Page 4 of Beautiful Revenge

“That’s just sick, you know that? Marrying us off like we’re cattle.”

“This will happen, Aria. I’m afraid to say.”

“What about Matteo?”

Dante sits up straighter. “Matteo?”

“You’re second in command. He’s young and handsome. And now that he’s back, he would make a great match.”

Matteo Conti had to go into hiding a few years ago after he killed Nadia’s father. The Russians wanted his head. But as part of Dante’s peace treaty with Erik, Matteo was allowed to come back and work as Dante’s second in command again.

Dante hesitates. “Matteo is loyal to me. I don’t need to marry him off to anyone to make him more loyal. Marrying him to you would serve no purpose. I wouldn’t gain from anything.”

“But I would. I would marry a man with good connections and good looks. You’re only thinking of yourself. Of course you would. You’re selfish.” I spit the word out. I want it to hurt as much as Dante is hurting me right now.

“You will not marry Matteo.” Dante’s tone is final. “I will set up a meeting with Giovanni. You’ll see he’s not so bad. And then we can move on from this mess. Got it?”

“Got it,” I say through gritted teeth.

What I don’t say out loud is I don’t ‘got it’ at all. I’m not going to marry some old man. Hell no.

I’m going to go out and find a worthy husband of my own.

Even if it kills me.

Finn

To say I’m mad at my brother would be an understatement.

We worked together as hitmen for years. We killed together. We protected each other. I was loyal to him.

He wasn’t the same.

Aiden fell in love with Elena – that bitch – and married her and joined forces with Erik Koslov and Dante Moretti.

To say I hate Erik and Dante is also an understatement. I despise those two fuckers.

Dante and I used to be friends, until he started working with Erik. I didn’t agree with working with the Russians, so I went against him.

When Dante and Erik pissed off Viktor Smirnov, I went and worked with him, even though he’s a Russian.

Then Viktor turned on me by choosing an alliance with Erik and Dante.

Now, I’m on my own.

And that makes me dangerous.

With no allegiance to anybody, I have decided that I’m going to fuck things up. Cause some chaos.

I was always held back by either Dante, Viktor, or my brother.

Now no one is going to hold me back.

To start, I decide to steal from one of Viktor’s drug shipments. Since I worked with him this whole past year, I know how his operation works.

I arrive at the quiet, lonely road in the middle of the night, far away from New York, where a truck full of drugs will be arriving. I have no desire to steal the drugs and make money from it. No. I’m going to piss Viktor off just by blowing it up. Make him regret joining forces with Erik and Dante again.

Viktor has two men stationed on the road, waiting for the truck to arrive. I stay hidden in the woods, waiting for my turn to strike.

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