Page 6 of Lord of the Dark (Drawn into Darkness #1)

Alexander Russo

As we said our goodbyes, I felt her eyes burning into me.

The message I'd received during my meeting with Fiona had changed everything.

Giovanni had found something.

My chauffeur stepped out of the car and opened the door for me.

I pulled out my phone and cast a quick glance at the screen.

The message was simple but telling: Vaughn has problems.

Big problems.

The car glided smoothly forward, and I opened Giovanni’s message.

Detailed information about Carter Vaughn filled the screen.

Speculative deals gone wrong.

A desperate attempt to stave off his company’s ruin.

Carter Vaughn, Fiona’s perfect boyfriend, was in truth a man on the edge, a man about to lose everything. A satisfied smile flickered across my lips.

I dialed Giovanni’s number, and it took only seconds for him to answer.

“Giovanni,” I began calmly as the car moved through the streets, “tell me what you’ve found out about Vaughn.”

“It doesn’t look good,” Giovanni replied, his voice deep and businesslike.

“Vaughn got himself tangled up in some shady deals.

Thought he was smarter than the rest, tried to boost his capital with fake property valuations.

But it backfired on two of his projects.

Two investors who caught wind of it weren’t exactly thrilled. And now he’s scrambling to plug the hole before it’s too late. But honestly, Alessandro, it looks like he’s in over his head. His company’s on the brink of bankruptcy.”

I felt a swell of satisfaction rise within me.

Vaughn, the self-proclaimed real estate mogul, Fiona’s perfect boyfriend, was teetering on the edge.

“And what about his investors?”

“Sorrentino,” Giovanni said tersely.

“He’s the last one keeping Vaughn afloat.

If we get Sorrentino to pull out, Vaughn is finished.”

Sorrentino.

A name feared in the inner circles of Florida’s real estate and finance world.

He wasn’t just any investor—he was a man who did business in ways few could comprehend and even fewer dared to question.

Franco Sorrentino had built his reputation on a mix of intelligence, ruthlessness, and brutal efficiency.

He’d risen to power in New York in the ‘80s, back when the game was rougher. Real estate, finance, the underworld—to him, these weren’t theories but practice. His reach was long, far longer than one might suspect at first glance.

“Moving” Sorrentino wasn’t a simple matter.

It meant pressing the right buttons, finding the right levers.

Money wasn’t the issue—Sorrentino had more than he could ever spend.

It was about power, influence.

And that was the game he understood. You had to hit him in the right place, and that place wasn’t always obvious.

He preferred to stay in the shadows, letting others do the dirty work.

He wasn’t the type to stand in the spotlight, but anyone who mattered in this city knew Sorrentino had a seat at the table, even if he wasn’t visible.

He was the invisible hand that made deals happen—or fail.

And with Vaughn, he hadn’t yet made his final decision—whether to stay or walk away.

“Sorrentino won’t be easy to move,” Giovanni said thoughtfully.

“But he’s pragmatic.

If he sees Vaughn is on the decline and his investment is at risk, he won’t hesitate to pull out.

He only plays when the odds are in his favor.”

I leaned back into the Bentley’s leather seat, letting the words linger.

Sorrentino preached loyalty, but in the end, he was only loyal to himself.

If he realized Vaughn was a lost cause, he’d cut ties—and drag the rest of his connections with him.

“What does he need to see it?” I asked coolly.

Giovanni chuckled low.

“A few well-placed whispers to plant doubt.

If he senses Vaughn’s footing is shaky and his collateral’s slipping, he won’t need convincing.

Maybe a little nudge that Vaughn’s on the verge of losing everything.

Sorrentino isn’t a charity. He won’t stay once the downfall’s in sight.”

“Approach him,” I finally replied.

“But be careful.

Sorrentino won’t act fast unless he sees it all.

Give him just enough to make him think.”

Giovanni grunted in agreement.

“Understood.

I’ll make sure he wavers.

Vaughn will feel his safety net unraveling.”

Sorrentino was a man who bet on stability.

He only invested in sure deals, where he knew he could keep his fingers in the game.

If Vaughn lost control, it was only a matter of time before Sorrentino jumped ship and left him to fall.

And that moment would come sooner than Vaughn could imagine.

“I’m on it,” Giovanni said, and I heard the sharp click of his lighter.

“Sorrentino’s cautious, but he knows when to abandon a sinking ship.

Give him the right intel, and he’ll walk away.”

I nodded, though Giovanni couldn’t see it.

“Good.

Set it in motion.

But keep it subtle.

I want Vaughn unsteady—not fallen yet.”

“Understood,” Giovanni said, his voice hardening, professional—but I could hear the grin through the phone.

“And Fiona? What do you want to know about her?”

I paused as Miami’s lights flickered through the tinted windows.

There was something about that woman that threw me off balance—in a way I liked.

Vaughn was her weak spot, sure.

But did she know it? Did she understand the depth of his problems, or was he keeping up that flawless fa?ade for her, like a man who refuses to look like a loser?

“Find out what she knows about Vaughn,” I said quietly.

“Whether she’s aware of his troubles or if he’s keeping her in the dark.

And figure out how we can use that.”

Giovanni went silent for a moment, and I could practically hear him smirking before he finally spoke.

“Fiona, huh? That fast?”

I reclined, fingertips tracing the leather armrest.

Giovanni knew me better than anyone.

We’d been through too much together.

But me reacting like this to a woman? That was new for him.

“What’s so special about her?” he finally asked, curiosity threading his voice.

“You don’t usually let a woman rattle you.

So, what’s really going on?”

“She’s different,” I said, organizing my thoughts.

“Fiona’s sharp.

Confident, but not overbearing.

She isn’t impressed by me or my power—at least, she acts like she isn’t.

I mean, she called me out in front of everyone in that room… she’s definitely got bigger balls than you.”

On the other end, Giovanni laughed.

“So, you’re letting a woman outmaneuver you? That’s new.

Usually, you bend people until they break.”

I couldn't help but grin.

"Usually, yes.

But she's different.

She doesn't yield—and that makes her...

dangerous. You know I like it when things get dangerous."

Giovanni laughed louder.

"Since when do you enjoy being thrown off your game by a woman? Christ, I never expected this from you.

You've never had the patience for this kind of thing."

"Let's just say she's worth the patience," I murmured, a faint smirk in my voice.

"She challenges me, and that intrigues me.

She knows exactly what she wants and doesn't back down.

But she doesn't realize what she's really getting into yet."

Giovanni snorted.

“I swear, I’ve never heard you talk about a woman like this.

Usually, you'd have her pinned to a wall until she begged you to stop—then begged for more.”

I let a slow breath escape, the corner of my mouth twitching.

“Who says I won’t? Not to break her, of course… though…” I laughed, low and dark, the memories flickering behind my eyes.

Giovanni chuckled through the speaker.

But then my voice dropped.

“She’s different. You can’t break what bends just enough to survive. She’s got fire. Real fire. And I want to feel it burn.”

Giovanni gave a low whistle.

“Christ, Russo.

You’re slipping.

So what’s the endgame? Gonna let this one crawl under your skin? Or are you planning to make her yours—for real?”

"Oh, I'll claim her," I said quietly, the smile unmistakable in my voice.

“The kind of claiming she won’t recover from.”

Giovanni burst out laughing.

"Now that sounds more like you.

But watch yourself—don't get tangled up too deep.

You know what happens when you mess with dangerous women," Giovanni warned, a serious edge creeping into his tone.

"They can do more than just turn your head. They can ruin you."

"Don't worry, Gio.

I know exactly what I'm doing.

And Vaughn will fall, no question.

I just want to tighten the screws a little more.

But first, find out how much Fiona really knows."

Giovanni grinned on the other end.

"Got it, Boss.

I'll handle it.

And when the time comes...

Sorrentino's still in play."

"Sorrentino." I nodded.

"Keep him waiting.

He'll be useful to us yet."

As we pulled into the underground garage of THE OBSIDIAN—an imposing black skyscraper that loomed like a titan among Miami's skyline, part of my portfolio, and home to my penthouse—I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the information I'd gathered circulate in my mind.

Vaughn was a dead man financially—he just didn’t know it yet.

He was fighting a storm that would swallow him whole in the end.

And I’d be the one to deliver the final blow...

when the time was right.

And Fiona? She’d find out when I wanted her to.

Vaughn would shatter that perfect image she had of him.

And me?

I’d be there when it broke.