Page 32 of Dark Desires (Chicago Bratva #1)

ALEXEI

T he gates of the Mancini mansion open slowly as my car approaches.

I pull into the driveway, rolling to a stop in front of the house. My phone buzzes on the seat next to me. It’s a text from Yuri: Omar’s on the plane. All set. I’m on standby for the girl.

Good. One part of this plan is in motion, but it’s the easy part. The rest? The part where I negotiate with a man who might prefer me dead, try and convince him to send his niece halfway across the world?

That’s going to be more complicated.

I pocket the phone, killing the engine. As soon as I step out of the car, the Mancini guards close in. They’ve always been wary of me, but tonight, there’s something more.

It’s like I’m being treated as an enemy.

“Relax,” I say. “I’m here to chat.”

One of them jerks his head toward the door. They don’t speak. They don’t have to. Their body language speaks loud and clear.

I follow them inside, my boots echoing against the polished marble floors. The house is eerily quiet, like it’s holding its breath. By the time we reach the den, I’ve counted six guards.Six guns trained on me, even if they haven’t drawn them yet.

Domenico Mancini waits in his usual spot, seated in a leather chair. A glass of whiskey rests in his hand, his expression unreadable as he watches me step inside.

He doesn’t rise, doesn’t greet me.

“Domenico,” I look around. “Where’s Stephania? We have business to discuss.”

He sets the glass down and leans back.

“She’s safe. Here, in the mansion, where she’ll stay.”

The way he says it sends alarms ringing in my head. Something’s wrong. My gaze sweeps the room, catching the way the guards subtly shift.

“What’s going on? This meeting was about Stephania, and she’s not here. What is this, Domenico?”

He doesn’t flinch. “What’s going on, Alexei, is that I’m doing what any father would do, protecting his daughter.”

My muscles tense.

“From what? From me?”

Domenico rises slowly, his gaze never leaving mine. The guards close in, tightening their circle.

“Yes, from you. From the man Christian de la Rosa wants in exchange for her life.”

My mind races, anger boiling.

“You honestly think giving me to De la Rosa will bring her back? You think he’ll just hand her over like it’s a fair deal?”

Domenico steps closer, his expression hardening. “I don’t trust him. But I can’t take the chance of doing nothing. My daughter’s life is at stake.”

“This is a mistake,” I reply. “You give me to him, and you’ll lose more than an alliance. You’ll lose everything. And you think a man like him is going to play fair? Domenico, he wants to destroy you and the Bratva. Isabella’s your heir—you really believe he’s going to hand her back?”

I see a flicker hesitation in his eyes. He knows I’m right. But he also knows he can’t risk calling De la Rosa’s bluff. His jaw tightens, and he motions to the guards.

“Take him.”

They step forward, their hands going to their weapons. My heart pounds, not with fear, but with raw, unrelenting fury.

If they think I’m going to roll over and let this happen, they don’t know me at all.

“Come on, Alexei,” Mario says, his palms open as he steps toward me. “No need to make this hard.”

My eyes are on him, but I catch sight of another guard rushing in from my right. I turn quickly, pulling my fist back and landing it hard into his stomach. He lets out an ooof , doubling over and collapsing.

That’s all the signal the rest of the guards need. They all swarm, coming in from all angles.

“Don’t kill him!” Mario shouts. “We need him alive!”

I turn toward another guard, landing a quick jab to the face. He stumbles backward, and I turn to take on the rest.

“Enough, Alexei!” Domenico shouts, his voice booming over the din.

A hand claps down on my shoulder, and I turn to see Mario pulling back his fist, driving it forward.

Ouch.

The blow lands, and I drop to my knees. The world’s spinning, and I can already sense the warm trickle of blood down my nose.

“Didn’t want to have to do that,” Mario says. “But you didn’t give me a choice.”

“Take him to the room on the third floor,” Domenico says. “I’ll let Christian know we have him.”

With that, the guards grab me and drag me up the stairs to whatever bedroom they have ready for my imprisonment.

With a shove, I’m pushed inside.

The door slams shut behind me. I’m locked in.

It’s a prison disguised as a luxury suite. I can’t help but find it grimly amusing that I’m now in the same position Isabella’s been in so many times—locked in a room, trapped, needing to get away.

Only this time, there’s no easy way out.

I pace back and forth, trying to force the fury down, but it’s hard. Anger burns in my chest, but I have to keep my head. If I can’t get out of here, then everything falls apart.

All the planning, all the sacrifice—it’s a bust.

I hear footsteps approaching the door. I stop, tense, ready to react. The door opens, and there’s Stephania. The last person I thought I’d see.

She enters, shutting the door behind her

Her face is a mask of controlled emotion, but her eyes—they betray her. The relief in them when she sees me isn’t something she’s trying to hide.

“Alexei,” she says. “Are you okay?”

I manage a half-smile. “Yeah. I’m fine. Not the most productive meeting with your uncle, but I’m still in one piece.”

She chuckles, but there’s no real humor in it. “It’s not like we planned for any of this. You know that, right?”

“Yeah. You didn’t plan for me to be here.” I let out a sigh, leaning against the bed frame. “But here I am.”

Her gaze softens, and she steps closer. “You shouldn’t have come. You should’ve stayed away.”

“Would you have wanted me to?” I ask, cocking my head. I can’t help but push a little. “Would you have just let them lock me up without a fight?”

She sighs, looking down, then back at me. “No, I couldn’t. But now everything’s a mess.”

“You think I don’t know that?” I snap. “They’ve got plans, and none of them involves us walking out of here free. Domenico’s about to make the worst fucking deal of his life, and Isa’s going to be the one to pay for it.”

Stephania shakes her head, her eyes flickering toward the door as if she’s waiting for someone to burst in at any second.

“I need to get out,” I say. “And you need to help me.”

“You’re not going to get out, Alexei. Not with Domenico here.”

“Stephania,” I say, my tone softer now. “I’m going to tell you something, and it’s important. It’s about Isabella.”

Her brow furrows as she looks at me. “Isabella? What do you mean?”

“She’s pregnant and I’m the father.”

Stephania’s eyes widen in shock. “She’s what? ” She pauses for a moment. “Wait, she’s been dressing in super-baggy clothes recently and has been really cagey in general. It all makes sense now. She didn’t tell me.”

“I figured as much.” I cross my arms, watching her closely. “But I’m telling you now. It’s true. And it changes everything.”

She sighs, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“I knew something was going on between you two. I could tell.”

“Yeah. We didn’t plan it, and it happened just before our engagement was set. I’m sorry, Stephania.”

“I guess you’re lucky I’m head-over-heels for someone else.”

I nod. “I never wanted it to be this way. But now... she and I, we’re tied together in more ways than one.”

She’s quiet for a while, sitting in a chair by the window, and I let the silence hang between us. It’s clear she’s processing everything, but there’s a part of me that’s hoping—praying—that she’s going to see what I’m trying to do here.

“Stephania, listen.” I take a deep breath, trying to keep myself calm, focused. “I’ve spoken to Omar.”

This gets her attention. “Omar? Is he OK?”

“He’s fine. Right now, he’s out of the country.”

“Where?” she shoots to her feet.

“I can’t tell you.”

“What? Why not?”

“Because Christian can’t know where he is. Omar is the linchpin of his plan. If he can’t find him, then this is all for nothing.”

She nods, getting it. “And you’re worried that if you tell me, and Christian manages to get ahold of me…” Stephania trails off.

“That’s right. But the plan is to send you to him. He’s already gone through with his side of the plan. I came here to get you to do the same.”

Her expression darkens slightly. “Well, here I am. Tell me. What’s the plan?”

I move closer to her. “Domenico’s about to give me up to Christian. And once that happens, it’s over for me. You’re another story.”

“Go on.”

“You know how good Isabella is at breaking out?”

She laughs. “I’ve heard a thing or two.”

“Well, now it’s your job to be the escape artist. You need to get out of here and get in touch with Yuri, my brother.” I spot a pen and notepad on the desk and go over and write down Yuri’s number. I come back over to Stephania and place the paper in her hand.

“Yuri. And then what?”

“He’ll take you to the airport and put you on a plane. You’ll see Omar at the end of it.”

“And what about you? Why can’t you come with us?”

“I’m walking into the lion’s den,” I say. “I have to go there to get Isabella. I’ll figure out the how when I’m there. And with Christian and your father occupied with that, it’ll be the perfect chance for you to escape.”

A few beats of silence pass, and for a moment, I worry she’ll tell me no.

“I’ll do it. But you have to promise me you’ll save my cousin and the baby. You have to promise me you’ll stay alive for them.”

A knock sounds at the door, and it opens. Mario’s on the other side.

“Time’s up, Steph,” he says. “Come on, your uncle finds out that I let you talk to him, and he’ll have my ass.”

“I have to go,” Stephania says. “I’ll do it. I’ll do what you ask.

“I’ll come back,” I say, “with your family.”

She looks at the paper in her hand, and then, with one final nod, she leaves.