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Another thwack broke across my skin. That one clipped Iosif’s arm. He jerked back.

“He threatened my sister!” Iosif protested.

“I don’t care!” his mother shouted. “Get off of each other—now!”

Maybe it was the matronly tone, maybe it was some spike of sympathy for my cousin’s plight. Iosif was a valiant fighter, but he was no match for me.

I peeled myself off him, crouching on the gravel and breathing hard. I glared at both of my cousins. “The syndicate comes first. Any risk to the organization comes with strict penalties—you both know that. But, luckily for our little Evangelia, I married the outsider. So Serena’s actions with that knowledge are on me.”

“Serena found out all by herself,” Evangelia pleaded. “It wasn’t me.”

“Then you should have told me,” I barked.

The poor girl flinched.

“But!” I held up my hand to silence her. “This stays between us. Do you understand?”

Both my cousins stared at me.

So I added more incentive. “If the rest find out, Evawillbe in trouble. We’ll protect them both with our silence.”

I stuck out my hand.

Spitting on the ground, Iosif reached out and slapped his palm against mine. “You can count on my silence.”

The broomstick snapped across my forearm, and then just as quickly hit Iosif’s.

“And if I catch you two fighting like this again, you’ll both be sorry,” my aunt snarled.

A flicker of pride shimmered through the darker emotions. I had to hand it to my aunt, she was fearless, even if she was five-foot-two. My mother had been the same way. The women in our family always seemed capable of cutting the males down to size with just a look—or in this case, a broom.

Serena might not have been born Greek, but she had that same fire.

Which made her perfect to rule this dangerous kingdom at my side.

“I need to get back to Tampa,” I said, rolling my shoulder where the broomstick had connected.

“We’ll see you later,” Dorothea dismissed me. “Give Serena our love.”

With a nod, I rose and left, excited at the new aspect of my life.

Chapter 22 – Serena

A gasp left my lips as I sat up sharply in bed. The light from across the room was harsh against the heavy darkness. Heart pounding in my chest, I looked wildly about. Everything was sleek and modern. Gunmetal greys, matte blacks, and glints of chrome created a bland landscape.

His condo.

Those two words sent me dropping back on the mattress, relief sweetening my veins, but it wasn’t strong enough to chase away the tendrils of horror from the dream. I wasn’t being kidnapped by our enemies. Markos’s home was safe—for me.

The determination that kept me awake—and pacing—for most of the night came rushing back to the forefront of my mind. How dare he trap me into a marriage! I liked Markos, enough to enjoy his kisses and want something more. But he took things to an impossible level when he blackmailed me into this ultimatum.

There was one thing I knew for certain: It was time to get even. I was a daughter of the mob, and I would exact my revenge.

Markos will pay for his sins.

I stared at the ceiling, thoughts of what that vengeance looked like dancing through my mind. No solid plan had formed, but the best strategies took time to develop. I wasn’t in a hurry. The minutes ticked by until I could no longer stand the silence. As I padded to the bathroom, I realized with a pang what was missing. There were no crashing waves, which had been a constant comfort back at the cottage.

Once I was done, I peeped behind the curtains only to be blasted by the morning sun. “Crap, I slept in.”