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Connor is up in his private booth, drinking away and laughing like he doesn’t have a care in the fucking world. I see him kiss a woman next to him. Fucker. He’s going to marry Julia and already he’s sleeping with other women.

Granted, Julia is technically cheating on him with me but she doesn’t want this marriage. Connor does.

“We’re going to bring him into my office,” Dante says.

The reality is that I know that Connor is somewhat onto us. It’s the reason he wanted to attack this club with Viktor. But Dante doesn’t know any of that because he doesn’t know the real reason Viktor came to the club and that I stopped an attack from happening.

Dante calls one of his guards on his phone. “Bring Connor Barry to my office. If he tries to fight, knock him out.” Dante motions for me to follow him. I’m worried that Connor is going to attack before we can kill him.

I’m also worried he’s going to tell Dante the truth about me and Julia.

Before we reach the hallway to Dante’s office, I see movement out of the corner of my eye. Connor is trying to run from the guard trying to grab him.

“He’s running,” I murmur to Dante.

“I figured. He must have known coming back here was a risk if he’s working with Viktor.”

“Or he just thought we’d ever go after him.”

Connor manages to punch the guard in the face and run past him down the stairs.

“Stop him,” Dante tells me and I run after Connor to the back door. He makes it outside before I can grab the back of his jacket.

“Stop,” I growl, shoving him to the ground. He rolls onto his back and stares up at me. I take out my gun, ready to kill him.

“So, this is it, isn’t it, Matteo? You think you can steal my girl?”

“I’m going to kill you because you’re working with Viktor. No other reason.”

“No other reason, huh?”

Dante barges through the back door. “Good. You have him. Kill him.”

“Don’t I get any final last words?” Connor asks.

“No,” I growl.

“What about Julia?” He flicks his eyes to Dante. “Do you know that your man here likes her?”

Dante freezes. “What is he talking about, Matteo?”

“Nothing. He’s just trying to get under your skin. He needs to die.”

Dante holds up his hand. “He could have information for us that we could use against Viktor.” He crouches down next to Connor.

“We’ll let you live if you tell us what Viktor’s next plan is.

I know he came here to my club. I was fortunate not to be there that night.

Or unfortunate depending on how you want to look a it.

So, tell me, Connor, what is Viktor planning? ”

“To become the most powerful man in New York.”

“And he wants you to marry his sister? That’s why you were on a date with her.”

“Yes. Because there’s no way else to be close to Julia. Viktor guards her like a hawk.” He sets his eyes onto me. “Or does he, Matteo?”

Dante huffs. “What the fuck is he talking about?”

“Nothing,” I snap. “He’s just trying to be an asshole.”

“What is Viktor planning?” Dante asks Connor, grabbing his shirt and pulling him close to his face. “Tell me.”

“You’re just going to kill me anyway.”

“We can make it slow or fast. Your choice.”

“I prefer slow.” And in one quick motion, Connor whips a knife out of his pocket and jams it towards Dante’s face.

Dante only manages to not get hit by jerking back at the last second.

In my shock, I hesitate and that gives Connor the chance to stand up and run away. I shoot at him but my bullets miss.

“Go!” Dante shouts at me and I take off running after Connor.

He’s down the street by the time I turn the corner. I use all my strength and speed to try and reach him but it’s fucking pointless. I can’t reach him.

He gets into a car and takes off down the street.

Damn it! How the fuck did Connor elude our clutches? I’m off my game and I know it’s because of Julia.

I go back to Dante, who’s still on his knees, breathing heavy. “You ok?”

“Did you kill him?”

“No. He escaped. I’m sorry.”

“We’ll just get him next time.”

“Dante, why do you look so freaked?”

“I almost had a knife jammed into my eye a moment ago.”

I hold out my hand and help pull him up. “But you never look afraid.”

“I have more to lose now, Matteo. Nadia and our future baby. I could have died and… it rattled me. I was being reckless. I just assumed we were more powerful than Connor. I never expected him to be so fucking scrappy.”

“He’s Irish. What do you expect?” I put my gun away. “I’m sorry I couldn’t catch him.”

“What was he talking about?”

“What?”

“About you and Julia. He kept making comments about you two. Why would Connor make comments about you and Viktor’s sister?”

I shrug, trying to play it cool even though my heart is fucking pounding. “I have no idea.”

“He seemed like he really knew you.”

“We met that day at Coney Island. But we didn’t really talk.”

“It just seemed like he really knew you.”

“Maybe he’s seen me around the club. I don’t know. I just know that I doubt Connor will be back to the club anytime soon.”

Dante huffs, running his hand down his face. “And we just lost our second fucking chance to put a dent in Viktor’s armor. We could have killed him if we were at the club the night he was there. I can’t believe I fucking missed it. All because you convinced me to stay home with Nadia.”

“It might have saved your life. Think of it like that. Connor got away but hopefully that will spook him and it will spook Viktor and they’ll mess up and we can take advantage of it.”

“I guess. I just don’t understand why he kept mentioning you and Julia in the same sentence together.”

“It’s nothing. I have no idea what he was talking about. He was probably trying to put a wedge between us.”

“You’re right.” Even though Dante drops the subject, he keeps looking at me like he’s waiting for me to confess something. But there is no way I am confessing to anything when it comes to Julia. She is my secret and she’ll stay my secret until I know things are safe for her.

Viktor

Connor storms into my home office after one of my guards lets him inside. “Matteo and Dante just tried to kill me.”

I sit up straighter. “What?”

“They just tried to kill me. I was at Dante’s club and -,”

I hold up my hand. “Why were you at Dante’s club?”

“To gain any information I could. They didn’t know we were working together. I thought it would be safe. It wasn’t.”

“Why would you assume they didn’t know we were working together? Didn’t you run into Erik and Matteo on your date with Julia?”

“We did but I didn’t think that they knew who I was. Matteo and I have met before but…”

I sigh. “Don’t be reckless and stupid, Connor. I don’t like that in a partner. If you’re going to act this way then…”

“Then what?”

“Then I’m not sure I want you marrying my sister. Not if you’re going to take risks like this.”

Anger courses over his face. “But you promised to marry her to me.”

“Only if you proved yourself useful to me and so far, you haven’t. Find me a way to get close to either Dante or Matteo or Erik so I can kill one of those fuckers. And then I’ll let you marry my sister.”

Connor thinks on it a moment before he nods. “I might have a way.”

“Good. Now go and come back to me with a plan.” I shake my head the moment Connor is gone. Why is it so hard to kill Dante and Erik? Those fuckers are going to drive me to insanity and I can already feel like I’m losing a part of myself in the process.

Julia

I have the unfortunate luck to run into Connor in the hallway as he leaves my brother’s office. “Connor. I didn’t know you would be here today.” All I can think about is Matteo’s mouth between my legs. How good he made me feel. How we never should have done any of that.

I try to hide my blush but I’m sure it’s all over my face. And so is my guilt.

Connor narrows his eyes at me right before he grabs my wrist and pulls me down the hallway.

“Ow,” I whimper, trying to pull free but he’s holding on too tight.

“Your boyfriend just tried to kill me today.”

“Boyfriend? What? What are you talking about? Let me go.”

Connor ignores me and instead, only tightens his hold.

“I know you have something going on with Matteo. You were spotted at a hotel together. I saw the way you looked at him when we were on our date. Our date. Yours and mine. Not his. I saw you leave the club with him that first day we met. I know something is going on.”

“Nothing is going on.”

“But what? Are you seeing him in secret? A love affair? Or are you feeing him intel about your brother? Is that why my plan to kill Dante and Matteo failed?”

“What plan?” Except I know exactly which one.

“The one Viktor had planned to attack Dante’s club. Dante and Matteo weren’t there that night. Why weren’t they?”

“Bad luck? Please just let me go.”

Somehow, he tightens his grip even more. “Why would Dante and Matteo come after me? Why try to kill me?”

“Because you’re working with my brother?”

“Sure. That’s one reason. But I think there’s another. Does Matteo not want us to marry? Is it personal? Is that why he wants me dead?”

“What are you talking about? Just let me go, Connor. Please.”

Finally, he flings my arm back at me. My wrist feels tender and sore. Bruises are already forming.

“Have you been meeting Matteo in secret?”

“No!”

“Have you?” he seethes. Spit flies from his mouth.

“No. I haven’t.” I will not cower to Connor. He will not take what Matteo and I have.

His eyes trace my face, looking for any sign that I may be lying. Of course I’m lying but he’ll never know that.

He huffs, stepping back. “Fine. Maybe you’re not. But something is going on here. Matteo knows too much. I can feel it in my gut. And I think it’s because of you.”

“I am not talking to Matteo in secret.” Just doing other things with him… “If you try to hurt me again, I’ll tell my brother about this.”

“If you try to tell your brother I hurt your wrist, then I am going to tell him that Matteo did that to you during one of your secret meetings. He’ll believe me because I can tell him all about your little adventure out to Dante’s club. You may be able to lie to me but can you lie to your brother?”

I inhale sharply. Viktor caught me the other night sneaking back inside.

He seemed to believe my lie of just needing to get some fresh air but will he believe me again if I say that Connor is lying?

Inessa also knows I’ve been sneaking out to see Matteo.

She might eventually tell Viktor the truth if I wait too long.

Connor has the upper hand here. If I want to keep Matteo safe, then I cannot tell Viktor about Connor hurting me. But by not going to Viktor, I am essentially telling Connor that he is right. That I do have something going on with Matteo in secret.

Connor smirks when I can’t give him an answer. “Thought so.” He nods to my wrist. “You might want to ice that. I would hate for it to swell.”

All I can do is clutch my hurt hand to my chest and watch Connor leave, knowing he holds all the cards.