Page 35 of Sinful Wrath

I pinch the top of my nose. “So, Alfonzo is coming after Lucia as revenge?”

“It seems that way.”

“Fuck,” I hiss.

Alexei adjusts his phone on his hand. “Thanks for doing this Andrew, we really appreciate it.”

“Of course,” Andrew says before hanging up the phone.

My brothers and I sit in silence for a moment, trying to digest this new piece of information.

“You know what this means?” Dimitri leans forward. “If Alfonzo is coming after Lucia, it means he’s coming after us too. Our families are linked now.”

Alexei nods. “That was always the risk with this deal. That Massimo’s enemies would become ours.”

Danil frowns. “And you chose to do it anyway? It seems counter intuitive.”

“I had to think of the bigger picture, Danil. Igor Ivanov is exactly that.”

I sigh, rubbing my jaw. “Well, now he’s not the only one we have to worry about.”

My oldest brother looks at me. “Can you handle this?”

I frown. “What do you mean?”

Alexei lets out a breath and leans forward, resting his forearms on his thighs.

“If Alfonzo wants Lucia dead, he’s not going to stop until he’s achieved it. I am willing to bet that he’s learned of your betrothal.”

“That’s just business.”

“How would he know that? For all he knows, you’re loved up, which means not only is a target on her back, but on yours as well.”

Well, fuck.

I square my shoulders. “I have things under control.”

Alexei regards me for a moment, a doubtful expression on his face, but I make sure not to look away.

I only hope he can’t see the guilt in my eyes.

If he found out that I let Lucia out of my sight after promising Massimo I would keep her safe, it would undo everything I’ve been working toward.

He can’t know I’ve already screwed up.

“Okay, then. Well, I say we start looking into Alfonzo Morano.”

Dimitri nods. “I’ll call my guy, see what he can dig up.”

“Good, and in the meantime, let’s do everything we can to make sure Lucia is safe. I’m trusting you with this, Mikhail.” He offers me a stern look.

“I won’t let you down.”

As I climb behind the driver's seat of my car an hour later, I can’t help but picture the doubt in my oldest brother’s eyes.

Does he really believe that I’m not capable of handling this? That I’m not up to the challenge?

I thought I'd proven myself over the last couple of years, what with helping to take out Mario Gilanto and then Giovanni Saccone.

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