by Penelope Sky
I leaned my back against the bar and kept up my indifference even though my heart was pounding more than usual. Normally, I didn’t have anything important on the line. Before Vanessa, even my own life didn’t matter. But now, I had to make sure everything went well, that Crow made it back to his family. “Business has been good for you?”
“It’s always good. And it has extra perks…like playing with the goods.” He winked.
I’d paid for sex a lot in my life, but I’d never paid for a slave. A woman submitting of her own will was far sexier than forcing her to. Vanessa wanted me constantly, used me for sex all the time. Seeing the way she needed me was the biggest turn-on in the world. Sometimes I wanted to tie her up, but watching her bounce freely on my dick was the sexiest thing of all.
Rush joined us a moment later and greeted me with an embrace. “It’s been a while, Bones. My bar sales have gone down.”
I gave a sly grin. “Looks like that’s about to change.”
“Good. My bartender missed you too.” Rush was the leader of the Skull Kings at the Underground. Of course, he had a man above him. And that man had someone above him in a different place. The Skull Kings were a widespread group with many different connections. It was why they were so formidable. “So, I hear you have a business proposition for me.”
“I do.” I ordered another drink, getting rounds for all of us first.
Rush grinned before he took a drink of his scotch. “Always the gentleman.”
I leaned against the counter again and looked him straight in the eye, showing the same fearlessness I was known for. “I know you’ve got beef with the Barsettis. You tried to take them out, and it went to shit.”
Rush’s endearing smile immediately faded away, the scar underneath his eye becoming more noticeable. When he frowned, he seemed innately hostile. “We originally called you for the job, but you turned it down.”
“Had other obligations.” They had no idea I was the one who killed most of their men—since there were no survivors to tell the tale. “The Barsettis are pretty formidable. Have a lot of contacts in a lot of places. Their allegiances are unknown, and that’s what makes them unpredictable.”
“What’s your point?” Rush asked, flustered by the compliments I showered his enemy with.
“I’ve done work with Crow Barsetti in the past. Pretty ruthless guy. He was informed of the attack on his son’s life and the bloody massacre that followed. The streets outside the opera house are still stained with blood.”
Rush’s eyes shifted back and forth as he stared at me. Tony did the same.
Having their full attention, I continued. “Crow’s got a business deal going down soon. Doesn’t need any distractions. Contacted me to intervene in the situation. He has a peace offering for you, if you’re willing to hear it.”
“A peace offering?” Rush asked coldly.
“His piece of shit son undermined our operation,” Tony spat. “You think there will be peace when some asshole crosses us?”
“If it’s convenient for both of you,” I said. “And I think it is.”
“We don’t give a shit about convenience.” Rush’s voice lowered, turning sinister. “That asshole undermined us, took a cut of our profits that belong to us exclusively. He may have wiped out our team, but that doesn’t mean the war is over. It just means they won the battle.”
This was worse than I thought. The Skull Kings had a serious vendetta against the Barsettis, because of Conway’s and Carter’s stupidity. It was fortunate they hadn’t struck again in the last few weeks. “What if I told you Crow Barsetti wants to make an offer?”
Rush raised an eyebrow. “What kind of offer?”
“To pay back the money Conway profited. Plus interest.”
When Rush didn’t shoot down the offer right away, I knew there was hope. Tony listened to every word too, not detesting the offer put on the table.
I continued. “It’s money you didn’t have to work for. He’d transfer it into your account right now. In exchange, he wants this issue to vanish. He has a big business venture he’s planning overseas, and he doesn’t have time to address this at the same time. But if you don’t agree, he will switch his focus to the Skull Kings.” I couldn’t tell them the truth, that the Barsettis just wanted to disappear. If I made them seem weak, the Skull Kings would try to take advantage of their exhaustion. The Barsettis had to maintain the front of strength, that they could keep fighting forever.
Rush finally turned to Tony, their eyes having a private conversation.
It was good news they didn’t say no right away. “Obviously, Conway Barsetti would never come near the Underground again. None of the Barsettis would. You’re both worthy opponents. If the war keeps going, you’ll both lose men and resources over the next decade, but neither one of you will be the victor. Take the deal.”
“Why did he bring you into this?” Rush demanded.
“Because I’m an objective third-party negotiator,” I said simply. “You trust me. He trusts me.”
Rush pulled Tony to the side, and they spoke quietly for a few minutes. Neither one of them raised their voices, so that was a positive sign. After a few minutes, they returned to me.
“What have you decided, gentlemen?” I asked.
“He’s outside?” Tony asked.
I nodded.
Rush snapped his fingers. “Bring him in.”
“Does that mean you accept the deal?” I asked.
Rush narrowed his eyes. “I said, bring him in.”
“Rush.” I gave him a firm look. “Cross him, and you cross me. And we both know you don’t want to do that. If you think you can take the money and kill him, that would be a mistake. Because there would be hell to pay.”
“Are you threatening me?” Rush asked, stepping closer to me.
“Depends on your intentions,” I said calmly. “But yeah, I’m threatening you.”
It was a testament to his unpredictability, because he grinned. “Bones, I’ve always liked you.” He clapped me on the shoulder. “Bring him in—only him.”
I was convinced that Crow wasn’t walking into a danger zone, not after I reminded the Skull Kings they were also declaring war on me if something sinister happened. I knew that changed their tune pretty quickly. I pulled out my phone and made the call. “They’re interested in the deal. Bring your shit.”
“Alright.” Crow hung up as quickly as he answered.
I stood at the bar and waited, my eyes on the door.
A minute later, Crow made it past security with his satchel over his shoulder. He walked toward me, appearing tall and confident despite the antagonistic air in the room. He headed for me, his eyes on Rush and Tony. For a man who had everything on the line, he seemed oddly unaffected. I admired him for his bravery, for wearing his heart on his sleeve when he spoke to his daughter, but now for appearing as unemotional as a rock. He set the bag on the counter then turned to the three of us.
Silence.
Hostile silence.
Rush stared Crow up and down, the rage deep in his eyes.
Tony stood with his hands in his pockets, detesting Crow with the same enmity.
I didn’t speak, knowing I had to let Crow take the stand on his own. It wasn’t like he needed me anyway. I laid the groundwork. He could handle the rest.
“I have the account set up.” He spoke with a strong voice, his back straight and his muscular shoulders rounded. “All I need is your information, and we can get this shit over with. All the funds will be transferred in less than five minutes. Then we can move on.”
Rush was silent as he stared at him.
When Crow didn’t get a response, he opened his bag.
“Asshole.” Rush rested one arm on the counter as he stared at him.
I stood between them, ready to intervene if it came to that. I could take a bullet and survive. Crow was too old for that.
Crow turned back to Rush, his green eyes vibrant with hatred.
“Where’s
my apology?” Rush demanded.
Crow’s eyes shifted back and forth as he looked at him, the fury no doubt simmering deep in his gut. He was too proud to apologize to a tyrant like Rush, but he had to respond in some way. He couldn’t bend and look weak. But he couldn’t fight either, not when that would escalate the already tense situation. “The only thing I will apologize for is the stupidity of my son. I thought I raised him to be smarter than this, not to be so greedy, not to profit off a woman’s life like she’s livestock. He’s better than that—better than you. That’s the only apology you’ll get from me.” He turned back to the counter and pulled out the laptop.
It was a smart thing to say, an acknowledgment but not a pussy move.
Rush was silent, which was a good thing.
Tony crossed his arms over his chest.
Crow set up everything on the laptop then slid it down the bar toward them. “Enter your account information, and I’ll begin the transfer.”
Rush turned to the screen and typed in everything, having memorized his banking information instead of writing it down. He finished and pushed the laptop back, his jaw tense.
Crow turned to them before he finished the deal. “We have an understanding, gentlemen? I never want to hear from you, and you’ll never hear from me. If you cross me, I’ll make sure your operation crumbles beneath your feet.”
I had to hand it to Crow. He knew how to hustle pretty damn well.
Rush raised an eyebrow. “No one could pull that off.”
Crow turned back to them. “I already have men in Hungary, Russia, and Romania, your main ports of operation. I know you funnel the women through those channels. If I pay the right money and tell the right people, your entire operation will be undermined. I’ll retrieve every woman you sell, distribute all your secrets to your enemies, tell all the authorities where you auction your women. This income is easy for you to streamline, and all I’ll have to do is interrupt the food chain. Yes, I can pull it off, asshole.”
I tried not to grin.
It was the first time I’d ever seen Rush speechless.
Crow didn’t blink. “So, do we have a deal?”
Tony glanced at Rush before he nodded. “If every cent is put in our account, then yes, we have a deal.”
“Good.” Crow turned back to the laptop, typed in the information, and then hit the enter button. He stared at the screen and waited for the funds to be transferred. It took almost a full minute for the transfer to go through because of the size of the funds. When it was completed, he turned back to Rush. “Check it.”
Rush pulled out his phone and logged in to his account. “It’s there.”
Crow immediately packed up his laptop into the bag. “It’s been a pleasure.” Like nothing happened at all, he turned his back to Rush and Tony and walked out, leaving his back exposed as he left the Underground.
I stayed behind, wanting to make sure this was really settled. “Sounds like a fair trade.”
Tony looked at Rush’s phone before he met my gaze. “He paid up. That’s all that matters.”
“We’ve got more important things to do than chase him around,” Rush said in agreement. “Let the Barsettis disappear. They must be scared of us if they paid us all that money.”
“And you must be scared of him,” I reminded them. “As you should be.”
We didn’t say a word to one another until we were outside of Milan. The light shone in the rearview mirror, and then we were on an empty road leading to the south of Italy. Crow kept up his indifferent persona, like he wasn’t relieved that the tense confrontation was now behind him.
When we were far away and certain no one was following us, the conversation began.
“They won’t be a problem,” I said. “They’re happy with what they got and ready to move on to the next thing.”
“That’s the impression I got too.”
“And you said all the right things. Defused the situation without sounding like a pussy.”
He looked out the window. “Not my first time.”
“It just sucks that you’re out that much cash…it was a lot.”
“I don’t care about the money,” he said honestly. “I’m just glad this is over. I’m grateful my son can have his child without looking over his shoulder, that my wife isn’t scared about our kids. And besides, Conway and Carter are paying back every single dime. I cleaned up their mess, but I won’t pay for it.”
I grinned. “That’s fair.”
It was late into the night, so Crow rested his head against the window and closed his eyes. “I know I should call my wife, but I don’t want to. She’ll cry…I hate listening to her cry.”
“She didn’t cry when you left.”
“She always tears up when I tell her I’m okay,” he said quietly. “She holds her breath the entire time I’m gone, and once I’m back, she releases all her pain. Instead of feeling it at the beginning, she feels it at the end. Her tears don’t annoy me, they just hurt. I hate it when she hurts.”
I understood that feeling all too well. I pulled out my phone and called Vanessa, my elbow resting on the windowsill. She answered before the first ring finished.
“Are you both okay?” she blurted, breathing hard like she’d been marching around the apartment with her phone clutched tightly in her hand.
“Yes. Both of us.”
“Oh…” She breathed into the phone, her eyes probably closed as she stood in the middle of the living room. “Thank god. I’m so happy to hear that…you have no idea. I haven’t been able to sleep. I’ve just been staring at my phone all night.”
I felt the same pain Crow described, feeling like shit for scaring her. “We just left Milan. We’ll be home in a few hours.”
“And it went well?” she asked with hesitation.
“It went better than I expected. They took the money. There were a few bumps and some hostilities, but your father handled it well. We both parted on good terms. They stopped thinking about us the second we walked out…which was what we wanted.”
“Good…I’m relieved. When will you be home?”
“Not for at least five hours. I’ve got to drop your father off first.”
“Oh…”
“Go to sleep, baby.” She was probably exhausted from stressing all night, from being upset for almost an entire week.
“I want to see you when you get home.”
“I’ll wake you.”
“Promise?” she asked. “Don’t let me sleep. I would much rather see you right away.”
I should feel awkward with her clinginess in front of her father, but strangely, I didn’t. I didn’t care at all. I loved her and she loved me. There was no reason to be embarrassed about it. “Promise.”
“Alright, I’ll let you go,” she said. “Love you.”
“Love you too, baby.” I hung up and returned the phone to my pocket, not looking at her father’s reaction to the conversation I’d had with his daughter. I didn’t care about his opinion anyway.
After a long stretch of silence, he addressed it. “Thank you for making my daughter so happy.” He didn’t look at me when he spoke, staring straight ahead. “You’ve put up with me, my brother, a bunch of bullshit…never gave up on her. I don’t care how much you hate me. Even if you always hate me, that’s fine with me. Regardless, I’m grateful she has you. It’s all I’ve ever wanted, for my little girl to have the right man.” As if he hadn’t just said something heartfelt, he called his wife and told her he was fine.
As he predicted, she cried on the phone a bit.
Like a real man, he listened to it. Consoled her. Told her he would be home soon. Gave her a shoulder to cry on even though he wasn’t there for her in person. After several minutes, he got off the phone with her and got comfortable, prepared to sleep for the rest of the drive.
I kept thinking about his conversation with Vanessa, how she loved her father so deeply, called him her best friend. They had a close relationship, remaining loyal to each other re
gardless of what life threw at them. I never wanted to come between them, but I knew I already was.
How could I hate a man who loved Vanessa as much as I did? Who would do anything for her, even risk turning her against him? Crow always had his daughter’s best interest at heart, and I had to admit I was the worst possible guy for any man’s daughter. It was unrealistic to expect him to behave in any other way. I wouldn’t make excuses for the hurtful things he did and said, especially when he got carried away, but when I witnessed their tender relationship with my own eyes, I knew I couldn’t be a wedge between them.
I could bring them closer together.
Nothing would make Vanessa happier than to see me build a relationship with her father, to become part of her family in a meaningful way. After everything I put her through, it was the least I could do. Vanessa and I were going to spend the rest of our lives together and start a family. Holding on to this hatred for Crow wasn’t realistic.
I should let it go.
There were better people to hate besides Crow Barsetti, people who deserved it more. I respected this man in a lot of ways, the way he could walk in there so calmly and establish peace, the way he took his son’s place without thinking twice about it, the way he listened to his wife cry and carried her pain with him. I admired this man because he’d raised a strong daughter, the perfect woman to spend my life with. Without him, I never would have found her. I would have spent my entire life alone, never knowing love. I didn’t believe in soul mates, but I certainly believed in that.
I had a terrible past, but perhaps everything was meant to happen…to lead me here. My forgiveness would bury the past for good. The blood war that had continued for three generations would be buried in the past like the dead. I would never be a Barsetti, but my children would have Barsetti blood.
Our bloodlines would fuse together and become one.
