Page 24 of All the Dangerous Things

“You’re smart and discreet,” Carmine replied.

“And the Petrovs are clever. If this isn’t done correctly, they’ll find out what happened.” I seriously weighed just broaching this with Dmitry and Nikolai, but that would mean going behind Carmine's back.

“I’m confident you’ll ensure it can't be tracedback to us nor the Cosa Nostra. This is why you’re one of my most trusted men.”

I sighed, knowing there was no easy way out. I’d either betray my brother-in-law or the Head of the Cosa Nostra.

I’d figure it out either way, but fuck was this putting me between a rock and a fucking hard place. “I'll take care of it, Carmine.”“You understand what this means?” I didn't respond. “It comes down to thela famiglia

and your loyalty.”

I ground my teeth again. “I won’t hesitate to do what needs to be done.”

“Bene. Mi metterò in contatto più tardi per assicurarmi che i miei ordini siano stati eseguiti.”Good. I'll be in touch later to make sure my orders were followed through.

The line went dead, and I set my cell back on the table, staring at it and feeling my irritation grow. To make matters worse, as soon as I wasn't preoccupied with other shit, Tatiana rolled right back into my thoughts.

The weight of my next move was heavy on my shoulders. My loyalty was being tested, being pulled from one side to the other.

Fuck, I didn’t want to hurt my sisterby fucking things up—especially when I knew how happy she was, when I knew she was in love and finally found what she’d been looking for. I might’ve seen Nikolai as the sociopath he was, but he treated Amara like his fucking queen. He paved the ground in gold wherever my sister walked.

And he’d kill and dismember anyone who fucked with her.

Jesus Christ. I knew I had to navigate this fucked-up situation with precision, or the threat of more dead bodies and shit hitting the fan would land right in my lap.

10

TATIANA

It had been a full week since the assault and waking up in Gio’s apartment. My bruises were fading, and my eyes and face were pretty much healed from the broken blood vessels and swelling.

And the entire time, I hadn't stopped thinking about that big, tattooed Italian mafia Capo who saved my life.

For the first couple of days, Dmitry and Nikolai had barely left me alone. They’d given me my one day of peace, quiet, and solitude I needed, but after that, they’d been persistent in wanting to know everything. What happened, who hurt me, and where the fuck had I been until I strolled through my front door that first day back?

There had been plenty of demands from my brothers and a hell of a lot of screaming by me through my bedroom door as I told them to leave me the hell alone.

I knew they were just trying to help, but they were used to getting what they wanted, and no one ever denied them. So me all but saying “go the fuck away” pissed them off and made the situation even worse.

They should have taken notes from Amara because my sister-in-law had given me space and not pressed. But I knew eventually—probably sooner rather than later—I wouldn’t be able to keep my silence.

I sat alone in my room, the dim light casting long shadows on the pastel-colored walls. My room was a sanctuary of sorts, one of the only places I'd truly ever felt safe since being an adult. Growing up, I was filled with a lot of fear of the unknown because of my father.

I sat on the plush settee by the floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the city, a thick blanket wrapped around me as I stared at the hustle and bustle below.

My mind replayed the traumatic events from lastweek. I heard every sound from that dilapidated slaughterhouse basement. I remembered and felt every touch from that bastard. God… I’d felt so helpless.

If I didn't find my center, I knew this entire event would be etched into my memory like a scar.

I closed my eyes and controlled my breathing, feeling myself calm and my memories fade to the back, when a loud knock on my bedroom door caused me to jump.

The knock was followed by Dmitry’s hard and deep, unmistakable voice. And it was filled with obvious irritation. “Tatiana.”

I could envision Dmitry saying my name through clenched teeth. I didn’t answer right away, and he pounded again.

“Open the door. We’re going to talk about this. Now,” he demanded, his voice heavy with fury and… clear concern.

I knew my brothers loved me, but God, they could be so dominating andirritating.

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