Page 22 of The Mobster's Flower

No, I don’t want to imagine what would have happened to my sister.

“Fuck!” I slam my fist on the steering wheel. Anton should have cut my brakes instead. It’s me he should have tried to kill and not the one innocent soul in the entire family. He’s too much of a coward to try to come at me directly, though.

My head is still humming with rage when I stop outside the warehouse I brought Rue to yesterday, and fuck... Was that only yesterday? Christ, it feels like I have known the girl much longer than that.

I get out and open the trunk, and there is fear in Anton’s eyes, but more than that, he looks resigned. Almost as if he knows his fate is set and there is nothing he can do now. He should look at me and see the Grim Reaper because I have every intention of sending him straight to hell.

“Get out!”

He slowly climbs out, his eyes dropping to the gun hanging loosely from my fingers. “I didn’t mean to hurt her, Vlad,” he whimpers, dropping to his knees. “I swear it.”

“You almost killed my sister.”

“I know… I… Jesus Christ, I only meant to scare you and send her running back to Belgium. Vlad, please…”

“I’m going to shoot you and be rid of you once and for all. I should have put you down a long time ago like the rabid dog that you are.”

“No, please, Vlad. I’m begging you. I… I’ll leave. I drop all the bogus charges I brought against you. Okay? I’ll leave Valor Springs and never come back. Causing the accident was stupid, but you can’t shoot me. We are family.”

I stare at the kneeling man, snot and tears dripping down his face, and I consider his fate. My father made a costly mistake by letting the feud with his brother drag on for as long as it did until they took each other out. If I let Antin go, the cycle will repeat itself, and this time, I have everything to lose. I have a woman I have fallen in love with, a sister who depends on me, and a family business that will crumble if anything happens to me.

I refuse to make the same mistake my father did, but…how the hell will I look Rue in the eyes if I kill this man?

Before I can make the decision, my phone vibrates in my pocket, and I consider ignoring it, but I don’t. Arya is still at the hospital, and this could be an emergency, so I take the call without checking the caller ID, surprised to hear my sister’s voice at the end of the line.

Her tone is tired, but her words are happy and carefree, and they give me the answer of what I need to do with Anton.

Chapter Nine

Rue

I sit alone with my thoughts for half an hour before Arya is wheeled into the room. She looks as exhausted as I feel, and we exchange a smile as they help her back into her bed. There is a slight reddening under her eyes and her hair is mussed up.

“Where’s Vlad?” she asks, looking around the room.

“He left a few moments ago, but he’ll be back,” I tell her, smoothing my palms over my skirt as if to hide the fact that, a moment ago, Vlad had me shoved against the wall, drilling into me in fast strokes.

That’s the last time it’s ever going to happen.

“Something happen?” Arya whispers, and I look up to find her eyes on me. “I’ve only seen that dejected look on one other person before. My mother.”

“What do you mean?”

“Has Vlad told you anything about our family?”

I bite back a bitter chuckle. The man has been quite tightlipped about his life, distracting me when I try to pry into it. “Why would he tell me anything, Arya? I’m just a stranger to him.”

She rolls her eyes at my words. “We both know that’s not true. My brother left to chase after you yesterday and didn’treturn to see me until this morning.” I flush at her words, but she leans in to whisper, “I am not complaining. Jax watched over me all night, and I never get to see him for more than a few moments. It was the best night of my life.”

“Well, good for you.”

“All he did was watch me, Rue. I wish he did more than watch me all night, but I’m happy that I got that at least.” She shakes her head as if to bring her focus back to what we were discussing. “Anyway, I know something happened between you and Vlad. Contrary to what my brother thinks, I am not a child.”

“Arya…”

“I know he can be a difficult man, but I saw the way he looked at you when he walked in earlier. If he doesn’t talk about our family, it’s because there is nothing good to say about it.”

“Surely that’s not true.”

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