Page 58 of And Twice as Twisted
I motioned everyone inside.
“How are you… really?” Persephone stepped out of his grasp, her soft hands rubbing my arm.
“I’m okay.” I nodded. For everything he’d taken from me, I’d become ten times stronger. I had to be. Just as I was about to speak, a noise from upstairs pulled everyone’s attention. Persephone glanced at me, her lips curling into a grin, before she coughed back a giggle.
“Good for you.” She smiled. “Some of us can rebuild ourselves on our own, like you.”
“And you,” I said, but she looked at Dom with a coy smile.
“No. I needed help. Now, shall we?” She motioned towards the dining room table.
By the end of our brief exchange, I still had more questions than answers. But I did learn a few things. Persephone would negotiate Octavia’s release to me. But, to be safe, we needed to call in outside reinforcements.
“You’re sure about this?” Alexei asked for what felt like the hundredth time since we got in the car.
“Stop trying to talk me out of it.” I was giving up my peace for my sister. The only one of us who deserved to be saved. I’d savored my freedom these past several months, but as we approached the city, my heart lodged itself in my throat, choking me. Every nerve ending in my body knew going back was a bad idea, but I would do anything for my sister.
Even this one last act of self-sacrifice.
“We’ll get Octavia and then you can leave. You don’t need to confess…”
I cut him off and steeled my spine, knowing every ball was in my court. “It’s my decision. It’ll be fine.” I pulled the visor down to stare at my reflection in the mirror.
“Who are you trying to convince? Me or yourself?” Alexei’s words hung heavy in the air.
In a game of cards, you had no one but yourself on your side. The dealer would bet on the house, the house didn’t want tolose, and the man next to you was out for cold, hard cash. Yours, theirs, it didn’t matter. I might have had Alexei in my corner, as he corralled the RussianBratvato meet us at my family’s compound, but I had to protect myself fromil famiglia.
They—he—might just want to kill me. Once the knife in my grip shredded through my veins, the deceit I’d been harboring would change everything.
I walked into the compound with my head held high and ignored the unease churning in my stomach.
“Back up.” Dom pushed Apollo aside before inserting himself between the object of his contention and Persephone.
I couldn’t even look athim. Alexei stepped to my right, intentionally shielding me. It worked both ways. I was blocked from Apollo’s view and he was blocked from mine.
Could I do this?
I swallowed roughly as the entire group settled into my father’s office.
“I entered this game seeking revenge. Not to stand by and watch more innocents get hurt.” Persephone’s words had the entire room tensing.
“Where is my daughter?” my father ground out, his arms engulfing my mother as they both awaited the answer.
“We had nothing to do with this. With Octavia,” Dom added. “I want to make that clear.”
“Who has her?” Apollo urged, his patience clearly waning.
Persephone turned in his direction, and her expression lit up as she eyed my shadow lurking in the doorway. “You should be more concerned with who has the plan to get her back.”
Dom laughed under his breath. But before anyone could respond, I stormed across the threshold with Alexei at my heels and a small Russian army at my back. I could tell my family wanted to ask a million questions, but they all faltered when Nikolai walked into the room.
“We’re brokering a deal, Mario,” Persephone explained cryptically.
I couldfeelhis approach. He moved subtly, but I could sense it like an open flame against my skin. His growl told me he saw the bruise on my face and the sound sent chills down my spine, even as my father’s tone left little room for argument. He commanded Apollo to back down. He’d just gotten me home and the sincerity in his voice showed me how heavily my disappearance had weighed on my family.
“Whofucking touchedyou?”Apollo pressed me for answers, despite the men attempting to drag him out of the room. I swallowed past the pain in my hollow heart. “Was it you,fica russa?”
I didn’t have to look to know the insult was directed at Alexei. “Dio dammi la forza,”I prayed for a moment, closing my eyes to regain my composure as Apollo was finally escorted outside.
