Page 58 of Dark Desires

I swallow hard, the knot in my stomach tightening. My mind races. Omar didn’t seem like a guy caught up in cartel business—he seemed sweet, normal. But then, sweet, normal guys don’t usually have Christian de la Rosa as a father.

Before I can press Mario further, the SUV suddenly jerks to a stop. A sleek black car pulls across our path, blocking the road. My heart jumps into my throat as two men step out, dressed in sharp suits, their expressions unreadable.

Shit. Not again. Are these more of Christian’s men coming to finish the job?

No. They’re tall men with dark hair and blue eyes—Ivanov people, through and through.

“It’s Alexei’s people,” Mario confirms, already reaching for the door handle. “Stay here.”

“What’s going on?”

“No goddamn idea.”

One of the suited men approaches, leaning down to the window. “Miss Mancini,” he says, “Mr. Plushenko requests your presence immediately.”

“You’re serious?” I ask. “He’s just going to fetch me like some servant?”

The man doesn’t respond, just gestures toward their car. Mario stands by, looking torn between intervening and following orders.

“You’re under no obligation to talk to him,” he says. “Say the word, and I’ll send them off.”

“Mr. Plushenko says it’s important,” one of the men adds.

I sigh. “Fine. Mario, tell Dad I’m with Alexei’s men.”

“Got it,” he replies.

With that, I open the door and step out, and the two men flank me. We head to the car, and one of the men opens the door for me. I slide into the back seat.

The ride is silent, the tension suffocating, and when we pull up to Ivanov Holdings, my nerves are already shot.

I’m escorted to an office where Alexei is standing by his desk, his jacket off, his sleeves rolled up. He looks every bit the intimidating mob boss.

“Care to explain why you were meeting with Christian de la Rosa?” he asks.

“Care to explain why your people are stopping me in the middle of the street and demanding I come with them?” I shoot back, crossing my arms. “How did you even know that I met him?”

“Because the Ivanovs have been tailing De la Rosa for the last week. Imagine my surprise when you ended up in the same building.”

“You could’ve called me to have this meeting, you know. That is, unless you were somehow determined to make me relieve the trauma of the last time a car pulled in front of me like that.”

Alexei doesn’t smile. Instead, he gestures to the chair across from his desk.

“Sit.”

I don’t like being ordered around, but I sit anyway.

“It wasn’t a meeting,” I start. “I went to see someone I know. It ended up being Christian’s son.”

Confusion spreads across Alexei’s face. “I don’t get it. You went to visit Christian’s son? But you didn’tknowhe was his son?”

Shit. I decide the only way forward is honesty.

“He’s the guy Stephania is in love with.”

He raises an eyebrow, but he doesn’t appear hurt or betrayed in the slightest. I didn’t think that Alexei was actually into Stephania, but his muted reaction to this little bombshell answered the question anyway.

“Stephania’sin lovewith him?”