Page 3 of Darkest Desire

My mom did teach me and Natalya how to shoot after we turned eighteen so I do know how to use a gun.

But since I don’t have a gun, that skill is currently pointless.

“I think she’s happy,” Ana says. “I saw the love in her eyes when she looked at her husband.”

“We don’t talk about him either,” Denis snaps. He hates Mikhail because Mikhail used to work with my father. And Denis hates everyone who had a connection to my dad. It makes him feel inferior.

I tuck a piece of my brown hair behind my ear. It hangs limp around my shoulders. Normally I’d curl it for my birthday but Denis hasn’t allowed anything in our home that could act as a weapon.

“I want to talk about him,” I say, unable to help myself. The smugness in Denis – the way he acts like he owns us – gets under my skin. “I wish I was living with him and Natalya over you. And Natalya and I were never that close so that’s saying something.”

“Do you want me to hurt Irina again?” he challenges.

That makes me close my mouth. Now that I’m the biggest sister in the house, I have to be responsible for my sisters. I can’t run my mouth off, even though I desperately want to chew Denis out.

A knock at the door makes me tense.

“Ah, there he is.” Denis leaves the living room, giving my family just a moment of respite.

“Mom, what am I going to do?” I whisper, hating how scared I sound but I am scared. There’s no denying it. What if Denis marries me off to an abusive man?

“You’re going to sit with your head held high,” she says. “You’re not going to show any fear. Don’t give Denis what he wants.”

Denis and his guest enter the living room. The sight of the mystery man makes all the air leave my body. I know this man. I’ve seen him only once before but that memory has been cemented in my mind since it happened.

Nico Bernardi. Head of the Italian Mafia.

Denis tried to force Natalya to marry an Irish mobster, Cillian Kennedy, about a year ago. Until Mikhail showed up to stop the wedding with Nico beside him. Nico shot Cillian like it was nothing.

Last I heard, Mikhail shot Nico in the back since they were never friends. Only ever enemies. Nico obviously survived.

The two of us never spoke but I remember him. How can I forget the scary, intimidating, shockingly handsome, mafia man?

Who’s now going to be my… husband?

“Everyone, this is Nico,” Denis introduces.

Nico is disarmingly handsome. Brown hair and eyes, stubble that’s just right, broad shoulders, and a power in his eyes that speaks to his strength. At least I won’t find my future husband ugly.

Too bad I’m terrified of him.

“You can’t be serious,” I blurt out.

“Sasha,” Denis snaps.

“He’s at war with Mikhail. I can’t marry a man who’s at war with my own sister’s husband. That would mean me and Natalya would be at war.”

“You’re already at war with her,” Denis says. “When she left, she made it clear she didn’t belong to this family anymore. Now, don’t be rude to our guest. Nico, that is Sasha.”

Nico laughs. How can he find any of this amusing? “I remember Sasha. Nice to see you again.”

“I can’t say the same.”

“Sasha!” Denis snaps.

“Are you going to hurt Irina again? Or Ana this time?” I cross my arms when Nico extends his hand out to me. “I’m not going to sit here and pretend to be happy about this. I saw this man shoot another man right in the head without blinking. He is not a good man. I do not want to be married to him.”

Nico shoves his hands into his pockets. “I’m afraid you don’t really get a choice.”