Page 4 of Banner

When he opens his mouth to say something else, I hold up my hand to stop him and nod at the phone on the counter.“Jon, call and let your boss know I’m here.”He nods his head jerkily as he picks up the phone with shaking hands and does what I’ve asked.

This is fucking ridiculous.

I raise a brow at Kane, completely blown away by their lack of self-preservation.These rich fuckers love to look down their nose at us, but our clubhouse is safer than anywhere else in the city.Twelve-foot fences surround the property and there’s only one way in and out.

The more I look around this swanky joint, the more I wonder how the hell they’ve managed to stay alive with such lax security measures.

“Some—someone will b—be right down,” Jon stutters.No sooner has he hung up the phone, when the elevator opens revealing Alessio’s right-hand man, Giovanni Morano.

Haze nods his head as Kane and I step onto the elevator car.He’ll position himself in the lobby and let us know if anything is off.

Gio smirks.“I was wondering when you’d show up.”The comment catches me off guard, but I remain relaxed, giving nothing away.I’m almost insulted he thinks he can goad me so easily.

When the elevator comes to a stop and the doors open, we follow Gio out getting our first glimpse at how the other half lives.

“Overcompensating much?”Kane says, eyeballing the crystal chandeliers that seem to adorn every room.Gio glances over his shoulder, leveling Kane with a look that is meant to intimidate and probably would if we were anyone else.

“Enough,” I growl in irritation.The single word meant to warn Kane off from starting a pissing contest.He rolls his eyes but thankfully doesn’t say anything else.

“Banner.Kane,” Alessio says as we step into his office.When he motions his hand to the chairs in front of his desk without getting up to properly greet us my fingers start to twitch with the urge to draw my blades.

I’m not at all amused by the power play.He seems to have forgotten who the fucking king of this city is, but he’s about to fucking find out.

“Why are you doing business with the Russians, Alessio?”I ask, skipping all formalities, and getting right to the fucking point.Alessio’s eyes jump to mine; I catch a fleeting glimpse of fear working behind them before he attempts to school his expression.He’s nothing like his father was.Tony Angelini was a killer through and through.Jr.here is a fucking pussy, who’s been fed with a silver spoon his entire life.He doesn’t know the first thing about fighting and winning wars.He looks to Gio, but his capo can’t save him.I want answers and I’m not leaving without them.

Alessio takes a deep breath and exhales slowly.“You don’t understand, Banner.I don’t have a choice.My father made the deal before he died.Merda!Whatever the fuck he got out of the deal was worth claiming his bastard daughter and in doing so, he destroyed my mother.”

My brows furrow.“All that… for what?”

Alessio scrubs his hand across his face.“I don’t know, and honestly, I don’t care.Whatever my father got from Ivan, died with him.”

I believe him, but…

“What about the girl?”

“Fuck her,” he growls.“Once they’re married neither of them is my fucking problem anymore.”The hate for his half-sister is palpable.Even still, that doesn’t answer what Ivan wants with the girl when he’s so fucking hung up on the dancer.

As the new head of the Camorra, Alessio has the right to refuse the union and I can’t think of a better power play to establish his rule.It’s not adding up.

“Banner wants the girl,” Kane interjects.My eye twitches but I manage to keep my shit together.I don’t know what the fuck he’s playing at, but I trust him with my life.

“What?”Alessio asks, incredulity creeping into his tone as he unconsciously reaches for his tie, adjusting the knot.

Gotcha, motherfucker.The girl is the key.

“Your sister… What’s her name?Sonja?”I ask, turning to Kane who’s sprawled out in the chair next to me.Like a fool, Alessio’s shoulders slacken when he takes in Kane’s relaxed appearance.

“Sophia,” Kane answers helpfully.

“Yeah.I want her.”I stare at Alessio, waiting for his next move.

He shakes his head.“You can’t have her.I just told you; she’s marrying Ivan.”

Reaching into my cut, I pull out my Kogi blade.Alessio’s eyes grow to the size of saucers as they follow the path of the blade as I make it dance between my fingers.“I think you’ve forgotten who the fuck I am, Alessio.I wasn’t asking.”

With a flick of my wrist the blade sails across the room and lands between the eyes of his father’s portrait hanging on the wall.

Bullseye.

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