Page 3 of Devil's Bride

I raise a finger, stopping him. “I suggest you watch your tone and next words carefully, Matteo. Men have died for far less than speaking to me with disrespect.”

He closes his mouth, probably rethinks his words before he says, “Did you get the video?”

Anger boils in my stomach. He’s talking about the video I received minutes before I decided to come to this gala. A video of me murdering a top politician in the city. Even with my influence and power, a video like that would have me arrested and earn me a few years in jail.

“Did you send it?” I ask, my voice dangerously low.

He takes a step back, noting the rage in the eyes. He knows his answer will determine whether or not he gets out of here alive. “No, I didn’t.” He swallows. “The Phoenix did, and they have a demand.”

“Let me guess, they want easy access to my territories?”

“They want you to…” He sucks in a breath, as if he’s about to say something that will damn him forever. “Irina. They want you to marry my daughter. That way they think they can keep you under control.”

I snort in derision. “And you’re ready to sell your daughter out to keep me under control?”

“It’s not that simple,” he retorts.

“For a greedy man like you, I suppose it’s not.” My voice trembles with fury. How can a girl so pure have a serpent like him for a father. She’s busy trying to stop organized crime, but her father is no better than the people she hates. “Does she know this is who you are?”

“That’s for me to worry about,” he says. “It’s either you comply or you lose everything.”

I think for a bit. As much as I would like to find whoever is behind that fucking organization and rip them apart, they’re still hidden behind the shadows of their lap dogs. I can’t attack if I don’t know what I’m up against. Not yet.

On the other hand, taking Matteo’s daughter under my wing isn’t such a bad idea. I expect she’ll be their spy, but I can use her to bring Matteo to his knees and find out everything he knows.

Not a bad idea at all.

I try not to show how interested I am in the offer as I square my shoulders, staring at Matteo with a masked expression. I need to discuss this with my second in command, Mikhail, and my friend, Dimitri, before I decide. I’ve already made my decision, but I’d like to hear their opinions. “I’ll need a few days to think about it.”

“Fine.” Matteo squares his shoulders. “But the wedding must happen in two weeks.”

If he and the Phoenix think they can order me around, then they have no idea what they’re up against.

“Hmm.” I flash a smirk at him. “We’ll see about that.”

Chapter Two

Irina

Alexei Vadim is a fucking asshole.

I hate him so much I’d come close to throwing my drink at him at the gala last night. As if being a fucking mafia boss is not bad enough, he’s handsome enough that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him since our exchange.

God. What kind of man looks that sexy in a tuxedo? I can’t get the image of his handsome face and broad shoulders off my mind. I need to get laid soon, I’ve been single and celibate for too long. My brain is so caught up with thoughts of Alexei, I can’t differentiate between right and wrong anymore.

“What are you thinking?” My best friend, Arielle, asks as she settles on the chair across from mine with a tray of French fries and a milkshake. She’d fetched me earlier for our regular junk food get-together.

I push my own snack aside and lean on the table. Arielle and I have been friends since high school. We don’t keep secrets from each other. We’re both twenty-three now, but we still share everything with each other.

“Guess who I met at the gala last night?”

She lifts a French fry to her mouth. “Your ex?”

I roll my eyes. “Try again.”

She thinks for two long minutes.

I grow impatient. I don’t even expect her to guess it right. “Alexei Vadim.”

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