Page 88 of Declan

Ding.

Alek

It wasn’t me. You can thank your father for that.

My heart shatters all over again, the pain sharper this time. I knew it was him. I knew, but some part of me had clung to the idea that maybe—just maybe—he’d been forced by the Koslovs. But no. My father is even more fucked up than I thought.

Ding.

Alek:I can kill him for you. I don’t have use for him now that I have you.

Oh.

I let out a bitter laugh. Does Giovanni even realize how many men want to kill him right now?

No need for that, for now. I have my targets. Can I trust you, Aleksandr?

I send the text, my mind racing with what to do next. I could try setting up a meeting, but I doubt Alek would be that stupid… right? Then again, men like him often think with their dicks. Maybe I can use that.

Ding.

Alek:Let me show you.

My heart skips. What the hell does that mean?

Okay.

As I hit send, a pang of dread blooms in my stomach. Please, God, don’t let him do something stupid. Something like—oh, shit!

I bolt out of bed and down the hallway, storming into the office. “Where is Kian?” I blurt out, breathless.

Declan’s head snaps up, his face instantly draining of colour. Without a word, he grabs his phone, already connecting the call. Every second feels like an eternity.

“Where are you?” he barks into the receiver, his voice tight with barely restrained panic. I can’t hear the answer, but his eyes flick to mine, searching.

“Don’t fucking leave the penthouse until I tell you to,” Declan orders. “No one comes in or out. Get Mike and his men up there now.”

I clutch my stomach, the familiar, gnawing ache of anxiety clawing at me. Damn it, I’m going to get an ulcer from all of this.

Declan hangs up, slamming the phone onto the desk. “What the fuck, Viviana?” he snaps, leaning back in his chair as he rubs his face. “What happened?”

Connor steps forward, gripping my arm gently but firmly and guiding me into a chair. His face is as pale as Declan’s.

“Alek texted me,” I stammered, swallowing hard. “He says he’s going to show me I can trust him. I thought…” My voice catches.

“You thought he’d go for Kian,” Connor finishes for me, his voice tight.

“Fuck,” Declan mutters, dropping his head into his hands. “He’s safe. He’s at the penthouse.”

I stay seated, holding my phone like a lifeline. Over an hour passes while Declan and the guys talk about plans and things, I don’t care to understand. My mind races with the possibilities. Aleksandr is insane, and I don’t know what to expect from him.

That night in college started normal. He was kind and dominant, of course, but nothing I couldn’t handle—until he got rough. Too rough. I asked him to slow down and tried to push him off me, but he was out of control. He kept telling me I made him suffer for years and that it was his time now…

Flynn’s phone rings, slicing through my thoughts.

“What?” he grunts, his tone as sharp as ever.

Jesus, why do they always sound so angry when they answer the damn phone?

---