Page 27 of Corrupted Pleasure

The three pulled out their chairs, and I watched as the three unbuttoned their suit jackets and sat themselves down. Jesus, did they go to school and rehearse that? Gio sat in the middle, his son to his right and his nephew to the left.

My own son and cousin sat to my left and right, respectively.

Tension crept through the room, though it didn’t bother me one bit. There was over twenty-one years of animosity between the Irish and Italians. Specifically DiLustros and Brennans. Gio fucked up when he touched my sister, and it’d be something I’d never forgive.

Gio and I held our gazes. DiLustro looked as he did twenty-two years ago - arrogant, cruel, and ruthless. That man had no humanity left. I wasn’t certain if he ever had it to begin with.

“Liam, let’s get this over with,” Gio spat out. “I don’t have a whole fucking day for this truce.”

My lips curved into a cruel smile. “And here I thought you’d cherish it, considering it was you that started this cluster fuck between our families.”

The surprise that flashed in his son’s and nephew’s eyes didn’t escape me. Though it was barely a flicker and both schooled their features immediately. Not surprising that Gio would keep the details of how this war between the Brennans and DiLustros started to himself.

He panted after my sister like a dog in heat. Everywhere she went, Gio would find himself there. When my sister rejected the man’s advances, the fucker couldn’t take it. So he shot her in the knee and killed her partner. The two had been rising stars on the ice. He destroyed all my sister’s dreams and robbed my niece of a father.

“You brought the documents?” I asked him. I didn’t want to see his ugly face for longer than I had to, anyhow.

A folder sat in front of me and we exchanged the documents. As he inspected my titles of transfer for the east side sections I owned, I examined the titles to the west side. I was tired of this constant war. And Wynter and Juliette were about to finish Yale. This was for my family. I didn’t want to worry about their safety twenty-four-seven.

After what happened, I set up Aisling and her daughter with a new identity. With help from Nico Morrelli. I trusted the man and he had incredible resources.

To everyone, Aisling Brennan died and Aisling Flemming was born. To the world, my niece was Star Flemming, an Olympic figure skater. To me, she was Wynter, a girl who I’d protect at all costs. And God, she was the mirror image of her grandmother. My sister looked like her mother. But Wynter… she had her grandmother’s laugh, her voice, her kindness. Even her mannerisms. My father came alive around her, after decades of mourning.

Little Wynter pulled him out of it.

My sister raised Wynter in California, away from all this bullshit, and I could see both were better for it. More often than not, Juliette ran to them, eager for normalcy in her life.

“Tomorrow night you pass the Eastside Club to us,” Gio gloated, convinced he won this fight.

Far from it. I was securing the long-term safety of my family. Juliette’s and Wynter’s future. We couldn’t fight the Italians and Russians. The attack three months ago highlighted that any kind of alliance between the Russians and the Italians had to be squashed. Basilio swore that it wasn’t DiLustros that attacked the club, but they wanted to focus on the Russians too.

It would seem Gio kept many secrets, even from his own son. Otherwise, Basilio would know that the Russian Pakhan was looking for clues to his daughter’s descendants. If I knew the Pakhan ways, he hoped to find a man that he’d torture any information out of on his daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter.

“Basilio will be there tomorrow to take over,” Gio drawled, unaware of my ulterior motives. Peace with Italians, so I could focus my energy against the Pakhan. “He has a way to turn anything into gold. A businessman and a ladies’ man. Just like his Papà.”

I didn’t comment. I didn’t trust myself not to reach across the table and wring Gio’s neck. There would be nothing more I’d take pleasure in than seeing the light extinguished from his eyes.

Twenty minutes later, the Italians were gone.

And still no message from my daughter or niece.

CHAPTER11

Davina

The four of us stared at the text message.

*Stupid bitches. I know it was the four of you. The cameras were on. Five hundred thousand dollars. Twenty-four hours. Bring me the money by 10 p.m. tomorrow. Or I’m going to the police.*

We sat in the Whole Foods parking lot on the Upper West Side in New York. Wynter’s bright red Jeep top was down, the four of us a mess after the fire we started in Garrett’s home mere hours ago.

Wynter had tried to extinguish it with that mini fire extinguisher Garrett had under the kitchen sink. It didn’t help. The fire was already too big, consuming and spreading. It was safe to say that the alcohol poured into it certainly didn’t help.

On the other hand, Juliette had definitely gone rogue. Whether we meant to do it or not, we were still responsible. Well Juliette and Ivy were responsible. Wynter and I were just along for the ride, so to speak. Wynter, who held her head between her hands with her forehead on the wheel and me wondering how my life had gotten so fucked up when I hadn’t done anything but trust a guy I shouldn’t have.

“I’m sorry,” Ivy cried. Her light freckles could barely be seen from the dirt on her face. “It was an accident. Maybe we can explain.”

“Explain what?” Juliette muttered, her eyes wide with shock. I guess her temporary insanity and whatever the fuck that statement meant about her parents wore off. We’d have to talk about that later. Not now. “We had matches and alcohol. We had intent.”