Page 63 of Thorns of Desire

If it were up to me, Athena would never cross paths with her half-siblings or father. Her mother might be an idiot, but the Popovs were cruel motherfuckers.

“How many crates are messed up?” I asked.

The sooner I got this done, the sooner I could get back to the party and leave Paris with Athena.

“Four. I’ll have the replacement ammunition within two weeks.”

I looked back at Umbrio who usually handled our arms shipments. “When did we promise to deliver these to our customer?”

“On Friday.”

I turned back to Danil. “I need the correct ammo in five days.”

To his credit, he didn’t even flinch, his cold blue eyes studying me.

“Fine, five days it is.” I nodded and turned to leave when his next words stopped me. “Athena Kosta, do you know her?”

I forced a neutral expression on my face. “What makes you think I do?”

Danil shrugged, returning his attention to his cell phone and appearing unbothered. I knew it was a mask. “Isn’t she friends with Isla Marchetti, the new member of your tight-knit family?”

The muscle twitching in his jaw told me he was more attuned to this conversation than whatever he was typing on his phone.

“Hard to tell,” I drawled just as my phone rang. “She has many friends.”

He raised his head, assessing me. The look on his face let me know he was annoyed. But the Marchettis didn’t dance to the Popovs’ tunes and we never would.

“I’ll be seeing you around,” he stated confidently as I pulled my keys from my pocket, making my way out of the warehouse. My phone rang persistently, showing Enrico’s name. Maybe he needed assurance that I didn’t kill Danil. I let the phone ring as I got behind the wheel and threw it onto the passenger seat.

I’d catch up with him later. Right now, I was on my way to teach a certain smartass Italian a lesson.

TWENTY-FIVE

MANUEL

“Next time you send my woman a drink, I’ll kill you. Slowly. Painfully,” I growled as soon as Cesar opened the door of the Leone club where the young fuckers usually hung out.

It’d been a long fucking night, starting with the engagement party that resulted in a missing fiancée. Amon Leone had probably kidnapped Reina, and who in the fuck knew what Dante would do as a result of it.

Cesar leaned an arm against the doorframe, rubbing a hand across his mouth and fighting off a grin.

“Not sure I know what you’re talking about,” he drawled, apparently giving up as he flashed me a full-blown grin. “After the rather boring engagement, where I minded my business, I left and decided to get some work done at this club. No drinks were sent toyourwoman.”

“Bullshit.”

“Care to elaborate?”

My voice was cold, but I let it warm around the edges suggestively when I said, “How about I find a way to make itcrystal fucking clear by delivering your head in a box to the Leones.”

“Was your name tattooed on her forehead? No, sir, it was not.” The balls on this guy. “I didn’t see your ring on her finger,” he drawled. “Hence, I didn’t send anything toyourwoman. As far as I know, Athena is out for grabs.”

“The fuck she is. Touch her and you’re dead.”

His eyes flashed dangerously, but it didn’t matter because he’d never beat me. My experience trumped his youth and impulsiveness. He’d be dead before he could blink.

“You know, if anyone else threatened to kill me, I’d gut them before they could draw their next breath. But since I know you and you’re naturally grouchy, I’ll let it slide. You can’t help it; you’re head over heels for the beautiful Greek.”

In all my forty-five years, I had never made threats in the name of a woman. Never felt this fierce protectiveness either. Then again, when it came to Athena, I wasn’t reacting like my usual self.