Page 90 of Brutal Heir

He shakes his head slowly, clucking his tongue like she’s a disobedient child. “See, that’s the problem with you girls. You think debts are about money. But you owe me more than that.” He leans in closer, voice dropping to a whisper that still slithers through the mic. “You owe me silence. And if you don’t want your little sister getting hurt, I suggest you remember who you’re dealing with.”

I can feel more than see Alessandro’s entire body tense beside me.

That arsehole is threatening her. Not just her, her family.

“I’m not scared of you,” Sienna hisses. I can practically hear the tremor in her voice. She’s terrified. But she’s trying to stand her ground.

Who the hell is this guy?

Jace just smirks. “You should be.” He glances around, then drops something small and metallic on the table in front of her. A flash drive. “Get me the information I need on Gemini Corp. Tomorrow. Or I make that cute little sister of yours disappear.”

Sienna’s face drains of color. “You wouldn’t.”

Jace grins wider. “Try me.”

The screen goes blurry for a second as Alessandro lunges to his feet, rage flooding his system like gasoline to an open flame. He slams his hand down on the desk and barks into the intercom.

“Vincent, lock down the lounge. Now.”

“Boss?”

“Now.”

Icy fury descends over Alessandro’s features, and an unexpected swirl of heat reignites between my legs as I watch him towering over me. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, how does this turn me on?

“Thatbastardois about to learn what happens when you threaten my home, my kingdom.”

CHAPTER 35

WHOLE

Alessandro

Pacing around the master bedroom like a caged animal, I hiss out another volley of Italian expletives, cursing out the entire staff at the Velvet Vault and everyone they’ve ever known. How the fuck did Jace Morello manage to slip through my fingertips last night?

One minute he was threatening Sienna on the VIP level and the next, he’d jumped over the railing, dropped into the middle of the dancefloor and disappeared in the masses while my security team just sat there holding their dicks in their hands.

At least Matteo had been able to give us a positive ID on the man. Jace Morello is a rising enforcer in La Spada Nera, a brutal Brooklyn-based gang known for extortion, underground fight clubs, and trafficking.

All in all, a hell of a guy.

I’m familiar with the up-and-coming gang who’d been trying to edge in on the Gemini’s territory for a while now, specifically into the nightclubs and bars. Their leader, Vincenzo Carbone,was a former Gemini foot soldier who went rogue. Up until now, they were insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but if they sent Morello in here, it’s clear they’re trying to raise the stakes.

But what is their end game?

If I hadn’t been so worried about getting Rory out of there last night, I would have stayed to question Sienna myself. Instead, I left her interrogation up to Vincent. And the incompetentbastardostill hasn’t gotten back to me with what he discovered. What sort of trouble had she gotten herself into? Sienna has been waitressing at the Vault for almost two years now and has been nothing but hard-working, not to mention loyal. How could she be the one behind the theftandthe murder?

“Alessandro?” A soft knock at the adjoining door sends my head whirling over my shoulder.

“What?” I bark.

Rory opens the door, her wild auburn locks piled on top of her head in a messy bun. Soft tendrils fall across her face, completing the sexy, sleep-tousled look.Merda, I was so pissed off about losing Jace last night, I nearly forgot how close I’d come to finally claiming Rory as mine.

Dio, if she hadn’t seen Sienna and Jace skulking in the shadows of the VIP floor, I could have spent the night fucking the woman I was crazy about instead of wallowing in anger and self-pity.

“Did you find out who that guy was?”

I nod.