Page 12 of Marked

Chapter 7

Cain

I’m almost grateful when my phone rings as soon as I reach the first floor of the house. My mind has been filled with arguing voices fighting over my decision to deny Riley. It’s as much a punishment for myself as it is for her—but it’s a necessary one, at least as long as I can’t make sense of her.

I’m just about to head over to my office when I see Kyle coming in through the main entrance. A worried expression clouds his face when he lays eyes on me. But just as he’s about to give voice to his concern, my phone rings. Ignoring Kyle for a moment, I produce the phone from my pocket and let out an irritated groan when I see who is calling. I signal for Kyle to wait as I stride towards my office, turning my back to him to answer the call so I will be out of his earshot.

“This had better be important,” I hiss as I step through the office door. I close it behind me, turning the lock to make sure I’ll be left alone.

“You know I wouldn’t call if it wasn’t,” Ivo Scivola grumbles at the other end. “You were pretty short with my boy earlier. Repetitive promises, vague answers.”

Ivo is the uncle of Matteo, the idiot who tore me away from Riley when I brought her upstairs. The one I was talking to when she may have overheard my conversation.

Matteo is but a pawn in this whole game. He’s young, inexperienced and—quite frankly—way too fragile and stupid for the life of crime he’s being molded for. I took it as an insult that he was sent to work with me, and when he’s the one making contact, I can’t find it within myself to take him seriously.

Unfortunately, he’s also the one Riley is promised to. He’s the one who she will be working with—or for. I don’t really understand that twisted world the Scivola family lives in, but I know they have a thing for arranged marriages, stolen brides and romantic connections that serve a purpose, much like the ones kings arranged among themselves centuries ago to secure their kingdoms. Riley’s part in that game could be anything from being the girl for a young boy who needs to be tamed so he doesn’t waste time on wetting his dick, to a valuable Venus flytrap, a beautiful young woman who helps the Scivolas’ business with her skills in seduction, manipulation and, in Riley’s case, her hacking skills.

Manipulation.

Did I really just add that? Do I believe Riley to be a cunning person?

Is she really playing me?

“I told him everything he needed to know,” I retort to Ivo, putting an end to my distracting stream of thoughts. “And if he wasn’t happy with my report, he should have said so. Why are you the one calling me now? Who the fuck is calling the shots on this, you or that boy?”

I hear a deep sigh coming from the other end. A sigh that speaks of the exhaustion this man has endured because of the self-induced stress resulting from putting a boy in a role where he doesn’t belong.

“No, you didn’t tell him everything he needs to know. You repeated what we have already agreed upon,” he argues. “Things are different now that you have the girl with you. You should know that we—”

“I fucking do know that,” I cut him off angrily. “What is it you want, Ivo?”

“Details,” he says. “You got the girl. You know enough about that Charlie guy to get him. What’s happening now? When is it going to happen? And how?”

In other words, when can we get our hands on that girl of yours?

Grinding my teeth, I try to swallow the ball of rage that blocks my throat as it slowly descends into my chest, closing in on my rapid-beating heart.

“As I’ve already told Matteo, you guys are not the ones calling the shots in this operation. It’s mine, my plan, my pace. Things happen how I want them and when I want them.”

Ivo growls in frustration, and despite being unable to see his face, I’m sure he’s rolling his bulging eyes at me now. He did that a lot the one time we met face-to-face.

“Listen, we did our jobs over here. We gave you the manpower to stalk Charlie, we permanently have tabs on him, we’re still providing you with precious information while we continue to watch the Covey and internalize their movements in this town, and—”

“You had your jobs and I have mine, just as this girl does. You did yours. I’m aware of that, Ivo,” I interrupt him again. This man’s ramblings can go on forever if no one stops him. I don’t have time for that—especially when I’m painfully aware of all the things he says. He irritates the fucking hell out of me. But he’s not wrong.

Luckily, he’s also not the smartest man and easily fooled.

“I will deliver just as you guys did,” I promise, sounding as insincere as I know the words are. “You will have to trust me on that, even without knowing further details as to how I will go about it. We never agreed on anything else.”

“Fine,” he sighs, his exasperation palpable in that one breathed word.

“It’s for your own safety. You know that, right?” I add.

Triumph sweeps through my chest when I sense his hesitation. My words are met with silence for a few seconds before he speaks.

“Yeah, I guess so… of course.”

“The less you know—”

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