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Chapter Thirteen

Viktor

I don’t take Connor with me as I go to confront Dante. He just might make things worse with his reckless behavior and I need to see if I can get Julia back. I doubt Dante will tell me where Matteo is, if he even knows, but I have to try. I have to see if he’ll let anything slip.

“You can’t go to him,” Inessa says before I leave the house. “He’s going to kill you. He almost killed you at the wedding.”

I cup her face and she leans into my touch. Even though Inessa kept another secret from me about Julia, I still love her and I know she still loves me. We’ve been through so much to get to this point in our lives. Nothing will break it down.

“Dante will not kill me,” I say.

“How can you be so sure? He tried to kill you at the wedding. He would have succeeded if it weren’t for Julia. I can’t stand back and watch this happen. Take me with you. Please. If I’m there, he won’t hurt you.”

“I can’t hide behind my wife forever.”

“Everyone knows how intimidating you can be. Dante and Erik are scared of you. That’s why they want you dead. Taking me with you won’t change that. Please, Viktor. Please. If I’m there, then Dante will not shoot you.”

I give her a tender kiss. “I cannot risk your safety and you know it. Stay here.” I let her go. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in my entire life.

Because Inessa is right. There’s a good chance Dante will try to kil me but I have to do what I have to to save Julia. Nothing will stop me from that.

I arrive at Dante’s house but don’t approach it. Instead, I wait for him to leave. He will eventually. Maybe he’ll lead me right to Julia.

After a while, he walks out of his house, a frown on his face, and a franticness to his step. He doesn’t look confident like I expected him to. Did he not plan this with Matteo to steal my sister?

Or did Matteo go off book?

Is what Inessa told me the truth? That Julia and Matteo care for each other?

I push that from my mind. I can’t even entertain it.

I follow Dante all day as he goes to his many restaurants and collects money. It becomes apparent to me that he’s not going to take me to where Julia could be so I can’t do this the stealth way. I just have to do it the aggressive way.

When he’s inside one of his restaurants – a fine dining, five star place – I barge in and spot him near a table in the back. He doesn’t have any guards with him for once. There are many people dining, enjoying a nice meal. These people give him safety.

They give me safety too.

I approach his table and Dante doesn’t even look up at me.

“I was wondering when you’d come in,” he murmurs. “I figured you would follow me. So sit down.” He motions to the seat across from him. “Let’s talk.”

I take my place across from him. “You won’t shoot me?”

“Not as long as you don’t shoot me.” He finally meets my eyes. “You want to know where Julia is.”

“Of course. You know, don’t you.” It’s not a question.

Dante sighs and leans back in his seat. “We could have had peace. We made a deal and you broke it over a year ago. Why couldn’t you just have peace with us, Viktor?”

“Because you made a fool out of me. And I don’t take kindly to being made a fool of.

First, you kidnapped Nadia right out from under me.

Then your man Aiden did the same with Elena.

And lastly, your man Elio thought I stole his daughter when it was just Finn causing chaos.

And now Finn works with you again. How lucky for you.

I keep getting fucked over time and time again. I can’t stand for that.”

“I get that. I really do,” he adds when I scoff. “But this war will never end. Not unless you put aside your pride.”

“Don’t lecture me. Your man kidnapped my sister. Do not fucking lecture me.”

He holds his hands up. “Sorry, sorry. But Viktor, do you realize that this could be a chance for peace?”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“We marry Julia and Matteo together. Simple as that. A marriage alliance has always been something we’ve done to forge peace between warring families. Let’s do it here.”

“I am not giving my sister to Matteo. He kidnapped her. He’ll fucking hurt her.” It’s what I have to keep telling myself because the alternative is not something I want to consider.

“I happen to know for a fact that Matteo cares for Julia. He didn’t want to attack her wedding. He only wanted to save her from Connor.”

I scoff. “From Connor? He was jealous.”

“He told me he was worried Connor would hurt her.”

“I’m not going to believe the word of the man who kidnapped my sister over the man who’s an ally. I’m just not.” But I can’t help but wonder if that’s the reason Julia never wanted to marry him. Was she afraid of Connor? And if so, why did she never tell me?

No, it can’t be true because I need him right now. He’s out there looking for Matteo as we speak. He’ll kill Matteo on sight if he gets the chance.

“Fair enough,” Dante says. “But just know that while I think Matteo was stupid for kidnapping your sister, I can’t deny that he cares for her.”

“If he cares for her, then he never should have done what he did. She’s probably scared and waiting for me to come and save her.”

The look Dante gives me is one I hate – it’s full of fucking pity. “I could easily shoot you right now.”

“And I could do the same.”

“But then we’d both go down for murder. In a room full of people, there’s no hiding what we’ve done. We’re not innocent men, Viktor.”

“But Julia is an innocent. She doesn’t deserve this.”

“I can try to convince Matteo to let her go. If I do that, you have to promise not to kill him.”

“I can’t promise that.”

He sighs. “Viktor, come on. If I bring Julia safely home to you, will you consider making peace then? Stopping this war?”

“We’ll never trust each other. You know that. What’s been done cannot be repaired.”

“It could be. With a wedding.”

I glare at him. “I am not going to allow Julia to marry Matteo. I am not.”

“I had to put it out there one more time. But fine. I’ll bring Julia back home to you and leave Matteo out of it. It’s the least you can promise. Besides, I think when you talk to your sister, you’ll find that she doesn’t want Matteo dead.”

“Why does everyone keep thinking they know my sister better than I do?”

“You’re too close to her. You care too much. You can’t see it from an outside perspective.”

“So because I care for Julia, I can’t see her for who she really is?” I scoff. “You’re full of bullshit.”

“I’m just saying. You should know something before you go. I would have killed Julia at her wedding if it weren’t for Matteo. He’s the only reason your sister is alive right now. Consider that.”

Dante’s words shock me to my core. That cannot be. Matteo cannot be the ‘good guy’ here. Not when he kidnapped my sister.

No. I will get Julia back and I will kill Matteo and she will marry Connor and I will have power and nothing can change that. Nothing.

I leave the restaurant without any blood being shed.

Julia

Matteo and I lie in bed with each other, still half-naked, but not touching.

We’re going to be married and then we’ll finally take our relationship to another level.

Call me old-fashioned but waiting for my wedding night is something that was drilled into me from a young age. I’m glad Matteo is respecting that.

“So, we’re going to get married tomorrow?” he asks, twining our hands together. It’s the only part of us we’re allowing to touch. If we do anything more, we might take things too far before the wedding.

“Yes.” I know this is right. Even though Viktor won’t be there to walk me down the aisle, I have to do this. This will be my one and only chance to marry Matteo. Even if things end in misery, at least I know I did something to follow my heart instead of trying to make everyone else happy.

“It will just be you and me. No family. Are you ok with that?”

My heart dims a little. “I mean, I’m sad Viktor and Inessa won’t be there but I don’t have a choice, do I? And what about you? You won’t have any of your family there.”

“My only family is my job. Dante and some other friends. Once my mom died, it was just me, on my own. I ended up getting into some gangs and eventually, that’s how I met Dante.

He offered me a job and we became friends ever since then.

Would I like having him there? Of course.

But I don’t need him there. I’ve always been slightly on my own.

” He cups my face. “But you’re different.

You have your brother and sister-in-law.

I don’t want to deprive you of them being there. ”

“In an ideal world, we would have my brother’s blessing but I know Viktor.

He’ll never give it. He’ll want to keep me locked up in my tower forever.

He means well but he’ll never let me live.

So if I have to create space between me and Viktor to be with you, then I’ll do it.

I’ll do anything to be with you, Matteo. I love you.”

He sucks in a quick breath. “I love you too.”

“We’re like Romeo and Juliet. Opposites side of a feuding family but we still managed to find love.”

“Let’s just hope our story doesn’t end tragically like theirs does.”

I shiver at the thought. “Promise me you’ll always try to stay alive. I’m not worried about me. Viktor will never try to kill me. But you? You’re more at risk of dying. Don’t die and then make me have to stab myself because I can’t live without you.”

“We’re not a story written centuries ago, Julia. We’re not destined for tragedy. We can have happiness. I believe it.”

“But how? We’re hiding out in this house. We can’t hide forever and I don’t want to anyway. I’m tired of sneaking around and hiding in the shadows with you. I want to be out in the open with you.”

His eyes turn soft and make my stomach flutter. He’s always good at that. “I want that too. But we have to be smart about this. Tensions are high right now. We can’t go public until things calm down.”