Page 24 of His to Keep (Reluctant Vows #6)

E ilidh

The tension in the room is palpable as I take a seat on the sofa.

Gio sits next to me while Lorenzo positions himself behind us, leaning against the wall.

Although Adan and Gio have both put their weapons away, Lorenzo holds his gun by his side.

He doesn’t trust the Russian. Neither of the men do.

I guess they’ve both run into problems with the Bratva before.

Semion Barevsky aside, I haven’t met many members of the Russian Mafia.

While I can’t say I trust Adan fully, I don’t get a bad vibe off him.

“Rosalia, why don’t you go and help with the coffee?” I suggest. The poor girl is wringing her hands nervously. I doubt she expected to run into the Russian Mafia when she agreed to come shopping with me. I hope the Volantes pay her well. She definitely deserves a massive bonus this Christmas.

As Rosalia hurries from the room, Adan leans back in his seat and crosses one leg over the other.

He looks entirely at ease. Perhaps he’s trying to lull us into a false sense of security, but I don’t think that’s it.

He’s simply confident that no harm will come to him.

He hasn’t come looking for trouble and he doesn’t expect to find it.

“You’re the Cameron girl?” he asks. “Eilidh?”

I nod. “I am.”

His lip curls in distaste. “You’re just a child.”

“I’m nineteen.” Although he’s clearly older than me, I’d be surprised if he was more than twenty-five. There’s not a big enough age difference between us for him to consider me a child.

“I mean no offense.” He picks a loose thread off his jacket sleeve. “It is just that you appear younger than I imagined.”

“Why are you here, Barevsky?” Gio asks, his tone hostile.

The Russian’s jaw clenches. He doesn’t like his surname. I can’t say I blame him.

“Why are you here, Adan?” I ask pleasantly, trying to keep things calm.

“To assure you my father will be dealt with. I always knew he was a piece of shit, but I didn’t realize how depraved he was until I found out his plans for you.”

Next to me, Gio bristles. “You’re not here to try to take Eilidh?”

“Fuck, no!” Adan sounds horrified by the thought. He smiles at me. “Excuse my language, Miss Cameron.”

“That’s alright,” I say primly, which is rich considering I like to throw out the occasional f-bomb.

“Those were your men outside the boutique?” Lorenzo asks. I glance over my shoulder and see that he’s tapping out a message on his cellphone.

“Yes.”

“How did you know where to find us?”

“You were seen shopping in another boutique. When we got there, you were gone so we looked around and got lucky.”

Lorenzo nods. “And this apartment? What made you come here?”

“It’s no secret that you and Signorina Lazzaro are…” Adan considers his words carefully and I wonder if he’s trying to find a polite way to say fuck buddies. “Friends. When you evaded us at the boutique, it made sense you’d come here considering its proximity to the apartment.”

Considering we got here within a few minutes of leaving the clothes store, Adan must have moved quickly.

“She’s not a part of our world,” Lorenzo snarls.

“And I apologize for bringing her into it. I did assure her I meant no harm.”

“You had your gun out.” Lorenzo sounds as if he’s itching for a fight.

“Can we return to the purpose of your visit?” I need to defuse the situation. “You’re really not here to try to grab me?”

Adan shakes his head. “As I said, my father is a piece of shit. It’s time for change in our organization.”

“You intend to kill him?” Gio asks.

“I wish I could.” Adan’s tone is genuinely regretful. “But alas, my mother adores him. She would be heartbroken if he died, especially at my hand.”

“He’s married?” The thought of that horrible old man having a wife who loves him makes me sick.

Adan nods.

“I assume she’s not a bottle blonde with massive tits.” I think of the woman Semion Barevsky had with him the night Jason dragged me to dinner with him.

The Russian smiles tightly. “That’s Tatiana, one of his many mistresses.”

I arch an eyebrow. “I’m surprised he wants me. He seemed to have his hands full with her.”

“My father is always searching for something new.” Adan’s tone drips with disdain. “He likes innocents. He takes great pleasure in introducing them to his depravity.”

As I shudder, Gio grabs my hand. “Eilidh is now my wife. That places her under the protection of the entire Volante family.”

Adan inclines his head in agreement. “She is yours and I am no threat to her.” He spreads his hands out in a gesture of openness. “As I said, I intend to take care of my father, so he is no longer a threat to you.”

“Do you have the support for a coup?” Lorenzo asks.

“He’s been pissing off his brigadiers for a decade. Many will back me if I make a move.”

The conversation pauses as the woman Adan referred to as Lorenzo’s friend returns to the room.

She’s carrying a tray with a coffeepot, a milk jug, and four cups on it.

There’s also a plate of biscotti, which is very hospitable of her under the circumstances.

If the Bratva turned up at my home like this, I wouldn’t be offering them sweet treats.

“I must get to the restaurant,” she says, her English heavily accented. “I am already behind schedule for tonight’s service.”

“Please, don’t let us detain you.” Adan’s grayish blue eyes sparkle as he smiles. “Thank you for the refreshments.”

The woman glances at Lorenzo as if needing confirmation that it’s okay for her to leave.

“ Va bene , Lucia.” Lorenzo’s tone is curt. “We will speak later.”

The scowl she gives him suggests she’d rather they didn’t.

I can’t blame her. The least he could do is offer her some apology for the inconvenience we’ve caused her, but he doesn’t.

Lucia spins on her heel, her honey blonde hair swishing behind her.

She storms from the room and a few seconds later the front door slams shut. She is not a happy woman.

“I hope I have not caused problems between you.” Adan sounds sincere.

Lorenzo shrugs. “You know how women are. She’ll get over it.”

His dismissive tone makes me want to punch him in the face, but I refrain. I turn my attention to Adan once more. “Why haven’t you acted against your father before?”

“The time was not right.”

“But it is now?” I wonder what’s changed. My money’s on Adan having a woman he cares about.

The dark-haired Russian shrugs. “The timing is not perfect, but I realized it never will be. If I wait for the stars to align, I’ll never take my father’s place.”

“You didn’t come here just to tell us this,” Gio says.

“No, indeed. We need to speak about the debt you owe.”

“What debt?”

Adan doesn’t answer straight away. He leans forward, pours himself a cup of coffee, and then holds the pot up, offering it to us. We all shake our heads. This is not some friendly gathering.

“My father paid Jason Henry a considerable sum for Miss Cameron. You, Mr. Volante, stole his merchandise.”

Hearing him speak about me that way makes me clench my fists. Gio lays a comforting hand on my arm and glowers at Adan. “You want the money back?”

“No, I am willing to write it off, but…”

“You want a favor,” Lorenzo guesses.

Glancing over my shoulder, I see him tapping out another message on his phone. I’m surprised Adan hasn’t objected to him communicating with the outside world. Of course, he let Lucia leave so he’s obviously not concerned about someone summoning help.

“I do,” Adan confirms. He fixes his sights on Gio. “I want an introduction to Piotr Reznov.”

The name isn’t familiar to me. “Who?”

“My sister’s husband,” Gio murmurs. “He’s the new Pakhan of the Reznov Bratva. Very powerful.”

“Right.” I used to think I knew a lot about the world of organized crime, but now I’m not so sure.

Reznov is clearly a major player, and I had no idea who he was, and I hadn’t heard of the Volantes before Gio came into my life, when they’re obviously a big deal.

Considering my older brother did business with the Italian branch of my new husband’s family, I should at least have heard the name.

Gio leans forward, staring hard at Adan. “What do you want with him?”

“Our business interests intersect at a potential retail development in London. We’ve been rivals before and it does neither of us any good. I want us to work on this project together, for his benefit as well as mine.”

“And if Piotr doesn’t want to work with you?” Gio asks.

“It will have no impact on our agreement. All I ask for is an introduction. If I can’t seal the deal, that’s on me.

” Adan sips his coffee and hums appreciatively.

“So, what do you say? Agree to introduce me to Reznov and I guarantee I will deal with my father. I’ll forget about the money he paid to possess Miss Cameron, I mean, Mrs. Volante. ”

Though I’m tempted to tell him that the person he should be chasing for the money his father paid is Jason Henry and not us, I’d prefer this was dealt with here and now. Adan strikes me as trustworthy. His disgust for his father certainly seems genuine.

Gio turns to me. “What do you think, kitten?”

I struggle to conceal my surprise, not only that he’s consulting me, but that he’s doing it in front of other Mafia men.

“Let Adan deal with our Barevsky problem.”

Gio nods. He gets to his feet and extends a hand to Adan, who sets down his coffee cup and also rises. They shake hands, but Gio doesn’t let go. He pulls Adan closer, causing the other man to stumble forward so he bangs his leg on the coffee table.

“Deal with your father and I’ll introduce you to Piotr, but let me warn you, if your organization poses any further threat to my wife, I won’t stop until every last one of you is in the ground.”

Adan smirks. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

Gio releases his hand. Taking a business card from his inner jacket pocket, Adan drops it on the table. “My number’s on there.” He offers me a slight bow. “It’s been a pleasure, Mrs. Volante.”

Though I’m not sure I’d say the same, I smile politely as the Russian mobster takes his leave. When I hear the front door click shut, I sink back into the soft cushion of the sofa and let out a breath of relief.

“We should go,” Lorenzo said. “Damiano is waiting downstairs. I messaged telling him to let Barevsky leave unmolested, but my brother doesn’t always pay attention.”

“Rosalia, you can come out now,” Lorenzo calls. I feel like a total shit because I forgot she was here with us. “We’re leaving.”

The Italian girl steps through the door from the kitchen. Her face is pale, but she offers a tremulous smile. Lorenzo puts his arm around her shoulder. “Come, piccolina , I’ll buy you some gelato.”

I roll my eyes. “She’s not a child, Lorenzo.”

“Actually,” Rosalia says, “gelato would be good.”

She smiles up at him and I groan inwardly. I hope she doesn’t have a crush on him. He’s at least ten years older than her and has more experience of the world than, well, the rest of us put together.

We head downstairs and find a black SUV waiting for us. Damiano is leaning against the car, looking pissed.

“Lorenzo.” Damiano pushes off the door. “What the fuck was that, sending me an SOS and then telling me to stand down?”

“Sorry,” Lorenzo calls out as he steers Rosalia away from his brother. “I promised this one I’d buy her a little treat.”

“A little fucking treat?” Damiano bellows. His brother just waves him off and disappears around the corner. He turns his furious gaze on us. “Do you want to explain what the fuck is going on?”

“Not really.” Gio mimics Lorenzo’s casually dismissive tone. “I need to get my wife home so I can make love to her.”

Damiano releases a string of curses and then sighs. He flings open the back door of the SUV. “Get in. My driver will take you home.”

“What about you?”

His jaw sets in a firm, determined line. “I’m going to get myself a steak.”

“Steak?” I ask Gio as Damiano strides away. “Why?”

“Lucia Lazzaro runs a restaurant. She has a reputation for cooking the finest Bistecca alla Fiorentina in the city.”

As I climb into the back of the car, I laugh. “I applaud his pettiness.”

“He and Lorenzo spend a lot of time trying to out-asshole each other.”

“Idiots,” I remark as Gio slides into the car next to me.

Fastening my seatbelt, I find my fingers are trembling. The encounter with Adan Barevsky was cordial enough, but I’m relieved it’s over.

“That was scary for a minute there,” I say.

“Yes, it could have gone badly, but you handled it well, kitten.”

Pride swells in my chest. Gio’s praise does things to me I don’t want to acknowledge. Developing a praise kink could have consequences. I might end up spending my entire life trying to please him just to get a ‘good girl’ out of him.

“If Barevsky’s as sincere as I think he is about dealing with his father, it gets one major problem off our hands.”

“Yes, it does.” Gio adjusts his position to put an arm around me as I rest my head on his shoulder. “But we still have Jason Henry to deal with.”

“What if we just stay here forever, or go to New York? Jason doesn’t have the same reach as Barevsky.”

I peer up at Gio and he shakes his head. “If he wants to come for you, distance won’t stop him. Besides, you need to see an end to him if you want to move on.”

I know he’s right. As much as I wish I could just consign Jason Henry to the darkest recesses of my mind, he won’t stay buried. Until he’s gone I’ll always look over my shoulder for him. He’ll be more determined than ever to get to me now that Alexander has removed Cara Drummond from his reach.

“In that case, I should speak to my brother.”

Gio’s eyes reflect his concern. “Are you sure, kitten?”

“I can’t avoid him forever.”

“No, you can’t.” Gio kisses my forehead. “I’ll arrange something as soon as possible.”

“Thank you.”

It’s not a meeting I look forward to. So much has happened since I last saw Alexander. Closing my eyes, I try to convince myself it will be like we were never apart.