Page 91 of Dark Desires
His eyes flash. “No. No! I’m not leaving while Stephania’s here. Not a chance.”
“Omar, can you shoot a gun?”
“N… No.”
“How about this—can you look into your father’s eyes and tell himno?”
“I… I don’t know.”
“There we have it. Your father’s coming for you, Omar. The best way you can fight him is by being somewhere that he can’t find you.”
“But Stephania…”
I cut him off. “After I leave here, I’m going to the Mancinis to talk to her and Domenico. She will join you soon.”
“She will?”
“She will. But first, you have to trust me.”
There’s a long pause.
“I… I’ll do it. But promise me you’re not lying.”
“Promise. I’ll make sure Christian never touches you or Stephania again. But you need to step up. Fight for her. Prove you’re more than just your father’s shadow. Now go—my sister can only stay in the security system for so long.”
He hesitates, but I can see the gears turning in his head. Finally, he nods. “OK. OK.”
“Good. Now, leave. You’ve got a plane to catch.”
Omar opens his mouth, as if he has one more thing to say, one more question to ask. However, whatever it is, he keeps it to himself.
He springs out of the seat, hurrying out of the room. I glance at Agent Patterson. She’s peaceful when she sleeps—a strange look for her. I pick up her coffee from the ground and dump it into the trash.
“Get some rest, Agent Patterson. I’ll be in touch.”
Out in the lobby, Luk is waiting, leaning against the wall. He straightens when he sees me.
“Well?” he asks.
“It’s done,” I say. “Omar will play his part. Now, we focus on the Mancinis.”
Luk nods, falling into step beside me as we head toward the exit. “What’s next?”
“First, we return to the mansion and prepare our people for war. Then, I speak to the Mancinis. Christian made his move, and now it’s our turn. We’re going to remind him why no one fucks with the Ivanovs.”
Luk smirks. “About time.”
My lieutenants stand in a tight semicircle, along with my brothers. They’re ready for whatever I’m about to throw their way.
I step forward, running a hand through my hair.
“You all know why we’re here.”
Lev leans against the wall, arms crossed. “Isabella,” he says.
I nod. “Isabella. And my child.”
There’s a ripple of surprise through the room, but no one says a word. These men are loyal to the bone.They’ve been with me through hell and back, and I trust them to follow me without hesitation.
