pin it down on the leather seat. “Let’s have dinner tonight.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t be late again like I was this morning. I’ll make sure I’m on time for dinner.”
“No.” I tighten my grip on her wrist and look at her. “I mean, have dinner with me tonight. Only us.”
Her hair slips over her shoulder and down her back, curling at the ends. She turns to face me with a scowl. “You don’t owe me anything, Alexius, simply because we fucked.”
“I know that,” I grit out. “Do I strike you as the kind of person who would do something I don’t want to do simply because I feel it’s owed?”
“I don’t know what kind of man you strike me as.” She slips her hand from under mine. “But that doesn’t matter since this is just a short-term thing. We don’t have to know each other at the end of it.”
I scoff, rubbing my chin. “And here I thought I’m the cold-hearted bastard in this outfit.”
“You are. I’m just making sure I’m the coldhearted bitch who accessorizes well with you.” Her hand reaches for the door lever, but she pauses and sighs. “Let me guess. I’m child-locked.”
“Can’t be too careful,” I mutter before getting out and rounding the car, opening her door and holding out my hand. She takes it, the touch of her warm palm against mine wreaking havoc on time, the seconds slowing down as if the universe wanted to give me the chance to look at her. To really look at her.
A gentle breeze fans through her curls, the tresses touching her cheeks kissed with a blush of pink, the delicate strands clinging to her glossed lips. The sight of her slender neck and the memory of what it smells like has me wanting to bury my face against it while I come inside her again. I’m gripping her hand tighter, watching as she tucks her hair behind her ear. For the first time, I notice a scar there. It’s almost unnoticeable, but time is fucking with me right now, slowed down so I can take in everything about her. The dark sheen of her hair. The tiny freckles on either side of her nose that I haven’t noticed before. Her long lashes that kiss the top of her cheeks every time she blinks. I’ve never taken the time to observe her how any man would a beautiful woman.
The click of her heels on the asphalt shifts time back in place, and she lets go of my hand—something I instantly dislike.
“Dinner. Tonight,” I call after her, but she doesn’t look back. I’m left to stare at her as she saunters toward the house swaying her hips with newfound confidence as if she had been wearing designer dresses all her life. It’s sexy as fuck, and I’m already thinking of the next time I’ll take her cunt.
“Jesus,” I mutter, swiping my palm across the back of my neck.
“Things getting complicated?”
I face Maximo leaning against the car, arms crossed and Ray-Bans low on his nose. “What gives you that idea?”
His shoulders shrug underneath his leather jacket. “I’ve never seen you staring after any woman before. Usually, you’re the one walking away.”
“I can tell you now, the only time I like staring at a woman’s back is when she’s bent over in front of me. So, I didn’t like this one fucking bit.” I point in the direction Leandra walked in, and Maximo snorts.
“Things can sure change in the blink of an eye.”
“No shit.” My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out, swiping my finger across the screen. “Nicoli.”
“Someone’s talking.”
“What do you mean?” I look at Maximo, who listens intently.
“Uncle Roberto knows about Alicia’s murder.”
“What?” I snap, pinching my nose, sure I’m about to get a motherfucking aneurysm.
“He knows, and he’s on his way to see Dad now.”
“Jesus Christ.”
“Alexius, if Roberto is looking for a way to fuck you in the ass and prove you’re not the right guy to take Dad’s place, this will put him well on his way to doing just that.”
“I know,” I breathe into the receiver when the sound of tires razing gravel has me looking in its direction, and I see Uncle Roberto’s Audi drive up. “The fucker’s here. I have to go.”
I hang up and slip my phone into my pocket before straightening my suit jacket. “He knows,” I tell Maximo, who’s probably figured it out by now. “I think it’s time for us to finally use the leverage we have against my uncle.”
“I’ll go get it.”
Maximo’s footsteps disappear behind me, but I keep my eyes fixed on the Audi, watching my uncle get out from the back seat. There is nothing in his appearance that remotely resembles my mother. Sometimes it’s hard to think they are related, let alone siblings. Even in a five-thousand-dollar suit, he still looks like a sleazy fucking pimp.
The sight of him is enough to tighten my chest, and seeing the subtle smirk on his face and knowing the reason behind it chafes at my spine little by fucking little. The bastard thinks he has what he needs to slam the first nail in my coffin. Little does he know burying me would never be an honor I’d ever allow to be his.
“Uncle Roberto. What a pleasant surprise.” I plaster a subtle smile on my face and have my voice drip with a fuckton of fake sincerity.
“Alexius. What a surprise to see you.” Oh, it’s a surprise, okay. The surprise is splattered all over his ugly damn face.
He walks up and shakes my hand. “Usually, you’re either out somewhere taking care of business or locked in your office from dawn to dusk.”
“Yes, well, my new wife insisted I take her shopping today, so I figured a few hours away from the family business won’t do any harm.”
There’s a disgusting grin on his face. “You’re barely married, and already this girl has your balls in a twist.” It’s a joke, but I hear the disguised insult, and even though I’d love nothing more than to rip out his tongue, I smile, pretending to share the joke.
“What can I say? Treat her like a queen during the day, fuck her like a slut at night, and you have a wife who simply can’t get enough of you. Something you still have to learn, hey, Uncle Roberto?” If I can’t break his face, I at least get to throw in a backhanded insult of my own.
He pulls his eyes into slits, clearly unamused—and I clearly do not fucking care. “Is your dad home? I have something I need to talk to him about.”
“He’s resting now and asked not to be disturbed.”
“Well, this is kind of important and something I think worth disturbing him for.”
“Why don’t you tell me what it is, and I’ll decide?”
He slips his silk tie between his fingers and lets the end drop on his fat belly. The man needs to cut back on all the fucking chicken alfredo.
Pursing his thin lips, he lowers his gray eyebrows. “Let’s cut the bullshit, Alexius. You already know what it is I’d like to bring to his attention.”
“Of course, I do.”
“He needs to know.”
“He needs to rest and keep his strength up. Saddling him with more stress would be counterproductive.”
He licks his lips and lifts his chin, scowling at me. “As head of the Dark Sovereign, he needs to know when a girl has been murdered at one of our clubs.”
“And as my dying father, he needs to fucking rest. I’m handling it, Uncle. There’s no need for you to interfere.”
“You’re quite the caring son.”
“Something you don’t have.” I cross my arms and widen my stance. “Any word from Jimmy yet?” The urge to smirk is fucking overwhelming.
“No,” he answers, clipped. “I haven’t.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if you don’t, though.”
“Why? Do you know something?”
I shrug. “Other than Jimmy being a low-life piece of ass…no. But I know that Jimmy goes where the party’s at, and I’m sure he’ll be back home when he needs your money or my resources to clean up the messes he always leaves behind.”
Uncle Roberto scoffs, rubbing his jaw and glancing across the expansive lawn. “You’ve never liked Jimmy.”
“I’ve never liked any of your sons. Speaking of, how’s Rome doing these days? Still happy about his decision to abandon his family?”
There’s a glint of disdain in his eyes as he stares at me. Rome has been a touchy subject for him since he left. “No, Alexius. I haven’t heard from Rome, and I probably never will.”
I purse my lips, feeling the tingle of sarcasm in my throat. “Pity. Who’ll ensure you get adequate rest when you’re a few months away from dying?”
“What the fuck is your problem, boy?”
I step closer, the tension between us so thick I can practically taste it. “My problem is you, Uncle. You come here, not giving a shit about my father’s health, only to insist on telling him about Alicia’s murder simply because you’re trying to fuck me in the ass and make sure I don’t take my father’s place once he dies.”
“That’s not—”
“Cut the crap. You can’t wait for my father to take his last breath, and until then, you’ll do everything you can to convince my father that I’m not suited for the position. But you are.”
“I am!” he growls, jaw clenched and eyes hard. “I am better suited to lead the Dark Sovereign than you and your fucking brothers, who have nothing better to do than sit around, get drunk, and fuck whores.”
The veil of my control tears in half, and I grab his collar, pulling him close—nostrils flaring and breathing fucking fire. “The last man who called one of our girls a whore is in a bag, chained to a motherfucking wrecking ball at the bottom of the river. Do not think simply because you’re family that exempts you from the same fate.”
“Do not threaten me, you little shit,” he bites out and jerks free from my hold, veins bulging at his temples. “I’ve been a part of this business since before you were fucking born.”
“But always as a follower. A council member. Not a leader, ain’t that right, Uncle?”
“Fuck you, you little bastard.” The way his tongue darts out of his mouth like a snake, I’m sure he can taste his own venom that sticks to his words. “You do not deserve to take your father’s place.”
“And you do?” I ask with a sarcastic sneer.
“You can bet your entitled fucking ass, I do.”
I fake a look of thought, casting my gaze up at the sky—dark clouds carrying autumn rain from the west, looming with ominous shades of slate. My glare cuts back down to him, my muscles tense and insides bitter with a kind of contempt I can feel curdle in my stomach. “If you deserve to be the leader, then why did my grandfather—your own fucking dad—marry off his only daughter to create a goddamn kingdom as powerful as ours rather than put you on the throne?”
His throat bobs as he swallows, and he licks his dry lips but doesn’t say a word. So I inch closer, my fists vibrating as I struggle to stop myself from wrapping my fingers around his throat. “Even your own father knew you could never run an empire like this. He knew my father was the better man, which was why he agreed. And guess what?” I smirk, tilting my head to the side. “His blood runs through my veins, and the Dark Sovereign…is mine.”
“Your father is no fucking saint.”
“None of us are.”
“Yet you talk about him as if he can do nothing wrong.” The scowl across his eyebrows speaks of hate, jealousy, resentment. He scoffs. “Your father has more demons than you’ll ever know. Secrets that will destroy this godly image of him you have inside that tiny fucking mind of yours.”
I lean back, not liking what he’s implying one little bit. But chances are, the bastard is bluffing to rattle me, and I won’t give him that satisfaction of getting under my skin.
“Speaking of secrets.” Maximo’s heavy footsteps stir the gravel behind me. “I’ve been keeping one of my own. Well, it’s not mine, but I’ve been keeping it for myself, nonetheless.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
Maximo hands me the recorder, and I clutch it in my hand without taking my eyes off Roberto. “It was my father’s birthday seventeen years ago. It was back in the day when I still thought my dear cousin had balls. When Rome and I still…got along. Best fucking friends. Thick as thieves.”
“Get to the fucking point,” he demands. I’m not sure if it’s the sound of my voice or the mention of Rome that has his balls in a twist.
“I was looking for Rome so we could go prank Isaia—our favorite pastime back then. And while I searched the house, I heard voices coming from the upstairs balcony. It was you talking to Ricardo, and Rome was there as well, leaning against the railing and staring at you like you were the devil incarnate.”
Pain flashes in his eyes, realization slowly setting in.
“I heard you talking about him. My dad. How you hated him, how you want to—how did you put it?—slit his throat and wipe out the entire Del Rossa bloodline.” I cock my head. “Including my brothers and me.”
There’s this pause of utter silence where I’m not even sure my uncle is breathing. I’m not sure whether it’s shock or embarrassment I see on his face. Maybe a little bit of both. But what I do see in those muddy eyes of his…is guilt, and fuck me if I don’t soak it all up.
“Lies,” he hisses. “That’s all lies.”
“Is it? One of the first essential lessons my father taught me at an early age. There are three sides to a story. Yours, mine—” I hold up the hand recorder “—and this little thing.” I press the button. It’s an old recorder, one where you can still hear the tape turn, the static sound building the anticipation. And while my uncle listens to the sound of his own voice from seventeen years ago, I watch his face. I observe his every expression, waiting for the one where he finally realizes how complete and utterly fucked he is.
The recording is only two minutes, but it’s enough to burn down my uncle’s entire pathetic fucking legacy.
His cheeks ashen, the veins in his neck pulsing. “You’ve had that all this time?”
“I was waiting for the perfect moment to share it with you. One where information like this would benefit me the most.” I hand the recorder back to Maximo and straighten my jacket sleeves. “Now, listen to me, and listen good. My father’s health is more important than any of this shit right now. But once he takes his final breath and the Dark Sovereign becomes mine, I will remove you, erase you, and burn that fucking chair you’ve been sitting on for years. You will not get a dime of our money, and I will seize every fucking asset you’ve ever acquired using Dark Sovereign money. And if you don’t surrender it willingly, I will burn it to the fucking ground.” My jaw is clenched, my teeth gritted, and I spit out every goddamn word, my anger rising to nuclear levels. Even though I’d like nothing more than to shove this recorder down his throat while I slice him open from nose to navel, I’m also a patient man, and I know he’ll get what he deserves. And I’ll be the one giving it to him.
Fastening my suit jacket, I glare at him. “You have a few months to get all your pennies together…Uncle.”
