Page 3 of King of Obsession (Kings of the Underworld #1)

My father’s last words to me were, “What you can build can be taken away. Power, money, life itself are temporary. There’s only one certainty in life—your death.” Even if it’s been years, I wonder if he felt his end was coming.

Restlessness swirls inside of me just like the amber liquid in my crystal glass. Tossing it back, the burn swiftly turns into a soothing taste. I never overindulge. Routine brings me comfort. Being in control, especially over myself, is how I rule over my empire.

Standing up, I walk toward the floor to ceiling windows.

Beneath me, my kingdom spreads. Reno is not only my city, it’s home.

A surge of pride rushes through me. Along with my best friend Mikhail, the Pakhan and the head of the Morozov family, we’ve turned Reno into our playground, where nothing happens without our knowledge or approval.

The bloody power wars are long gone. I don’t mind sharing influence with my brother, even if we aren’t blood related.

The distrust ended with our fathers’ deaths.

We decided to do better, unite our forces to create a stronger base of power.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t people who try to take what’s ours. They’ve tried and failed.

Over the years, I’ve heard it all, that we’re too young, too inexperienced to lead our families, but we proved them wrong and now all those enemies are dead.

I have no ties to Italy, nor to the Council of Twelve.

They stay out of my business, and I stay out of theirs.

It’s worked for decades, yet my position demands I always remain alert.

That’s why I have my spies everywhere. Although I was informed about my uncle’s passing, I didn’t worry until one of my spies reported that my cousin wants me dead.

This is my city. I paid in blood to secure my reign. There were sacrifices to get me where I am. The world is brutal, ours even more so. Staying in my penthouse in the city, rather than at the family compound, allows me to maintain the illusion that I am not constantly haunted by guilt and regrets.

I lost not only my father on that day, but my sister as well. I’ve gained a brother instead. He was the one to bring Dahlia back. He was the one to swear his loyalty to me and our cause first. We would die for each other, but as long as we’re alive, we ensure the other is fine.

The elevator pings and Mika walks inside, having the code and keycard just like I have his. Our men disgruntledly work together because of our bond.

“One of those nights?” he asks, going to the bar to pour himself a drink.

Dressed in all black as if he’s in perpetual mourning, he’s all sharp edges and deadly vibes.

So far down in a violent haze, he seems to need it to purge the demons that torment him.

He has fought in every club we own in the city, in vain.

Nothing gives him peace. Nothing soothes him, only more blood.

I shrug. “Another potential death threat can put you in a mood.” I should care more, but these days it feels like my life consists of an endless string of nothingness that has numbed me.

The small pleasures in my life ended a long time ago.

Even sex, alcohol, parties, purchases, success and money lose their appeal when you can get them with the snap of a finger.

“Silver Death boarded a private plane to the States two days ago,” I inform him.

My dear cousin, who I’ve never met, sent the most feared and revered killer in the underground for me. I feel honored he sent the Council’s best assassin. That means my hard work has paid off.

“Why are you fucking grinning?” he asks, brows knotting.

Strangely, I am not even a bit afraid, but a surge of excitement awakens my comatose state.

“She landed in New York.” She’s here for me. The stopover is most surely a deceptive tactic. She’s never set foot on this continent. It would be remiss of me not to trust the intel that has always been correct.

“Enzo.” He says my name in a deep voice, thick with annoyance.

I sip from my glass, unperturbed. “Let her come for me. I haven’t had something entertaining going on in a while.”

“Do you have a death wish? Sorry, brother, but if I am trapped in this shithole, so are you.”

Loyalty—that’s why I have to push through.

“You haven’t come to see her on stage,” he says in an accusatory tone.

Her, Dahlia, my sister. He watches over her, making sure no one ever comes close enough to upset her. No wonder she feels at ease only in his presence. It’s as if she shares a bond with him that I never could. Purely platonic, of course, he’s more like a brother than I am.

She lives with my mother at the compound where she feels the safest, surrounded by people who watch over her and know they can interact with her only when she initiates it.

The day my sister got kidnapped, I disappointed my entire family.

I couldn’t save my father or my sister in time.

It was Mika who did, and I will forever be grateful to him.

“It would only distract her.”

He exhales loudly as if to purge the demons that steal his tranquility. “It was not your fault.”

My grip on the glass tightens. I half expect it to crack under the pressure. “It doesn’t change the outcome.”

Done with this talk that only sours my mood, I change the topic to business. “The Syndicate is expanding. They’re getting dangerous.”

There are a few criminal organizations and families who possess enough money, resources, and influence that we constantly monitor, but their rise to power is nothing short of admirable.

He waves me off. “Let them rule over the East Coast. We rule over the West.”

“Still. We will either clash or turn into associates.”

He looks deep in thought as he taps his finger on his silver watch.

“Friends or foes, if they touch our family, they’ll end up dead.”

Between the two of us, I am the more subtle when it comes to eliminating potential threats, and sure as fuck, I am not carving the tallies on my skin.

“Dahlia should be performing on the best stages of the world,” he sighs, reminding me of my biggest failure as a brother.

“I won’t force her. Will you?” I ask, arching a brow.

Something dark crosses his eyes and there’s a tic in his jaw as his eyes lower for a second to the floor.

“No.”

Everyone has an opinion about my sister. He’s the only one who can tell that to my face. But after what she went through, I am too relieved to have a sister who’s alive than force her out of her comfort zone. She found a way to cope, and that’s all that matters.

“And let’s not talk about any of us having a life. It is what it fucking is.”

“Yours might be cut short, and then I’ll have to go over there and kill the fuckers as revenge.”

I pat my chest. “You’d do that for me?”

“You’d be dead, so it would be more for me,” he says matter-of-factly.

We both chuckle, our brotherhood the only serene and easy thing in our lives.

He’d paint Venice red with their blood. That’s why I don’t understand why they would risk a war between us.

The contract between the Ferraras and the Council doesn’t have an expiration date.

My father assured me that the Council would never bother us, that he settled things with Augustus, and he will hold on to his end of the bargain.

So why would my foolish cousin risk that?

The intel shows he’s not a savvy businessman.

To kill someone so beneath me doesn’t prove a challenge, but with the expansion of the Syndicate and the Council’s threat, it feels like after months of a break, I am served a six-course meal of problems.

“I’m heading to the club,” he says, slapping a palm on my shoulder before he puts the empty glass on the coffee table.

“Enjoy your night.” Even though I doubt that.

“Maybe I will.”

I let out a noncommittal sound. He doesn’t have a personal life either. We live for the brACON organization—the Bratva and Cosa Nostra united—something that is unique in the world and maybe that’s why our enemies have become warier of us.

Our partnership hasn’t wavered since we took over four years ago, and nothing will shake its foundation.

The elevator doors close, and I finish my drink. After I discard my empty glass next to his, I walk inside my home office.

Powering up my laptop, I open the file I received on Silver Death.

She’s an undeniable beauty and a lethal weapon combined—a truly fascinating woman.

Don’t come for me. Don’t make me kill you .

It would be a shame. I stare at her profile with her long silver hair and matching eyes, the lithe body of an athlete and the grace of a panther—she’s flawless, the type of woman who intrigues men, especially those who enjoy a good challenge, like me.

I lean back in my chair, contemplating my next move.

I grab my phone from my desk and press call, knowing my sister is awake. She fills her days and nights with activities, and how she manages to function remains a mystery. But if overworking herself helps her cling to sanity, then so be it.

She picks up after the second ring.

“I need you to tell me when someone arrives in town.”

I have an entire team monitoring the airport and cameras across the city. Dahlia is one of them, working part-time when she’s not practicing the piano or giving concerts at the hall downtown.

I send her the picture of Luciana Rossi and my sister gasps. “That’s the Council’s assassin.”

My need to comfort her has me lying instantly. “It doesn’t have to mean anything. We don’t know yet.”

“Stop trying to protect me. She’s here for you. Promise me—” Her voice breaks at the end and sucker punches me with a potent resolution.

“Nothing will happen to me.”

“Do you think there is someone out there for every one of us? I think there is, even though we are who we are and live the life we do, but… Forget it. I don’t even know what I am saying anymore.” Her sweet voice is heavy with exhaustion.

“You should go to bed. You need your sleep.”