It’s almost eleven p.m. when I walk into the private room at the high-end bar reserved for the meeting. It smells like leather, cigars, wealth, and power.
I notice Liam and Gabriel are already seated at the table. Liam’s the oldest of the group, where Gabriel’s the same age as me. Luca’s only five years my junior, and Viktor’s the youngest at twenty-five.
Not that age matters when it comes to power.
“Gentlemen,” I murmur as I take a seat. We’re all dressed in crisp Armani suits.
My greeting is returned with curt nods.
We might not be best friends, but there’s a vow of loyalty that makes us the most dangerous group of men on Earth. Fuck with one, and you have to face off with the Priesthood.
It makes us invincible.
We all took a blood oath when we were sworn in, and the only way out is death.
As a server comes to take my drink order, Luca and Viktor stride into the room with the potency of the entire Italian mafia and bratva in every single step.
No one says a word until we all have something to drink, and the server shuts the door behind him. Tension vibrates in the air.
As always, Luca takes a sip of his bourbon then makes eye contact with each of us before settling his gaze on me. “I hear you’re having trouble with the Sicilians.”
“They’re trying to move into my territory.” My eyes move to Liam. “Do you know anything about it?”
Liam takes a slow sip of his drink, his unwavering gaze locking with mine. “I’ve driven them out of my city.”
And now they’re my problem. Just fucking great.
“What can you tell me about them?”
“Antonio Manno’s the head,” Liam mutters, hatred for the scum brimming in his voice.
I already know that bit of info.
Luca settles comfortably back in his chair. “He’s not part of the Cosa Nostra.”
That’s good to hear.
“It’s taken me eight years to drive them out of Chicago.” Liam gives me a look of warning. “You better get rid of them before they set down roots.”
“I plan on doing that.”
Viktor, whose father is a custodian for the best assassin alive and previous head of the bratva, offers me a grin. “Just say if you need Manno eliminated.”
I need to take care of this problem on my own, or it will take a bite out of the power I hold in the Priesthood. You never let other men fight your battles for you. It’s the greatest show of weakness. I’ll only ask them to back me when there’s no other way.
“I’ll take care of the problem.”
Viktor nods then falls silent again as Luca proceeds with the meeting. We discuss incoming shipments and pending deals for the next two hours, and as the evening draws to a close, Luca grins at me. “Almost time for the wedding.”
Everyone at this table will be at the wedding. It will be a show of strength to our enemies. Hopefully, it will serve as encouragement for the Sicilians to not fuck with me.
“Yes. Less than two weeks.” Tess flashes through my thoughts, and I wonder how she handled the news.
She probably threw a fit.
I almost chuckle at the thought but catch myself in time.
“We’re looking forward to it,” Luca says, drawing my attention back to him. “I haven’t seen Peter in years.”
I had to up the security with the five families attending the wedding. If anything goes wrong, it will be my head on the chopping block.
“Send me a list of your security details so I can have them cleared,” I tell the group. “I want to know exactly who will be at the wedding.”
Each man nods. Viktor rises to his feet, effectively ending the meeting, and Luca follows.
Victor might be the youngest, but he sure as fuck is the most dangerous out of all of us. If the Sicilian problem gets out of hand, I might just have to hire him to take them out.
The thought doesn’t sit well with me as I get up and straighten my jacket.
The past two weeks have been a total whirlwind, arranging security for the wedding and killing the damn Sicilians whenever they dared to walk my streets. I have men stationed on the grounds, in the house, and scattered around the neighborhood.
Andreas is keeping an eye on everything, which gives me a sliver of peace of mind.
Dressed in a black tuxedo and with my Glock tucked safely behind my back, I make my way down the grand stairway to join the guests attending the wedding.
Flowers take up every available space, and soft instrumental music fills the air. Servers rush around like ants, and there’s a constant hum of voices blending with the background music.
When I step out onto the veranda, all eyes turn to me. Some are filled with reverence, others with poorly veiled hate. One thing every gaze holds? Some level of fear.
“Nikolas, so good to see you,” Spiros Doukas says, his voice overly friendly. Our family has done business together, and the man never stops groveling for another opportunity.
We shake hands, and before he can bring up a topic of conversation that will bore me to death, I walk away from him. I head toward the members of the Priesthood, who are gathered and watching the other guests as if they’re in a den of vipers and not at a wedding.
Reaching them, I shake their hands and smile. “Thank you for coming.”
Liam lets out a low whistle as his gaze sweeps over the grounds, draped in white and yellow décor, a stupid amount of flowers, and the best linen. “This must’ve cost you a pretty penny.”
“You have no idea,” I sigh. Signaling a server closer, I order drinks for us. “You’d think with it being my father’s second wedding, they would’ve scaled down, but Helena’s a socialite.”
“Do you get along with your soon-to-be stepmother?” Gabriel asks. He’s not a people person at all, and it’s clear as day as he glares at the other guests.
“She’s good for my father.” Just then, my sister catches my eye. Athina steps out onto the veranda with Tess right behind her. When my sister spots me, she heads in my direction.
My gaze gets stuck on Tess, who’s turning heads with every step she takes closer to me. Noticing how much attention she’s getting, a frown forms on my forehead.
“Any of you looking for a bride?”
Luca’s eyebrow lifts. “Who are you trying to marry off?”
I nod in the direction of the women. “My stepsister. Theresa Dracatos.”
“The girl with Athina?” Liam asks.
Suddenly Viktor lets out a low chuckle. “If glares could kill, you’d be six feet under, Nikolas. I take it you don’t get along with her.”
Glancing back at the women, who are almost by us, it’s to find Tess’ eyes on me, the frown on her forehead doing nothing to diminish her beauty.
She’s probably still pissed off because of the changes being made to her life.
“Gentlemen.” Athina stops next to me, a perfect smile on her face.
I lean down and press a kiss to my sister’s temple. “You look beautiful.” My eyes sweep over the grounds. “Where’s Basil?”
“With Dad.” She rolls her eyes. “They’ll probably be drunk before the ceremony starts.”
Basil’s never been involved in the mafia, which in hindsight is a good thing. The family needs his laidback attitude to break the tension.
Knowing I can’t ignore Tess, I step to the side, and placing my hand on her lower back, I push her closer so the men can get a good look at her.
She’s actually the perfect bargaining chip to solidify bonds even more between the Priesthood and me.
“Theresa Drakatos,” I introduce her.
I watch the men closely, but they all have their poker faces on as they greet her.
As soon as the introductions are over, Tess tries to step back to extract herself from the group, and it has me slipping my arm around her to keep her in place. The server brings our drinks, and reaching for a tumbler, my body turns into Tess’. She fits perfectly against my side, the top of her head just shy of reaching my shoulder.
Her innocent scent dances seductively around me, making me aware of her as a woman and not just future family.
Athina’s striking up a conversation with Luca, and the other men discuss the socialites in attendance, avoiding talk of business in front of the women.
Leaning down, so I’m closer to Tess, I murmur, “You weren’t at lunch on Sunday.”
She leans away and tugs against my hold on her before flicking her eyes up to me. “I had a project I needed to complete. I explained it to my mom.”
My eyes take hers captive. “I expect the courtesy of a phone call if you can’t attend a lunch or event.”
“I wasn’t aware I had to report to you,” she replies with thinly veiled resentment.
Christ help me, this little girl is seriously looking for trouble.
I move my hand to her elbow, grip her in a tight hold, then drag her over the lawn, through the throng of guests, and into the house. Reaching the study, I shove her inside before shutting the door behind me.
My eyes find hers with barely controlled anger. I take in the way she’s gasping for air, her face pale with surprise and fear.
“Do you have a death wish, Theresa?” I bite out as I take a threatening step closer to her.
She quickly shakes her head. Her hair shines like satin, the strands brushing against her smooth skin. Then her tongue darts out, and she nervously wets her lips, drawing my attention to her mouth that’s been made to be wrapped around a cock.
The unwelcome thought has desire trickling into my veins, but needing to make myself clear, I slowly stalk closer, my muscles wound tight, my fingers itching to strangle her pretty little neck. I only stop when Tess is forced to tilt her head back so she can keep eye contact.
“This stops now,” I warn her, my tone low and dark as fuck. I will not tolerate her disrespectful behavior. “You will follow every fucking order I give you. You will never disrespect me again, or God help you, it will be the last thing you do.”
Her eyes tremble with fear, which isn’t something I witness a lot. It usually only happens right before I end some fucker’s life, and he’s grasping a dying breath where he’s lying in a puddle of his own piss and blood.
It’s only then I realize Tess is fucking terrified of me.
Yet, she still gives me attitude?
A frown settles on my forehead as I try to figure out the woman in front of me.
She’s scared but feisty. Stupid but brave.
A total contradiction.
And fuck if that doesn’t make me curious.
