Page 37 of Cruel Bet

Dimitri doesn’t reply. He doesn’t have to. I feel sick. As if poor Maria hasn’t been punished enough because of me. She had to marry that horrible monster in my place. The relief I feel that Nikolai killed him and spared her from a lifetime as his wife is quickly replaced by concern.

“What was she doing there with Castro?”

“It seems that following Lucchese’s demise, your father decided to marry you off to another suitor. This time to ally with Castro, I would think,” Dimitri states.

“Dimitri, we have to go back, we have to save Maria!” I cry, frantically turning in my seat to look at the rapidly retreating Manhattan skyline in the rearview.

“No, we don’t. What happens next is for Pakhan Kuzmin to decide. But, I highly doubt he will want to do anything.”

“Why wouldn’t he? My father is his enemy,” I declare.

“Because Diego Castro is an associate of the Garcia Cartel, he’s here representing his father, the Don. To make a move against him, and now your father by association, would mean breaking off a very important, very lucrative alliance,” he explains. “He’s already managed to piss off his future wife and father-in-law with your antics this evening, the last thing he needs is to rock the boat with Garcia. He needs a clear head tonight, without distractions.”

This is the most rattled I’ve ever seen Dimitri. The fact that he’s so on edge worries me. What the hell kind of mess have Nikolai and I caused? I’m so flustered by it that it takes a moment for Dimitri’s words to sink in.

“What do you mean his future father-in-law?”

Dimitri grimaces, clearly, he wasn’t supposed to tell me this.

“This wasn’t just an engagement party, both Endo and Nikolai will one day be expected to marry the Yakuza and Bratva daughters to strengthen the alliance.”

The woman hadn’t been delusional or lying. She really is going to marry Nikolai. I’ve been so stupid. So foolish to think this little bubble of happiness, that whatever it is between us could last. That maybe things had changed and he wouldn’t be getting married after all.

“Nikolai cares for you, that much is clear. But the Bratva will always come first for him,” Dimitri says softly.

I can’t stand his pity. “Nikolai and I could never work. He’s my father’s enemy. And even if it could. I don’t want this life. I want out of the Mafia lifestyle and everything it stands for. I want the cycle of pain, death, and destruction to be over. For him to let me go,” I reply, though the words ring hollow.

It’s true that I hate the lifestyle and want this all to be over, but don’t want to leave Nikolai.

“Perhaps you are the one who needs to let him go,” Dimitri says gently.

Chapter 22

Arianna

It’s late. I’m holed up in the library back at Nikolai’s mansion reading and rereading the same page as my mind is unable to focus on anything other than everything I’ve learned tonight, when an exhausted Nikolai walks in.

I continue staring at the page, determined not to meet his gaze should I fall into the abyss of his eyes. Nikolai always manages to weaken my resolve with just one look.

“Dimitri told you,” Nikolai says wearily.

He doesn’t need to say what. We both know.

“That you noisily fucked me in the toilets while your bride-to-be was outside waiting? Yeah, it came up,” I reply, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

“I don’t want to marry her. It would be a loveless marriage, one of convenience. As Pakhan I need to form strong alliances and produce heirs. But the marriage would be a sham. I’d still be free to—”

I abruptly cut him off, “I will never be your mistress.”

He lets out a sigh, but he doesn’t say anything else on the matter. There’s nothing left to say.

“Did you know that it was Maria who took my place?” I ask, not sure I want to know the answer.

“No. But I don’t care who it is. As long as someone is living the life of Arianna De Luca, you’re safe. Or at least safer. Your father doesn’t need you,” he states.

“You don’t know my father. How petty he can be, he won’t let me go without a fight.”

As always, I’m disappointed by how callous and cruel Nikolai can be when he thinks he needs to be. I know him well enough by now not to bother asking him to help rescue Maria. It’s clear from what he just said that he thinks leaving her to rot is the best solution. And he won’t do anything to hurt his precious Bratva. I need to find a way to rescue my friend without him. Maria and I are on our own.

---