Page 113 of Merciless Queen

“If I choose my sister, you’re stuck with Boris. Doesn’t seem like a prize.”

“He’ll get his value in time. I wonder what Pakhan Volkov would give up for him.”

Anything.Vanessa will do anything, give up anything, to have Boris in hand. If his location were to remain hidden, she wouldn’t stop. She’ll run herself into the ground trying to find him, and desperation does things to people. She’ll grow irrational, frantic. With enough passing time, she’ll hand Vitale anything he wants that’s in her power.

And he knows this.

I can’t let Vanessa make that kind of sacrifice. Not for someone as unworthy as Boris.

The very notion of not choosing Serafina is a hard pill that churns my stomach, but instinct says, this is a gamble I need totake. I’ve lost one way or the other. I either lose both, or I lose one.

In the end, I refuse to hand Serafina over. If it takes a war, so be it, but for the immediate future, I must play this smarter.

“Send Boris to me.”

Vitale’s eyes nearly sparkle in the camera. A flash of both expectation and surprise goes across his expression, almost like he was certain and uncertain which woman I’d choose.

“How will your sister feel about this?”

I feign not caring with a barely-there shrug. “Like generations of Mancini women before her, she will do what’s necessary for the family.”

She’ll slaughter me if she ever learns about this.

“I’m glad you see the best path forward for our two great organizations.” His tone is gentle, placating. “Your father was a good negotiator too. His loss is still felt deeply within the Cosa Nostra.”

His blood is on your hands.

“Thanks.” Padre is not who I wish to be talking about, especially to the man who helped the attack. Choosing a Volkov’s happiness over my sister’s would horrify him.

“Well...” Alessandro reaches off to the side, bringing his phone into view. “I’ll have Agapov dropped off to you by this afternoon. As for your sister, Alessio is busy with business, touring Europe. He’s adamant to wait until your sister is a bit older, so we’ll be in touch.”

Small miracles. A fact only played when he felt it necessary because had I known I have more time to appeal the union, it would have made my decision easier.

Vitale ends the call, leaving me staring at my own reflection. As I shut the laptop, Nero moves into my line of sight, hands coming down on my desk. “Whoareyou? You chose Vanessa over Sera?”

“I chose nothing. Sera’s not marrying anyone she doesn’t wish to, but Agapov in Vitale’s hand means Vanessa will never get to him. Not without starting a war.”

“So let her start her own battles. Besides, you didn’t play one very crucial card: that she’s your wife.”

“On purpose. It’s best kept under wraps for now. It wouldn’t have made a difference anyway. If anything, he would have grown more determined to make me pick.”

“So no war.” Nero straightens and crosses his arms. “Walk me through how there’s a reality in which Volkov came before your sister.”

“The idea of breaking the contract isn’t something Alessandro will entertain because it’ll hit his ego, but he obviously won’t say that, so he’s using his son as an excuse. If he wanted to, the Commission could enforce the deal. So I chose the sure thing so I didn’t lose both. Trust me, I’ll lock Sera in a box at the bottom of the ocean before I allow any Vitale to lay his hands on her.”

He smirks. “Maybe not such drastic measures, but I hear you. Okay.” He blows out a breath. “Well, I assume you have a plan then?”

“For now, get Boris to Russia after he’s delivered. As for Sera, she’ll be fine for the immediate future. I’ll stick men on her, but Alessandro won’t attempt anything. Agreement or not, he’s aware he has to play by the rules if he wants a proper marriage the Cosa Nostra will respect. He’s too old-fashioned to risk his own reputation.”

I reach for my cell, discarded off to the side, to text Elio to gather a few good men he trusts most to complete this task, but my latest activities stop me. Before Nero burst in with news, I was in the process of texting him the same number Serafina’s been communicating with.

A number belonging to a person she’s been texting since her birthday…

Maybe it’s a coincidence. Maybe it’s rash to consider. But?—

I spin my phone around, showing Nero the screen. “Get me anything you can on the owner of this number andsoon. I have to call Madre and tell her not to worry about the men I’ll be sending her way.”

“And Sera? She’ll freak if you stick people on her.”

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