Page 129 of Sinful Lies

“He wants to talk. So that’s what we’re going to do.”

“I’m not interested in a fucking tea party with the man, Alexei. The fact that we’re not even bringing Anton or Feliks with us is a mistake?—”

Mikhail’s bumps my seat from the backseat. “Dimitri, we’re all on the same fucking side here.”

I twist in my seat to glare at my brother, but Mikhail doesn’t back down.

His face is like stone as he glares at me. “We all want Zara safe. That’s the most important thing, and you going off at Massimo and ruining this one chance at negotiating with him won’t help anyone.”

I take a deep breath to try and calm myself. “I know.”

Mikhail dips his chin and goes back to typing away on his phone.

Alexei takes a left. “We’re almost there.”

It’s taken us over an hour to get to Massimo’s mansion upstate, so by the time we pull up to the gates, my body is vibrating with adrenaline.

My eyes keep flicking to the clock on the dashboard, trying not to imagine how terrified Zara must be with every minute that passes.

I need to keep my head clear if I’m going to get her out of this alive.

Alexei kills the engine. “Danil, I want you to wait in the car. If shit hits the fan, I want you to take Zara to Forest Hills. Don’t wait for us.”

My youngest brother nods. “Got it.”

We all climb out of the car, and I give Danil a slap on the shoulder as a silent thank you before he slides behind the wheel, and Alexei, Mikhail and I turn toward the house.

I look at Alexei. “You sure about this?”

“We don’t have much of a choice.”

We walk up the front steps to the mansion.

The place is obnoxiously huge, but I wouldn’t expect anything less from Massimo Conti.

Before we reach the top step, the door opens, and one of Massimo’s men ushers us inside.

Alexei shoots me one last warning look before we cross the threshold, and I fight the urge to roll my eyes.

“I’ll behave if he does,” I mutter under my breath.

Mikhail and I flank Alexei as we’re led inside.

My fingers itch to reach inside my jacket for my gun.

I don’t want to waste time talking, not while Zara is locked away somewhere in this house, pregnant and scared to death.

We cross the expansive marble foyer.

The place oozes wealth, from the art on the walls to the flecks of gold in the floor itself. My teeth grind together as we continue down a corridor, the sound of our footsteps echoing around us.

“In here,” Massimo’s Lackey grunts as we stop outside a set of double doors. He knocks twice before pushing them open.

I take a collective breath as we step inside and come face to face with Massimo Conti.

He’s just as intimidating as ever, with his navy three piece and tattooed skin. He waves a ringed finger, and the doors slam shut behind us.

Massimo looks straight at me, and a smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth. “Not so cocky now, are you?”

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