Page 43 of Devious Kingpin
“Is it all that you imagined and more?” Priest asked dryly. I narrowed my eyes on him. He was being as annoying as Killian. Maybe he should find himself a spot at my table and the two of them could be cranky together.
“What’s up your ass lately?” I hissed.
Priest shrugged but didn’t answer. His eyes darted to the red-haired woman who he’d claimed as his a long time ago. I pondered what held him back.
My eyes found my wife, talking to her friends, Ivy included.
“You two look like lovestruck puppies,” Basilio muttered, taking a swig of his drink.
“You fit right in during those crazed months you hunted Wynter,” I muttered under my breath. He just about killed every Russian in New York’s vicinity. As if remembering that feeling, he headed toward his wife who was standing with my own and wrapped his arms around her growing belly.
The look Wynter gave him, full of love, had something twisting inside my chest. I didn’t care about any of that. What the hell would I even do with all those damn emotions? They were messy; they complicated things.
Yet, the idea of never getting that was physically abhorrent.
I’d make her love me. Need me. Adore me.
Just wait and see.
“There’s the groom.” My head turned in the direction of the voice, and it was only then I realized my brother had left too. My gaze traveled the room, but he was nowhere to be found.
“So, you and Juliette, huh?” Sasha Nikolaev asked sarcastically, his wife on his arm. I groaned, wishing they’d say congratulations and get moving. No such luck. He remained glued to his spot. “Good luck with her. Hopefully she doesn’t rob you and then leave you stranded on an island.”
I gritted my teeth. Sasha was the fucking worst. Of all the people in this world, I could have done without him at my wedding.
“I’m surprised your wife tolerates your annoying old ass,” I remarked, bringing the glass of scotch to my mouth and swallowing it in one gulp.
Branka chuckled. “Barely said ‘I do’ and already so cranky,” she teased, her eyes sparkling.
Jesus, it would seem Sasha was a bad influence on his wife. The chick was reserved from what I had heard and yet here she was fucking with me. I should have made a better deal with her brother, Alessio, and had him hand over Philly, all Canadian business, as well as a clause to stay away from us DiLustros. That would at least give me a break from this shit.
Too fucking late.
“Well, thank you for coming,” I said, grabbing another drink from the tray as the waiter passed us by.
“Ah, so eager to get rid of us,” Sasha remarked. “The pressure of marriage has barely begun, you young stud.”
“Jesus, don’t you have someone else to harass?” I grumbled. “Go nag Wynter or Cassio. Anyone. Just move on.”
Branka chuckled, while Sasha slapped me on the back, causing my drink to almost spill over. Fucker.
“She looks beautiful, Dante,” he finally said. “Congratulations.”
“Yes, congratulations,” Branka chimed in. “You’re a lucky man and Juliette’s a lucky woman.”
“Not as lucky as me,” Sasha said with vehemence. His wife’s gaze darted to Sasha and something about the way she looked at him made my chest squeeze.
This fucker kidnapped his bride and she was all goo-goo eyes, swooning over the unhinged bastard.
You did worse, my mind whispered, but I promptly told it to fuck off. I didn’t need my conscience kicking in now.
The two of them finally made themselves scarce—thank fuck—and I searched around, finding Juliette standing with her friends and her family. I watched from where I stood as they all chatted and laughed while she kept a feigned smile on her lips. Killian didn’t even attempt a smile, feigned or not. He stood next to his sister, shooting glares my way.
“That fucker wants you dead,” my brother remarked, showing up out of thin air.
Of course, Basilio was right behind him. “Of course he does. He’s losing another woman in his family to the DiLustros. The fucker can’t stand it that we are irresistible.”
First Wynter and her mother and now his sister.
