Page 135 of Misdeeds of a Billionaire

* * *

My blood still raged two hours later as I sat with Alessio and Kristoff at a Thai restaurant downtown.

“Congratulations.” Kristoff handed me a folder with a wide grin. “I fully expect my family and I to be treated at your wife’s hospital whenever we vacation in Croatia. Every time we go, I have my yacht and helicopter on standby. I love it there, but their health care system… Yeah, not so much. I might go in for a cut on my finger and lose my whole goddamn hand.”

“You got it. You and your twenty kids.”

A round of chuckles traveled around the table. “As my best friend, I expect you to know how many kids I have,” Kristoff joked, and I was reminded of the many times his sense of humor had saved me during our stints in war zones.

I waved my hand. “You’ll get to twenty at the rate you’re going.”

“Don’t be jealous.”

“That’s some wedding gift,” Alessio chimed in, leaning back in his seat. “I think you might have trumped us all. You’ll probably end up having more kids than all of us combined.”

Kristoff and my brother snickered, sharing glances. Ignoring them, my eyes scanned through the deed to the hospital Odette’s father used to own, plus five additional properties around it. Ready for us to use and make our dreams come true.

“I have a lot to atone for.”

“It was all him, not you,” Alessio remarked. “I’m sure your wife sees that too.”

I nodded, but it still didn’t make it right. My father had destroyed hers. He’d driven him to suicide. So, yes. There were many wrongs I had to make up for.

“Thanks for making this happen,” I told Kristoff, then turned to Alessio. “Were you able to pull some strings in France to get the medical facility and all licenses there reinstated?”

Alessio grimaced. “Yeah, I got it done. And trust me, it wasn’t easy after the shit I pulled with the Corsicans, chasing them out of Philly.”

“I never doubted you.” Long story short, my big brother had to turn over Philadelphia and chase the Corsican mafia out of there to secure his way into Afghanistan and save his wife. He did it without hesitation, but any time you burned a bridge, shit would eventually happen and you’d end up needing those same people. “Tell me what I owe you.”

Alessio smiled. “This one’s on the house. After all, we’re family.”

“That we are.”

I couldn’t wait to give the news to my wife. I reached for my phone, eager to send her a note and tell her we were celebrating tonight. I found a message from her already waiting for me.

Smiling, I slid it open.*Meeting Marco and his wife at Tortino Restaurant. Won’t be long. Ares is with your nanny. I think he loves her more than us.*

The last part of the message had me smiling, but the first part had unease slithering through my veins. I rubbed a hand over my face, worry making its way into my heart.

I shot to my feet.

“What’s the matter?” Kristoff was surprised to see me leave already. Usually we hung out for hours bullshitting.

“I have to cut this short.” I had a bad feeling about this. “My wife’s meeting the guy whose career I destroyed mere days ago.”

She’d be too easy a target for him. He could use her to take his revenge.

“I’ll come with you.”

My brother at my back, I rushed out of our restaurant and headed to the Tortino Restaurant.

There was one thing I’d never have to question: my brothers and sisters would always have my back.

Chapter55

Odette

Imade my way through the large room, my eyes roaming the fancy Italian restaurant. Ares assured me he wanted to stay behind with Mrs. Bakers, but I suspected it was because he didn’t want to part with his new toys. Smiling, I shook my head. His dad was spoiling him rotten.