Chapter 13

Unspoken Desires - Chapter 13

Matteo

Since Damian’s call this afternoon, my men and I have been tearing through Vegas like a fucking wildfire.

Every known Bratva drug lab? Gone. Their strip clubs? Blown up. Their restaurants, warehouses and whorehouses? Burned to the fucking ground.

And yet, that ice-veined bitch, Svetlana is still nowhere to be found. Keeps slipping just out of reach, like she knows when we’re coming. Like someone’s whispering our next moves in her ear.

So we sent her a message. Loud and clear. Left her a trail of Dead Bratva bodies. Dozens of the assholes who thought Vegas was theirs now. They died screaming and begging for mercy. That’s what I call a productive day.

But the last raid… that one gave me something real. We found her uncle. The old bastard was holed up in some gated compound outside Henderson, living like a retired oligarch. Pool. Imported wine. Cuban cigars. The whole fucking spread.

Turns out the frozen bitch has a heart after all. She’s been bankrolling him since she was thirteen. Monthly deposits to offshore accounts. Quiet and consistent.

And now? I’ve got him and he’s got her number. Our information showed that he used to run a Fortune 500 company in Manhattan with his brother, Vasiliev, Svetlana’s father. That was before her old man got whacked for putting his hands where they didn’t belong.

Uncle Vodka here was too drunk to remember names and too scared to lie. But he gave me the one thing I needed: direct access.

I was just about to call my father with the good news when my phone lit up. Damian. Again.

I roll my eyes so hard I almost see my own skull. “What now?” I snap, already regretting picking up.

He doesn’t waste time.

Fucking Gino Morelli got his plane hijacked by Svetlana and now Sareena is on her way to Vegas to find him and Sophia.

Of course she is. I want to laugh. That stubborn little brat should’ve learned her lesson the first time she showed up in my city, uninvited. But no, she wants to play detective.

I wonder how long it’ll take before she breaks down in tears when she sees me.

I grind my teeth. “She’s gonna get herself fucking killed, and I don’t have time to worry about her tender feelings.”

Damian doesn’t argue. Just tells me they’re en route.

He, Matthew, and Vincent are bringing Luca’s jet. They tracked her flight info. Apparently, she’s got a layover in Nashville and they’re hoping to intercept her there.

They want to finish this war too.

Good. Let them come. Let’s end this the same way it started.

——————-

Gabriella

I haven’t slept yet. I’ve spent the entire day, in my room, crying. Now my eyes are red and dry, and my head is throbbing.

Everything in me feels broken. I keep replaying what happened with Maximus… and the fight with Dad. The way they both looked at me, like I was a stranger.

Now, in the dead of the night, I hear voices downstairs. It has to be both Dad and Zio Luca. Probably still discussing the shooting at the café. Or maybe… still discussing me and Maximus. About what they think he did to me.

I sit up and wipe at my face. My eyes are bloodshot and my chest feels tight, but I know what I have to do. I can’t let them keep believing he forced himself on me. I wanted Max. I threw myself at him. I have months of texts that prove it. Desperate and embarrassing, but real. They both need to hear the truth, from me.

I grab my phone and start sneaking downstairs, each step slower than the last. My heart is pounding, but I don’t stop.

Then I hear it, Sareena’s name. And then Sophia’s too. I freeze halfway down the stairs and press myself against the wall, just out of their sight.

Familia business is never discussed when the women are around. Whatever this is, it’s serious and it involves my best friends.

“That was Damian,” Zio says. “They’ve got evidence that Gino’s plane was hijacked and taken to Vegas. Svetlana and the Predatel, have both Sophia and Gino now. Sareena’s already boarded a flight and is on her way there.”

My blood turns to ice.

“So, the boys are heading to Vegas to save the day again?” Dad says, his dry laugh sharp and bitter.

“Yeah,” Zio replies. “They’re taking the jet. But they also asked to take Maximus.”

I hold my breath.

“No, Luca,” Dad says coldly. “Let them go, but not Max. You know the punishment for dishonoring our girls. I’m going to put him down myself, right after I announce Gabriella’s engagement to Darius. The Outfit will treat her better than a fucking enforcer.”

It feels like I’ve been punched in the stomach. He’s really going to kill Max. And force me to marry Darius Accolti, hands down the sleaziest bastard in the entire Outfit.

“Mario, you can’t just put Maximus down,” Zio argues. “The evidence is there. Gabriella wanted it. Mia and Julia both said she’s been plotting to jump him for weeks. And did you see how he protected her? He took a beating from me.”

My eyes sting, but I won’t let the tears fall. Zio’s trying. He’s telling the truth. But Dad won’t listen.

I take a step back. Then another. Quiet as a whisper. No one sees me. No one knows I heard.

Back in my room, I don’t cry. I pack. I’m going to Vegas.

I’ll find Sareena, help save Sophia and Gino and most of all, I’ll make sure they help me find a way to keep Maximus alive.

Because if Dad won’t accept the truth, I’ll make him. I won’t let him kill Max.

And I sure as hell won’t be marrying Darius.