Page 23 of Her Wicked Promise (The Devil’s Plaything #2)
Eva
A s I hang up the phone, Leon appears in the doorway as if summoned by telepathy. I suppose after thirty years together, he can read my moods better than anyone.
“Problem?” he asks.
“I have an impromptu meeting tonight at the Golden Sands. Brie Colombo and a few…guests.” I set down my phone. “They’ve asked to see me alone, so you’ll have to wait outside the room when we get there.”
“Like hell I will.”
“This is women’s work, Leon.” I adjust the cuffs on my silk blouse, trying to pull on my usual persona, to emulate my father, the Beast of the Blacklake. “Let us take care of it.”
“Who are these guests?”
I give him a bitter smile. “The usual suspects, as they say. But if they knock me off, you have my permission to kill all of them as hard as you want.”
Leon’s scowl deepens. “They’ll be watching for weakness.”
“Then they’ll be disappointed.” I pull on my coat and smooth down my pants. “I didn’t survive this long by exposing my throat to lions.”
But even as I say it, I know tonight will be different. Because for the first time in my life, I have something—someone—worth fighting for. And one way or another, the Gattos must be destroyed to ensure her safety.
I arrive precisely on time at the Golden Sands, because punctuality is power and power is survival. A hostess shows me up, Leon glowering behind me, and I motion him to take a few steps back when we reach the usual boardroom.
“Eva. Thank you for coming at such short notice,” Brie greets me as I walk in, and I’m relieved at least to see that she, too, has no guards with her, except for Dominika, of course.
“Brie.” I nod to Dominika, deciding to be the bigger person tonight. This meeting is important. But I still can’t resist using her full name. “Dominika.”
Her jaw tightens at my use of her full name, but she doesn’t rise to the bait.
“Our other guests should be here momentarily,” Brie says, guiding me to the conference table. The setup is intimate but strategic—chairs positioned to encourage conversation while maintaining clear sight lines to all exits. “We’ve been lucky to catch everyone with a few spare hours.”
As if summoned by her words, a side door opens and a woman strolls in, wrapped in leather pants and attitude. She is tall and dark-haired, eyes a silvery gray. Her presence is magnetic, dangerous, the kind of woman who could start wars or end them with equal ease.
This, I think, must be Hadria Imperioli.
Behind her comes a more familiar face: Juno Bianchi, elegant in Valentino, her dark eyes brightening as they find mine. We embrace briefly, the gesture carrying decades of shared history.
“You’re starting to become a regular here in Vegas,” Juno says with a soft laugh. She hasn’t changed since finishing school, and as always when I see her, I’m transported momentarily to gray Swiss mornings and the sound of chapel bells.
“It’s good to see you.” I study her face, noting the contentment there, the settled happiness of a woman who’s found her place in the world. “How is your wife?”
“Wonderful. Marriage suits me.” Juno’s smile is radiant, and I feel an unexpected pang of something that might be envy. How does she balance it all—the violence and tenderness, the family business and family life? Maybe I’ll ask her later, if we both survive this meeting.
Hadria steps forward, extending a hand. Her grip is firm, assessing.
“I’ve heard a lot about you,” I say politely.
“Likewise—and none of it good.” Her smile is sharp. “Hence this meeting. I needed to see the woman behind the weapons.”
I’m unsurprised by her hostility. I had a run-in with her right-hand woman, Lyssa, over a year ago. At the time, I had no reason to care about the Styx Syndicate’s opinion of me. Now they would be very helpful allies, so I hope to change her opinion tonight.
I’ve heard more about her over the last two years, since she stepped forward to claim her title: Hades, leader of the Styx Syndicate, daughter of the Chicago Imperiolis.
She struck out on her own after her father overlooked her in favor of her younger brother.
Her kidnapping of her brother’s intended bride, before marrying the girl herself, made waves across the underworld—an amusing tale that Leon recounted to me like an old gossip.
As for Juno Bianchi, I’m glad to see her. She is a formidable force. We’ve never exactly been friends , but I like to think we have a measure of respect for each other.
We settle around the table.
Juno leans back in her chair, crossing her legs.
“Brie has told me about your intentions for the Gatto Family. As you know, I’m always on board to take down organizations that are trafficking people,” she begins, her tone conversational but her eyes deadly serious.
“My cousin Alessa has a particular interest in those operations—and their dismantling. But Eva, I need to know this isn’t you starting a problem here in America just to stir the pot. ”
She pauses, letting the words settle. I try to look as innocent as possible.
At last, she continues. “The Gattos going down will destabilize things everywhere. And that is why I’m here. It will look like a declaration of war for all involved—and for their allies. My alliance with Brie Colombo is well known. But I have no interest in a wider war.”
Juno has survived in this business by being ruthless when necessary. If she thinks I’m playing games with American stability, she’ll end me herself.
“You have my word that I’ll stand with you all,” I say, meeting each woman’s gaze in turn. “In fact, I will make it known that the Consortium will withdraw resources from anyone who opposes you and your allies.”
Hadria’s expression doesn’t change, but something flickers in her eyes.
“But why the Gattos, in particular? How did you find out about what they were doing—and how do we know you’re telling us the truth?
You’ve played every side in America for years, but always maintained your neutrality. What’s changed?”
The question cuts deeper than she knows. What’s changed is a strawberry blonde with blue eyes who looks at me like I might be worth saving. What’s changed is the realization that power and money are not enough for me anymore.
What’s changed is everything .
I hesitate, my hands curling slightly on the polished table surface. Then I take the leap.
“Someone I care about was caught up in one of the Gattos’ so-called auctions.”
The words fall into silence, though I can tell they’ve made an impact. Brie’s eyebrows rise slightly. Juno looks intrigued. Hadria’s assessment sharpens, as if she’s recalculating everything she thought she knew about me.
But it’s Dominika who breaks the silence with a sharp laugh.
“Now I know this is just another one of your games.” She leans forward, dark eyes blazing. “You expect us to believe Eva Novak cares for anything or anyone other than herself? The others might be persuaded, but you don’t fool me, Eva.”
The accusation hits its mark because it’s true—or was true, until Robin Rivers walked into my life and turned everything upside down.
I could lie, deflect, return to the imperious act that’s served me well and continued the Consortium’s dominance.
But something about this room, these women who’ve all chosen love over logic at some point, makes me want to tell the truth.
“Nik,” I begin, using her preferred name, because I need her to understand that I really have changed. “Do you remember what you said to me at the Secret Garden? You said you hoped I’d find someone I cared about more than myself one day.”
Her expression shifts, surprise replacing skepticism. She remembers that night, clearly.
“Well,” I go on, “that day has come.” I look around the table, meeting each woman’s gaze in turn.
“And I will do anything to protect her. Destroy whomever I need to destroy. To that end, I’m offering you whatever you need: weapons, money, soldiers.
Anything. The entirety of the Novak Consortium is yours to draw from. ”
The silence that follows is deafening. I’ve just offered up my life’s work, my father’s legacy, everything I’ve built and bled for.
All for a woman.
Brie’s lips curve in an amused smile. “Well. I suppose everyone here knows what it is to be a fool for love.” She glances at each of the other women, and I catch glimpses of their own stories in their expressions—Juno’s contentment, Nik’s fierce protectiveness, Hadria’s carefully guarded softness. “Thank you for your candor, Eva.”
Juno and Hadria exchange a glance that carries an entire conversation. I’m not sure I’ve convinced them, but I’ve certainly surprised them.
“We’ll let you know our thoughts,” Brie says, rising from her chair. “Thanks for dropping by.”
It’s a dismissal, polite but final. I stand as well, smoothing my clothes. The confession is over; now comes the waiting to see if it was enough.
“Ladies,” I nod to each in turn, then make my way to the door where Leon waits with barely concealed anxiety.
“How did it go?” he asks as we walk toward the elevators.
“I told them the truth,” I say simply.
Leon’s eyebrows climb toward his hairline. “And?”
I think about Robin, probably curled up in my hotel suite reading or hugging her sisters or simply existing in that bright, uncomplicated way that makes the world seem full of possibilities I’d never considered.
“We’ll see.”
The elevator arrives with a soft chime, and as we descend toward the casino floor, I find myself hoping—truly hoping—for the first time in years. Because I’ve just bet everything on love, and for once in my life, I’m happy to take a wild chance, as long as I win.
The leather seat of the armored sedan is as comfortable as ever as I slide into it, my mind buzzing. Through the tinted windows, Vegas suddenly seems less gaudy than usual. More… fun .
The driver begins to navigate the convoy through the stop-and-go traffic of the Strip.
Yes, tonight I can appreciate what Las Vegas has to offer. It gave me Robin, after all. It will be an even better city once the Gattos have been taken care of.
The thought has barely formed when the world explodes.