Page 112 of Vicious Vows

“I’ve been waiting for you, Accetti, heir to the fallen empire.” He kept his gun trained on me.

“I’m here now.” I stepped toward him, aiming my weapon at his chest, assessing the odds of getting a shot off before he took one at me. If he wanted to shoot me, he would have done it as soon as I walked into the room. He could have ambushed me.

Why didn’t he?

“We’re settling this today,” I said.

“You’re just as daring as your father.” He chuckled. “Only, if he and I were at war, he would have come for me by now. He wouldn’t have gotten distracted by my daughter.”

“You have your daughter to thank for the last few days you breathed in this air.”

“My daughter has been a detriment to my business for weeks. Defying me, taking up with the enemy, coming to me on your behalf.”

“I didn’t send her to negotiate for me. As far as I’m concerned, you have nothing I need.”

“You need my daughter, and in order for that to happen, you know in your head that you can’t kill me.”

“She has a blind spot when it comes to you. Even after you promised her to Danny, she still tries to find the good in you.” The pictures behind his desk jumped out at me. They were all of Lissia in various stages of her life.Don’t falter now.

He shrugged. “Don’t be so surprised. You see the good in your father, don’t you? And we both know the lengths he would go to in order to get what he wants.”

“You are nothing like my father.”

“Who has a blind spot now?”

“You put out a hit on me and my brother and shot your own daughter in the process.” I inched closer to his desk. “You have to answer for that.”

“Don’t come any closer.” He stood, keeping his gun aimed at my chest. “I will shoot you.”

“Not if I get a round off first.”

“You’re not going to shoot me.” Gian’s voice was laced with confidence. “My daughter means too much to you.”

“Is that what you’re banking on?”

“I’d bet my life on it.”

“This is business.” I couldn’t let him use Lissia against me. “Your house is surrounded. Lorenzo and members of his cartel are outside. If I don’t make it out of here, neither will you.”

“You’re going to call them off, then you’re going to get the hell off my property.”

“I don’t think so. Your time is up. The other families won’t even defend you for taking up with Collins and going against my father.”

“You’re wrong.”

“Am I?” I grew tired of this conversation. “I’ve been up all night monitoring the docks and speaking with key members of each family. I’m quite the negotiator. My father taught me well.”

“You have nothing those families want,” he said. “Not unless you’re going to step aside and let them fight for Nico’s territory.”

“That might have been true a few weeks ago, but I’ve formed an alliance of my own. I have a lot to offer.”

“If you’re talking about the Argentinian cartel, I would watch my back if I were you.”

“I’ll take my chances. They now know that if you’re willing to send the Feds in my direction, they can’t trust you. What’s to say you won’t do it to them?”

“What if I could end all of this now?” he asked. “You get your father back, and I’ll get my daughter back.”

“So you can marry her off to the arms dealer?” I gritted my teeth. “I’ll never let that happen.”

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