Mafia King’s Bride

4. Dmitri

FOUR

DMITRI

I head down the hallway from the conference room, just having concluded a meeting with other members of the Bratva who’ve come to pledge their allegiance and support to the Orlov enterprise.

Some of them, like Alexey, didn’t seem so willing, but I could tell they knew they didn’t have a choice. I didn’t give them one.

And they don’t deserve it, either, because many of them have forgotten what they did to my family after my father died.

Nikolai Petrov might have committed the biggest betrayal, but the others aren’t blameless. They all tried to take a piece of what’s mine, coming through side channels because they thought I was too wrapped up in grief to notice.

I suppose, in some way, I have to thank Nikolai for being so bold in his claim. If he weren’t, I wouldn’t have gained the upper hand I now enjoy. Even though his daughter tests my patience every single day and I have to summon every shred of self-control I have when I’m around her.

She’s an expert at getting under my skin. It’s a damn shame that a woman that gorgeous, with eyes that look like a sunny day and wild curls that tempt a man, would come with a fierce personality like that.

“Sir,” Jakob stops me as I near my office door, “I couldn’t stop her. She was going to make a scene, and I know how much you hate that, so I… I let her come through.”

My eyebrows furrow. “Who?”

“Miss Bianchi.”

Lucia?

Hell.

“I’m sorry.” Jakob bows halfway.

I shake my head. “It’s fine. I’ll take care of her.”

My lips are curled with displeasure as I walk into my office to see Lucia seated in my chair, her legs crossed on my desk.

“You seem to have forgotten your place, Lucia,” I say through gritted teeth.

She shoots me a coy look, slowly removing her legs and taking her sweet time standing up. She’s wearing a coat, but I can tell she has very little on underneath.

“I heard you got married,” she says, stopping a few inches away. “Why didn’t you send me an invitation? Aren’t we friends?”

“We’re not friends, and you should leave.”

Lucia brings her finger to her mouth, slipping it past her lips. I roll my eyes at her failed attempt at seduction.

“Oh? We aren’t? Well,” she shrugs, “technically, you’re right. Because friends don’t screw each other every day, taste each other’s bodies, lick the sweat off?—”

“What do you want?” I cut in, walking past her and heading to my chair.

Lucia and I have a past. We met at a function that her father, a man involved with the Bratva, hosted. She was flirty, I had been drinking, and she didn’t say no when I asked her to come to my hotel with me.

But our wild, tumultuous affair ended when I realized that she’ll sleep with anyone as long as they are powerful enough. I didn’t judge her for it because we weren’t in a relationship, but I wasn’t the type to share, either.

“What do you think?” she asks, walking back to my desk and pulling out a chair. She sits down and places one leg on the desk, giving me an unobstructed view into her coat.

Once upon a time, I would’ve locked my door and bent her over my desk.

“If you’re not here for something serious, I suggest you leave, Lucia.”

“Is it true that you’re working with Nikolai Petrov?”

“Who told you that?” I ask, vaguely remembering that I had the same conversation with someone else recently. Was it Alexey?

She shrugs, smacking her lips. “I didn’t hear it from just one person. I was at a party yesterday, and your marriage to Anastasia Petrov was all anyone could talk about. You’ve succeeded in garnering fear, respect, and envy, Dmitri.” Lucia smiles. “But I know what Nikolai did to your father. I know what the others tried to do. I thought you’d be interested in knowing that they think you two are allies.”

Annoyance and irritation rush through me, but I keep my cool. Even if what she’s saying is the truth, I know she’s trying to get a rise out of me.

“You shouldn’t be a tattletale, Lucia. Your father wouldn’t like that.”

Lucia stands up from her seat and comes to perch at the edge of my desk. I let her run her fingers over my arm, knowing that the quicker I attend to her whims, the faster I’ll get rid of her. Unless my patience wears off first.

“You know, it’s working in your favor, being a son-in-law of Petrov’s. The only problem is,” her finger curls around my tie, and she tugs at it, “he’s not exactly paying for his crime. In fact, he’s starting to gain more attention. He’s now related to the Orlovs, after all. One of the biggest, or,” Lucia’s nails brush across the stubble on my chin, “should I say, the biggest empire in our little world.”

Bullshit. I grit my teeth. If I’m the reason Nikolai Petrov is gaining more popularity, then I’d rather burn him and everything he has to the ground.

When Lucia’s thumb brushes my lips, I smack her hand away and glare at her.

“Don’t you dare. The only reason I’m still entertaining you is because you’re not enough of a nuisance to warrant extra measures. I could easily tell your father that you’ve been going around frolicking with his enemies.”

She gasps. “You wouldn’t.”

A corner of my mouth curls into a mean smirk. “You want to try me?”

With a huff, Lucia gets off my desk. She stands with her hands on her hips, pouting.

“You’re no fun. I used to like you because you were less talk and more action, but you’ve lost your spark. Is it because of your wife? Is she not pleasing you enough? You know?—”

I shake my head when she opens her coat completely, stepping forward and leaving it on the floor. There’s nothing on her body but lingerie and a garter. “If you wanted to get married that bad, you could’ve asked me. I’m not a fan of commitment, but I would’ve done it for you.”

I scoff. The sight of her body no longer turns me on. That’s how easy it is to turn off my emotions, even the strong ones like lust and anger—with anyone at all. The only person I’m having a problem with is Ana.

No matter how much I try, the thought and sight of her evokes a reaction.

Like last night.

When she told me that she wasn’t going to be like everyone else, that I’d better give my ego a reality check, or she was going to do it for me. What the ? —

“You could’ve done things the usual way, you know.” Lucia runs her hand over her chest and cups her breasts. “My father has enough influence to buy you connections overseas. Not just here. Now everyone thinks you’ve forgiven the man who betrayed you. Who didn’t even wait until your father’s body was in the grave to steal from you. Undermining your ability to lead, to step into your father’s shoes.”

“Get. Out.” My words are deathly cold, and my throat is choked with emotions too hard to swallow. My eyes sink into hers with a fury that has her staggering back out of fear.

Because she knows what I’m capable of.

“You were a pest seconds ago,” I say harshly. “But now, the sight of you disgusts me. Leave.”

When Lucia doesn’t move as quickly as I want her to, I call Jakob.

He walks into the office as she’s picking up her coat, and Lucia’s face turns red when she sees him. It’s a message— you’re worth nothing to me, so if you’re going to be on display, you might as well show everyone.

“See her out.”

“I hate you,” she whimpers, hastily buttoning her coat and grabbing her bag as she storms out of my office, her heels clicking on the floor.

I immediately raise my fist as the door closes, and it takes every last shred of my will to keep from breaking it on the hard, almost impenetrable wood.

“Fuck.” I run my fingers through my hair. “Fuck!”

This is Nikolai’s fault.

No . I shake my head. It’s mine. I’m the one who chose to take his daughter and nothing more. I should send a message that makes it clear I have no dealings with him.

Nothing at all.

Jakob returns to my office when I call him.

“I want you to round up five men. Take them to any establishment belonging to Nikolai Petrov and give them instructions to cause enough ruckus to send a clear message that we aren’t cordial. Got it?”

He nods firmly. “Yes, boss.”

“Go.”

And if that doesn’t work, I’ll have to step in personally. For everyone’s sake, I hope it doesn’t come down to that.

Janet opens the door for me, slightly bowing in greeting.

“Good evening, Janet.”

She collects my bag and jacket, heading to my room to drop them off. I called beforehand to inform her that I wouldn’t be eating dinner again. I didn’t tell her it was because I was in a foul mood, which I still am.

I head for the stairs and then decide to go to my study to attend to an email I received on my way home. A meeting with Lucia’s father—who must’ve gotten a call from his whiny, entitled daughter.

In a way, I admire her relentlessness, and I intend to use the meeting to my advantage, but it’s pesky and bothersome that she doesn’t know when she’s not wanted.

At least when it comes to me.

As I walk down the hallway that leads to my study, I hear footsteps coming from behind. Since I sent Janet to my room, I am curious about who’s in this part of the house. I turn and take a few steps forward, coming face-to-face with Ana.

She has on a faded blue top and shorts that stop at the hem of the shirt, leaving her legs bare.

Her legs draw me in, asking to be wrapped around something. And I can imagine a couple of places where I’d like them to be. While I do things to other parts of her body, to see just how unruly and untamed she can be. And those lips?—

How am I just noticing that she has a pale pink upper lip while the bottom one darkens a little around its curves?

“Can I help you?” Her curt tone pulls me out of my short reverie.

I shake my head, noticing that she’s glaring at me.

“No,” I respond.

Why was I ogling her?

She’s Anastasia Petrov, for goodness sakes. My last name is just an attaché that means nothing but formality. If she were handed a gun and asked to shoot me, she wouldn’t hesitate.

“Okay.” She shrugs and turns away.

I turn too, but my phone beeps, and I take it out of my pocket.

“I just saw Nikolai Petrov with Alexey. They’re sharing a drink. Looks like your alliance is falling apart, big boy.”

Lucia. If she was trying to rile me up, she succeeded.

I turn on my heels.

“Ana.”

She takes two steps forward before stopping. She’s not going to give me an audience, I see.

“Your father isn’t allowed to step foot in this house, and you’re not allowed to see him from now on.”

Ana turns slowly, and I see the confusion on her face, in her raised eyebrows and tilted head.

“What do you mean? I’m not allowed to see Papa? That wasn’t the agreement we had. I’ve told you several times, Dmitri. Whatever form of control you have over your men, it’s not going to work for me,” she increases her pitch with the last word. “I’m not your slave or your toy.”

Maybe it’s because of the text I just received, the conversation I had with Alexey, or the fact that he went behind my back, but something in me snaps.

I march up to her, taking long strides as I keep my eyes fixed on her. We’ve been playing this game for far longer than I like, and it’s time to make her see things the way she should.

My way.

“You will not see your father again,” I repeat. “The day you do will be the last time you’ll know his whereabouts.”

“Are you going to kill him? Is that what you’re saying? Then why haven’t you done it already? It wouldn’t be your first time, would it? Silencing someone who does the same things you do because you have more power,” she challenges me.

Don’t let her slip under your skin, Dmitri.

“Your father and mine were as close as brothers. He might not have told you, but my father helped him build what he has now and didn’t ask for anything in return. But the second my father died, yours started reaching out to other pakhans , allying. He used them to start a fight against me.”

I swallow hard before continuing, “He thought I’d be too caught up in grief to strike back. Your father,” I jab my finger in the air, “felt that he was entitled to what was mine because he had an agreement with my father. He didn’t even attend his funeral. And you judge me for wanting to take revenge?”

The stubborn look on Ana’s face drops, and uncertainty flickers across her expression. Her lips part slightly, and her eyebrows furrow as she stares at me.

“You’re fortunate,” I say. “Even though you don’t know it. Other men would do things to you that would make your life in this house a living hell. And I’m not saying I’m better.” I shake my head because I consider acts like that barbaric. “I’m just telling you that you might as well start seeing things clearly.”

“I-I . . .” she stutters.

I exhale, regretting already that I so clearly threatened her.

“My order stands. Your father isn’t to step anywhere near this house, and you’re not to see him. Until I change my mind.”

With that, I leave her standing there and head to my room. I’ve had enough for one night. Hell, I already regret ever proposing this marriage agreement. I should’ve raised hell, crushing and damning all of them.