Chapter 3

TERZO

Earlier today

The moment Ilya entered his office, he instantly recognized me. His nose flared. His face reddened. His eyes hardened. The muscles in his jaw ticked as he noticed the gun on his desk, and my foot crossed beside it.

“Don’t.” I tipped my head at the open window and crossed my arms over my chest. “I didn’t come alone. Nice office, by the way. You’re legalizing your business?”

Aleksandr Gusev, his lieutenant beside him, cursed out in Russian, ready to pull out their guns.

“How’s your knee, Gusev?” Linden got him good, broke his knee in a cage fight years ago.

“Let me kill him, Pakhan,” said the giant guy with Albinism while gritting his teeth.

“Don’t,” Ilya grunted at his man and glared down at me, restraining the beast from unleashing. “Not your fucking business. What the fuck are you doing here, Siciliano? In my country, in my territory, and my office?”

“You know why I am here.”

“Get the fuck out of my office and my country before I blow you brain out and send it to your father, stronzo!”

I snorted and barked out laughing, causing his men to further glare at me, and their hands went to their sidearms. “You, dickhead.” I stood up from his chair and shook my head in amusement.

Ilya broke into a smile and came to meet me halfway before we did a brotherly hug, patting each other’s backs. While his men were still confused, he went to his liquor cabinet and poured us two shots of vodka.

I took a shot and grimaced. It was pure alcohol, burning down my throat. “How’s your father?”

He gestured to his men. As soon as the door shut behind us, I saw the sadness in his eyes. “It came back. When he received his treatment in the States, his doctor warned us it would come back. It was merely to prolong his life for a few years, and I was grateful.”

“I’m sorry, Vasilyev. I wish I could do something.”

“That’s life.” He downed another shot. His sigh became heavy as he nodded. “No man is watching us, is there?”

“No. Marco and Gio are in the hotel.”

“Why can’t you just stay dead?” He looked at me. “Isn’t it nice to make people think you’re dead? When Linden called me, I thought he was joking.”

“My father can stay dead, but I can’t. I have a family business to run. My sister can’t run it by herself. You know how men in our business think of a woman running an empire. Their minds still live in the old days.”

“I agree. Let’s talk about the reason why you’re here. I can’t help you.” He did not even hesitate.

I studied him for several seconds. “You can’t or you won’t?” 

“You’re aware she works for me? Why do you want her?”

“I’m preventing a war between families. If I can’t bring her home, let’s say, I have a price on my head. That’s how serious it is.”

“What did you do?” he asked casually, not even surprised anymore.

“It’s complicated, but I was trying to save a person I cared about. My enemies can come and blow my head off, but not the people I love. They’re off-limits, especially women. Fransesco’s son crossed that line, and I had no choice.”

“Holy shit.” He stared at me for a moment as if he put the pieces together.

“Yeah.”

“I hate that fucking man, too. Maybe you can do me a favor and kill him, then you can take the girl. He almost took down the plane carrying Braddson’s nephew, right?”

“I will take the girl with or without a favor, Vasilyev. Braddson’s nephew is my sister’s husband.”

“Your what?” He chuckled. “I’m confused.”

“I have another sister. Half-sister who is married to Braddson’s nephew.”

“The sister you tried to protect?”

“Yes.”

“Understandable. I would do the same thing, but I made a promise to protect Danielle Souls. If you want her, I won’t hand her to you, and you can’t take her while she’s under my protection. You know what it means if I give my word to someone, I can’t break it.”

“Understood.” I nodded. I admired Ilya. He may be a ruthless Russian pakhan, but that was how he earned my respect.

“She’s changed a lot. You might not recognize her.”

I sent him the latest picture of Dani Souls. She was pretty, but too innocent for my taste. I wasn’t interested in getting into any relationships. That ship had sealed a million years ago. My life was complicated and dangerous. Getting attached to someone was the last thing I wanted, especially to a woman as soft and naive as Dani.

But I had this urge to protect her from her father, from this life, and my own monster. 

“I would know her even if she’s skinless.”

Ilya smiled and shook his head. “What are you gonna do to her? You can’t hand her to her father who arranged him to another asshole.” He paused for a moment. “Was it you?”

“No.” 

“I have plans. Don’t worry, Vasilyev. You have my word. I will protect her with my life. Do you know anything about her ex?”

“Why? She never mentioned her ex.” I knew what he meant. His employees told him everything that Dani had talked to them. “You can just ask Linden. That man collects data and gossips all over the internet while Mr. Braddson collects intelligence all over the world.”

“I’ll figure it out myself.”

“I’ll give her a few hours ahead. Look, she’s nothing but a good employee to me. If I don’t owe you, you can go shit yourself, but you gave me your word, and I have a huge respect for you.”

“Thank you.” I stood up and offered my hand for a handshake. “I owe you.”

I left quickly and informed Marco and Gio, who were watching Dani at the nightclub

“Just be careful. If Giordani could betray me, he sure as hell can betray you.”

***

We arrived in Istanbul the same day as Dani. I knew Ilya gave her the money I told Ilya to give to her with the address where she could lie low. I wanted to get to know her so that she could trust me and convince her to agree with my plan.

“Are you sure we’re in the right place?” Gio asked again, making my eyes roll.

“For the last fucking time, yes. This is my nest.” I looked up at the apartment building where she would be staying for a few days. I may not know her, but she could be paranoid and plan to leave as soon as she didn’t feel safe anymore.

I turned to Marco and Gio as we reached the sixth floor. “Stay right here. I don’t want to frighten her.”

“Okay, lover boy.” Marco patted my shoulder. 

“Just yell if you need help.” Gio grinned. “She was staying at the most dangerous bratva in Russia. She might learn some survival skills.”

“He can handle women just fine, Gio. Let’s go. We’ll be down in the car,” Marco said, going back to the elevator.

I walked towards the next two doors ahead as soon as Marco and Gio got in the elevator. Then I rang the bell. 

I heard footsteps, and a shadow under the door appeared. She was probably waiting for someone behind the door to talk. 

“Dani, open the door. I know you’re in there. I wanna talk. I’m Terzo.”

A few moments later, the door was ajar and secured with the chain lock, but I could see half of her face. Her eyes widened a little, a color of honey mixed with gray. The image I had didn’t do justice to the woman standing before me. She changed to brunette.

There were some changes in her face, like she had her face done, but to say the least, she looked nothing like the Giordani. She was gorgeous, but small and fragile.

“What do you want?” Her voice was soft but steady, but her body was stiff as he looked up at me.

“Can I come in?” I could just have kicked the door down, but she was already terrified of me. 

“No. I’m not going back to my father.” She tried hard to keep her voice steady, but failed.

“I’m not taking you to your father, Danielle. I have a plan, but you have to agree with me. I know you don’t trust me, but we can meet somewhere more public.” I laid down straight to my point.

The door opened slowly, and she kept it open as she stepped aside warily. “Come in.”

I didn’t bother looking around the apartment. I knew this place. I’d been here a few times, and I still paid the rent. 

“Who are you? Do you work for my father?” She stayed beside the door. I admired her attempt at composure and not falling easily for my words. She could have called the police that there was an intruder in her apartment, she was also smart that I could get inside before the authorities arrived.

I hadn’t faced her, I had already heard the clicking sound. I didn’t see it coming. Fuck. She found the gun, I did.

“No.” I raised my hands and turned around. She was pointing a gun– my own gun at my face. And it was loaded. “Put the gun down. Do you even know how to use that thing?”

“If you’re not working for my father, then who are you?” Her grip wasn’t steady, and that was what worried me. She could accidentally pull the trigger and shoot me. “What do you want from me?”

“I’m preventing a catastrophe.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” When her hand shook, she gripped the gun with both hands. Dani just turned into a captured prey.

“Can you put that gun down so we can talk like adults, please?” I said calmly, tempted to snatch the gun from her. It would be easy, but sometimes diplomacy worked for someone like Dani, who hadn’t taken a life before.

“No. Leave me alone.” When she changed her stance and shoved the gun in the air, she intrigued me. It looked like I just misjudged her. This wasn’t the first time she held a gun. “Tell my father I want nothing from him. I’m not marrying another killer. I have a life on my own and I will decide when I can marry and to whom I’m getting married. He hasn't been present all my life, then all of a sudden, he gets the right to dictate to me to marry a stranger. Where was he for the last twenty-three years of my life?”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, but if you give me a chance to explain, I promise you, you won’t be getting married to an asshole. You’ll be free from your father’s leash.”

“Fuck. Shit,” Marco and Gio said in unison. Their eyes were wide as they stared at Dani and were about to pull their guns.

I didn’t even notice they came back. 

“Don’t.” I raised my hand to warn them. Dani must have gone panicking. Her fear called to her. Her eyes were huge in her heart-shaped face. 

The last thing I heard was the single gunshot, and the excruciating pain pierced through my shoulder.