Page 23 of Bound to the Mafia King

Sergei growled under his breath. Had I not known that he was sitting next to me, I would have sworn the sound came from an animal.

“You don’t threaten me, pup. I eat men like you for breakfast.” He jutted his chin up, successfully turning his nose up at Valerio. To his credit, Valerio looked unfazed by his insult. In fact, the Spaniard looked rather amused by it all.

As expected, this only angered Sergei.

The two men had been sizing each other from the moment we walked into the room. It was obvious that there was tension, but neither party would admit it.

“Look,” Valerio leaned out of his chair and clapped his hands together, “the truth of the matter is you two combined are dog shit. Sergei, you talk a big game, but we all know you are the bottom of the barrel when it comes to business. You traffic children, and you make a big show of picking on the little girls to make yourself seem more powerful. We all know that your cousin Vladimir is far more competent and successful. You envy the success he has been able to have in Moscow and Boston, and you wish you could replicate that in Los Angeles. News flash, you are failing dismally. And you, Danill… your family is broke. After your father’s assassination, your uncle ran the business into the ground, leaving you with more debt than you can handle. Thus, you are selling your sister off because everyone refuses to do business with you due to the blood you share. But if I’m being quite honest, you aligning yourself with this vermin does your family image no favors.”

“Valerio,” Savina scolded her brother-in-law.

Valerio held his hand up to silence her. From what I knew of Savina, that move alone would have warranted the execution of most men.

He was lucky.

“I’m only speaking the truth, sister.” He gave Savina an overly sweet smile. “They have come into our home, and the only thing they have offered instead of thanks are insults and critiques. Danill, my job is to protect our assets, and while she is in our care, your sister is an asset of ours. We have provided you with the plane, resources and power that you need for your time in Russia, in exchange for easy trading within the Boston area. If I wanted to take your sister from this waste of a match you have given her, I already would have. And you, Sergei, watch your mouth. You are in my territory, not the other way around. I can put a bullet in your body for breathing at me wrong. We are not in the same league, you and I. You do not want to make an enemy out of me.”

The coldness in his voice caused a shiver to run down my spine.

Valerio had a reputation. If his brother was known as the Prince of Death, then he was the Merchant. His brother gave the order, and he followed through. If Andres was hellfire, then Valerio was pure darkness.

There was a reason the Valdez name held so much power. They had cultivated it over six generations. They had only ever gone from strength to strength.

“I think everyone should just put their cocks back in their pants and calm down.” Savina filled the silence that had followed. “Danill, although my brother-in-law was very crass in his words, he is still correct. You garnered this deal with us. You are doing us no real favors. Us working with you to channel product through Moscow is not something that you can only uniquely do for us. There are many Russians looking to align themselves with us. Do not think that you have any right to come into my home and insult my family members. And Sergei, like Valerio said, Valdez is a very,verypowerful name, and you arejust too early in the game to try and go toe to toe. We respect what you do?—”

“No, we do not,” Valerio quipped.

“—but you would be a fool to think that you are on the same level as us. Danill, you have my word that your sister will be safe. She will be under my care, and you will find her exactly as you left her. Sergei, if you wish to see her while her brother is away, then you are welcome to. But you are to ask for invitation, do not just show up to my house unannounced. My children are here, and I will not have their peace disturbed by chaos. Understood?”

I had heard much of Savina Baratelli, now Valdez. But seeing her in action as the Head of her Family in person was a whole different thing. The way she commanded the room and captivated the attention of all four men… it was impressive.

The world I had grown up in didn’t permit for such power to radiate from a female.

I wanted to have that.

“I said…understood?” She stared Sergei down. Her eyes levelled him with a cool gaze.

To my shock, Sergei grunted his agreement. It was more than I had expected from him, if I was being honest.

“Good. You can say your goodbyes, now.”

Well, this was an interesting start to day one in the Valdez manor.

Chapter Ten

Valerio

The sun had gone down, and the day had come to pass. I kept my distance while she got settled into her room. It had taken a lot on my part, but I had managed the past six hours.

She had not come down for dinner, much to my dismay. It was unnerving just how much my body craved her presence. I had come to accept that I could not stay away from her, but the frequency of my closeness to her needed to lessen.

Starting tomorrow.

The clock had struck past midnight, but her lights remained on in her bathroom. I stood outside her door waiting. What for? I wasn't sure. Nevertheless, I held the knob to the door and twisted it open. I walked into the room and saw the bathroom door creaked open. I closed the door behind me, making sure that it was locked.

I could not believe that I was a grown man sneaking around in my own home, like some hormone-induced teen.

Her luggage remained packed, but the clothes she had been wearing when she arrived today were on the floor by the foot ofher bed. I looked around the room, admiring my handy work. I wondered if she would be happy to know that I had been the one to design her room for her.

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