Page 35 of The Don's Hidden Heir

Dante swears the Bratva has something to do with the attack, and I, too, suspect they have something to do with it. Still, I can’t trust the Camorra either.

In our world, trust is the cheapest ticket to the grave.

Music filters into the office through the small gap around the door of my office from the dance floor in the main club. While I don’t usually mind it, I need silence to get my thoughts in order. I twist my head to Marcus. “When does Victor Valentes arrive?”

Marcus glances at his watch. “He should’ve been here five minutes ago.” Marcus demanded a meeting with Valentes when we returned from the port an hour ago. Anger burns my veins, making me tremble from inside that the Russian bastard dares to keep me waiting.

I’m quivering with the urge to kill, and God help me that I don’t start another war tonight.

The door opens and one of my bodyguard walks in. “Victor Valentes is here, boss.”

I signal him to let him in.

The bodyguard leaves and closes the door behind him. Less than a minute later, Victor walks into the office. I don’t know which I hate most; whether it’s the smell of alcohol and marijuana oozing off him, or his cunt of a son who follows him in.

Victor smiles at me as he takes the seat across from my desk and his son sits next to him. “I never thought the day would come where Dominic Romano would seek my presence,” he says with an ugly chuckle.

Victor is sixty. He’s a tall, slender man with a bald scalp and a face I want to spit on. His dark eyes match the dark organ in his chest that he calls a heart.

“You must be happier than you’ve ever been,” I tell him, watching his every move like a hawk. “It’s not every day you get to sit before greatness.”

He chuckles again and I clench my fists. I want to rip his pharynx out. “To what do I owe this invitation?”

“It’s barely an invitation considering I could kill you right where you sit.” I glance at my brother who’s raging in silence. “I’m sure you heard the news.”

He cocks his brows. “What news?”

Smart bastard’s playing dumb with me.“My shipment went missing, and a girl from my club was found dead in the woods.”

Victor massages his beard, making ahmmsound as he listens and waits for me to finish. “I don’t know jack about your shipment that’s gone missing, Dominic.”

“You don’t know?” Marcus asks, his veins are twitching, but he still manages to remain calm. His ability to function properly under pressure is one of the reasons he’s been able to triple our wealth. Being born with a good brain is the second reason.

“Yes, son. I don’t know.”

“I’m not your fucking son,” Marcus roars. “And you better be telling us the truth.”

A sly smirk deforms Victor’s face. “Are you mad about your shipment that’s missing, or are you upset your whore’s been killed.”

Marcus’s eyes darken. “Watch your mouth, Victor.”

“Oh, my bad.” Victor fakes sympathy. “Get over it, son. She was just a whore, I’m sure you’ll have another one by Friday. If it’s a sweeter cunt you want, then I can get you someone.”

My fists twitch.I’ve had enough.I also hate how hard Victor is trying to crawl under Marcus’s skin. “That’s enough from you, Victor.”

“Forgive my manners, Dominic. It seems to me your brother didn’t get the basic training on becoming a made man. He’s sulking over a dead piece of pussy.”

“Man,” Dante hisses. “I want to fucking kill you right now.”

Victor’s son, Matteo, rises to his feet. “Watch your mouth, asshole.”

Dante flashes a daring smile at him. “Or what? You’ll run behind your dick of a father and hide, huh?”

“I’ll tear your mouth off for speaking to my father in that tone.”

I grab Marcus’s knife and toss it to Matteo. “Fine.”

Matteo peels his gaze away from Dante and brings it to me. He glances between me and the knife with confusion.

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