Page 4 of Kiss of Death
While Sofia had turned out to be a better boss so far, Otto wasn’t keen on repeating any past mistakes when it came to women, no matter how intrigued he was with them. He kept them for one night, maybe two, and kept it moving. It never extended past a first name exchange and what was or wasn’t okay when they fucked. It kept his heart safe and his life out of any more danger.
Otto leaned in. “How about we worry less about my love life and more about the men who want your head hung on their walls?”
She dropped her hand and rolled her eyes. “Relax, O. They can’t outright kill me here.”
Otto’s voice dipped lower. “As much as I hope those patrons in the dining area are our saving grace, I’m sure those men don’t give a shit. You’re not a boss to them, even with your last name. They can kill you, and if they won’t, there’s enough of them here to make you beg for death.”
Sofia chuckled under her breath. “I didn’t know you cared so much. Don’t worry about it, Otto. I’ve been in tighter situations and came out with only a few bumps and bruises.” Her eyes held a sinister look, like she was almost hoping they’d try something tonight. “Besides, I’m not one to beg.”
Otto shook his head; the more time he spent with her, the crazier she seemed to him. He was worried that underneath all her plans and calculations, she actually had no self-preservation. Sofia was a live-and-die-by-the gun type, which made her step into situations like this with zero fear—thinking she was untouchable.
And maybe she was.
Maybe whatever she’d been through in Columbia would make what the families threw at her seem like an afternoon stroll in the park. They might have been able to physically hurt her, but they couldn’t fuck with her mentally, which is where it counted for someone like Sofia.
He just hated that his and his sisters’ lives were pretty much in her hands, and the crazier her schemes the more likely they would all be at risk.
Sofia brushed passed Dom, and Otto saw the way they innocently brushed their fingers together. They did that a lot when they thought no one was looking. It was so subtle that even if the families saw it, it could have been taken as an accident. It was their way of keeping their relationship private outside of the Council. It was their kiss hello, their way of telling each other “be safe” and “I got you” without ever uttering the words.
Sofia hadn’t decided yet if she wanted to let her and Dom’s relationship be public knowledge. She didn’t want anyone bowing down to her because of Dom and the reputation he earned as an enforcer. She wanted the power and respect to be because of who she was. She was determined to stand on her own as much as she could, given who her father had been in New York and who her grandfather had been in Columbia.
Otto had to give Sofia credit for doing what she said she would. She came in here taking what belonged to her and then some. This was a man’s world, and as a female she had to cement her respect and power in blood or they’d rip it away from her. Otto had no doubt that the four heads currently sitting at the table would try and take it from her at some point, but at least with the news of her homecoming still fresh on the street, they’d be a little more hesitant to test her grit.
“Ms. Barbati, I’d say welcome home, but I can’t say it’s been a pleasure yet.” Boris Sanokova spoke from his place at the head of the table. He was flanked by two of his men. Bruno sat to his left, flanked by his own men, and to Boris’s right was the head of the Zhao family, Fan, who was also flanked by two of his men. Next to Zhao sat the head of the Garcia family, Ethan. He was the only one Otto hadn’t been too worried about. Ethan owned half of the Bronx, and considering what Sofia was after, the Barbati and Garcia organizations wouldn’t cross paths, at least not yet.
Sofia pulled out a chair and sat down. Otto and Dom stayed close to her as the tension in the room skyrocketed to an uneasy level. Otto could see all the ways this meeting was about to go wrong. There were too many egos sitting at the table that were not going to take it lying down that a woman—no matter what her creed was—had not only added extra territories to her organization but showed these men their asses.
“Gentlemen.” Sofia’s voice was like a hammer coming down on concrete. “Since I didn’t call this meeting, you mind not wasting anymore of my time and tell me why I’m here? I could guess, but you won’t like how I answer.”
“You killed Vinny without cause,” Zhao snapped. “We’re not sure how you do things from where you’re from,Ice Whore, but we have rules in place so we don’t kill each other and go to unnecessary wars.”
“I’d watch your mouth, Zhao. It’ll be mighty hard to run a territory with no tongue to keep your soldiers in line.” Sofia’s voice stayed calm, but Otto heard the warning just the same. He kept his gaze on the men who guarded each of the members and tried to calculate how quickly he’d be able to get Sofia out of here without getting shot or killed in the process.
Zhao stood up, pressing his hands on the table. “Is that a threat?” He seethed.
Dom stepped closer to Sofia, as the soldiers stepped closer to the table.
This meeting was a second away from turning into a massacre. The families were pissed. He could feel Bruno’s hard gaze burning a hole through his body. Bruno’s face was still discolored, and he wore a brace on his wrist. They were a present from the beating Sofia gave him to sign over Tres Bellas.
Otto knew the loss of the club hurt his ego more than the bones Sofia broke in his body. That club had been the only source of clout and power his father allowed him to have. The streets didn’t take him seriously; he was a joke. The men who sat at this table didn’t take him seriously either, unless it was a matter of the club, and he lost it—to a woman.
For men like Bruno and Boris, women were seen as inferior—pieces of property. Otto knew they were feeling the heat of Sofia’s take over the hardest.
Sofia drummed her fingers against the table, seeming unfazed by the growing animosity in the room. “Are you finished?” She let out an annoyed sigh. “And they say women are emotional.” She shook her head. “For the record, you have no proof that I killed Vinny or that he’s even dead. For all you know, he stepped down—as he should—when he heard of my return and willingly gave me what is rightfully mine. I am curious, though,” she shifted in her seat and her gaze shot to Zhao, “you talk about unnecessary wars, but you’ve been in them since before I hit puberty, and especially after my father was murdered. Did you think killing my father would solve your problems?”
“We didn’t kill him,” Zhao snapped.
“No, but you didn’t stop it either. You knew his death was going to cause a massive hole in the power split, and you all scrambled, trying to claim territories that never belonged to you.”
“You mean the way you’ve done within the first forty-eight hours of your arrival?” Boris commented in a bored tone. “Forgive me for not seeming remorseful, but you seemed to have benefited more out of all of us from your father’s untimely death and from your grandfather’s death as well,Ice Whore.”
Sofia smirked as she looked at her nails. “I see you’ve done your homework, Sanokova. You guys keep dropping that name like it’s supposed to ruffle my feathers. My guess is you’re hoping I’m stupid enough to outright attack you for your disrespect. There are other ways to make a man bleed without ever cutting his skin.”
Sanokova’s eyes darkened. “I’m always well prepared, Ice–Ms. Barbati.” He smirked. “The question is, how prepared are you?”
Ivy leaned against the wall to remove her shoes. Her feet ached and her body was already sore from the four songs she danced on stage. She had no idea how she was going to make it up there for the rest of her shift. She was out of shape and out of practice. It had been too long since she pole danced for her pleasure, and as much as she used to enjoy it, she wasn’t all that comfortable being on stage tonight. While she was grateful that Gia let her keep her clothes on for her nights on the stage, she still felt naked and exposed with all those hungry eyes on her.
But you had no problem performing when it was just Otto watching you.
