Page 5 of Wicked Knight 2

“The hell he will.” Dominic shot to his feet. “I don’t give a shit if you think his pretty face will make her more amiable. I can tame her. Leave her to me.” His face contorted into a sneer that would instill terror in any woman, Italian mob or not.

Slowly, I rose to my feet as the realization of what Papa wanted me to do washed over me like a bucket of ice water. “You want to marry her into this family? The Dons would never allow it.”

“No, I can’t imagine they would.” Papa looked up at me. “Which is why we’re going to kidnap her, then put a baby in her first.”

I fisted my hands.

“Maxim.” Papa gestured for me to sit down. When I gestured no, he continued, “This is your chance to get revenge on those pigs. For what they did to your mother—my sister.”

I didn’t remember much from my childhood. I hardly remembered Mom’s face, but what the Italians did to her was ingrained in my soul. They raped her. What they did to her was so atrocious, she killed herself after I was born. Papa took me in and swore that one day he would help me avenge my mother’s murder.

“An eye for an eye.” I met Papa’s gaze. The wrath he found written all over my face, oozing from every pore like poison pleased him. What I felt went beyond anger now. This thirst for revenge could only be appeased with blood. I glared at the photo on the laptop screen. “What’s her name?”

“Donata Salvatore.” Papa smiled at me. “It has to be you, Son.”

I nodded.

“You said I could have her, Boss.” Dominic glared at me, then at Papa.

“I said I would think about it. Now I have.” Papa pursed his lips.

“He’s not your son.”

“He’s better than that.” Papa stared at Ivan with so much contempt in his eyes, Ivan had no choice but to get up and leave the room.

“It’s not fair. That bitch is worth a lot of money. If what Slava says is true, The Society and Don Salvatore will pay a lot of money to get her back. We can have anything we want.” He rubbed the side of his face, looking greedy and desperate at the same time. “If he wants her, he has to earn her.”

“What do you propose, hmm?” Papa’s features softened as if he’d heard more good news.

“We fight for it. If he wants her.” He sneered at me. “Your so-called son has done shit to earn his place as a spy. So he’s killed for you. So what? We all have. I don’t like him. I don’t like his pretty face. He sits here like he’s earned his place within our ranks, but he hasn’t. There are better men than him.”

“My sister’s only son is the better man for the job. You’re too thick in the head to recognize it.” Papa met my gaze again, silently asking if I was up to the task.

Thing was, now that the challenge had been issued, I couldn’t back down. I would look like a coward to the rest of the crew. If Dominic thought he could stand between me and my revenge, he had another thing coming. He had to go.

“For the record.” I placed both hands on the table. “I don’t like your face either. I’m so tired of your fucking rants. So let’s see who’s the better man once and for all. Noon tomorrow, in the courtyard.” I pointed a finger at Dominic then in the general direction of the courtyard. “If you don’t show, you’re out of the Brotherhood for good. And the princess is mine.”

“I’ll be there.” He gripped the back of his chair and slammed it down before he stormed out.

“His hyped emotions will get him killed one day.” Papa shrugged.

“Agreed.” I rubbed the creases on my forehead. “How do we ensure the Italians don’t come for our crew when we take their little princess?”

“Marriage and family. Those are bonds that can’t be broken.”

“She would never agree to marry me, not after I put her through what Mother had to endure.” At thirty-four years old, I hated the idea of marriage. I didn’t need a wife. Then again, how long would the mafia princess endure my punishment? How long before she ends it all herself, like Mother did?

“We’re not going to ask her. Once she’s pregnant, her own family will cast her off.” Papa smiled at me. “We’ll be her only family. Do you understand? Once she’s one of us, she will give us anything we want. Women are funny creatures that way. It’s why they should never be allowed to lead a crew. What fucking nonsense.”

Papa’s plan wasn’t exactly perfect, but the opportunity to make the Italians pigs pay for everything they have taken from us didn’t come along often. For once, we had the upper hand. I wasn’t about to waste my only chance on small details.

Donata Salvatore was mine.

CHAPTER3

My Dirty Little Secret

Maxim

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