It’s taken two months for Luca and Parisi to agree to a meeting between the Priesthood and the Cosa Nostra.
Things have been volatile. More from my side than anyone else’s because I’m still fucking enraged about what the fuckers did to Rosalie.
Her cast only came off two weeks ago.
If it were up to me, I’d vote for a bloodbath and slaughter the whole lot of them.
“Stop looking like you’re about to kill them all,” Luca mutters as we walk down the hallway to the hotel room.
We’re meeting in Nebraska because the city doesn’t belong to either party, and it’s the halfway mark between LA and New York.
“Hard to pretend I’m happy to see the fuckers,” I grumble, my body tense for action.
Nikolas pats my shoulder. “Just warn us if you’re going to start shooting up the place.”
“Don’t give him any ideas,” Liam chuckles.
Gabriel has always been on the quiet side, so it doesn’t surprise me when he just grunts.
Reaching the door, Luca glances at us. “Ready?”
We all nod.
He gives me a look of warning. “I’ve worked my ass off for this meeting. Please, don’t screw it up for me.”
Using my pointer finger, I circle a halo above my head.
Luca rolls his eyes, then swipes the keycard through the lock.
We all file into the suite where the five members of the Cosa Nostra are waiting with drinks in their hands.
Greco’s son took over after I killed his father, so this should be fun.
Greco junior’s eyes lock on me, but there’s more curiosity than vengeance in his gaze.
Interesting. I bet there’s a story there. Pity I don’t care enough to find out what it is.
“Gentlemen,” Luca greets with a nod.
I don’t bother shaking their hands, and finding a wall to lean my shoulder against, I cross my arms over my chest.
Parisi glances at me, and when our eyes lock, the tension quickly builds in the room.
“It doesn’t look like Mr. Vetrov wants to sign a peace treaty,” he mentions before taking a sip of his drink.
“I want an apology,” I say.
“We let you kill Salvatore.”
“That was for me. You have to apologize to Rosalie.”
I’m only doing it to humiliate them. I think it will also give Rosalie more of her confidence back to have the five men grovel for her forgiveness.
Which she won’t give.
Before any of the Cosa Nostra can say something, I continue, “She had a concussion and a broken wrist, and one of your fucking guards sexually assaulted her. I want a verbal fucking apology for all the shit you put her through. Only then will I agree to a peace treaty.”
“And if we don’t apologize?” Greco junior asks.
I shrug. “I’ll make the streets of New York flow with Sicilian blood. A death for every tear my woman cried at your hands.”
“Jesus,” Messina mutters. “Just get the woman on the line so we can get this over with.”
“We have our own condition,” Parisi says as I pull my phone out of my pocket. “None of you set foot in New York, and we’ll stay out of your territories.”
“Works for me,” Nikolas agrees.
“Me too,” Liam seconds him.
Gabriel lets out a bored sigh which I feel in my soul.
Stepping away from the group, so they won’t hear what I say to Rosalie, I dial her number.
“Hi,” she answers after the second ring. “Did the meeting go okay?”
“We’re still busy,” I say. “The Cosa Nostra is going to apologize to you. You don’t have to say anything to them, though.”
She pauses for a moment, then mutters, “I don’t want their apology. They can shove it where the sun don’t shine.”
“I know. But this is about humiliating them and giving you the power. You always make the enemy grovel.”
“Oh. I didn’t think about it that way.” She lets out a sigh. “Okay. I’ll listen to them grovel.”
I walk back to the other men, then say, “She’s listening.”
“Rosalie,” Parisi clears his throat, not liking this one bit, “We apologize for how things turned out.” I shake my head, and it has him adding, “and for the abuse you suffered at our hands.”
“Oh shit,” Rosalie shrieks. “No, Luna, drop the poop!”
Nikolas bursts out laughing, and to my surprise, Greco junior joins him.
“Gotta go,” Rosalie’s voice comes over the line. “Love you, Viktor. Oh, bring dog food.”
The line cuts out, and I turn my attention back to the men. “Where do I sign so I can go buy dog food?”
We all gather by a table where the peace treaty is waiting for a drop of blood from us all.
I lock eyes with Parisi, then nod for him to go first. He pricks his thumb, then presses it to the document.
Luca goes next, followed by Greco junior. I step forward and let a drop of blood fall next to Luca’s, then lick the tiny wound on my thumb as I step away.
While the others give their blood vow, Greco junior comes to stand next to me, crossing his arms over his chest. “For what it’s worth. Thank you for taking out the bastard.”
My eyebrow pops up. “No love lost?”
“None whatsoever,” he mutters.
“In that case, you’re welcome.”
He turns and holds his hand out to me. “For the peace treaty.”
I stare at the man, and when he keeps his eyes locked on mine, I take his hand and shake it. “Do better than your father.”
“I plan to change a lot in New York.”
We let go, and as soon as Luca picks up the document, I say, “Let’s not do this again anytime soon.”
“Agreed,” Parisi mutters.
I’m the first to leave the hotel room with my friends right behind me.
New York owes me a huge fucking thank you for staying calm when all I wanted to do was rip their throats out.
Except for Greco junior. He has potential and will hopefully lead the Cosa Nostra into a new era.
“What did Greco say to you?” Luca asks as we step into the elevator.
“We bonded over our mutual hate for his father.”
“Look at you being all civilized and making friends,” Nikolas taunts me.
“Why do dogs eat their own shit?” Gabriel suddenly asks. “Ours does it too, and then he comes to fucking breathe right in my face.”
Laughing, I mutter, “Fuck if I know.”
With the flames doused between the Cosa Nostra and the Priesthood, I can now focus on the shipment of arms coming in, and then I’m taking a vacation with my woman.
She doesn’t know we’re going to Bali with my family. Whenever she tries to talk about it, I distract her because I want it to be a surprise.
I still have the list of destinations she made. It’s been safely tucked in my drawer for the past three and a half years, and I plan to take her to every country she wrote down.
I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure my woman only knows happiness from now on.
Jesus, she deserves it more than anyone after the hell she’s been through.
Walking out of the hotel with the rest of the Priesthood, I let out a sigh. It might not be the outcome I wanted, but it’s best for everyone if the two powerful groups don’t clash.
Too much blood will be spilled, so it’s better to keep the peace.
I need to fucking sell my properties in New York. I can use the money to invest in new properties in Rosalie’s favorite destinations.
That’s a good fucking idea. I’ll put them all in her name, and when we get married, it will make the perfect gift, and she’ll have assets.
My mind starts to work overtime, making plans to pad her bank account with a healthy amount and to draw up a new last will so she’ll be my beneficiary. I want to know she’ll always be taken care of by me, even when I’m gone.
Not that I’m planning to die any time soon. Fuck no. Rosalie is going to be stuck with my ass for a long while.
When we climb into the SUVs, I pull out my phone and call her.
“Hey,” her beautiful voice comes over the line. “Are you done?”
“Yeah. We’re driving to the airport.”
“Good. Before I forget, I’m almost out of treats for Luna. Get some of the bone marrow ones. She really likes those.”
“You know you can go to the store as well, right?” I remind her.
“Yeah, but that means I would have to put on a bra,” she mumbles.
The image of Rosalie’s nipples clearly outlined beneath her shirt flashes through my mind, making my cock twitch. “I’ll be home in three hours and will swing by the store, moya Malen’kaya Roza.”
“Thank you.” Hearing the happiness in her voice makes satisfaction pour into my chest, then she owns my heart when she says, “I love you, Viktor. Have a safe flight.”
“Love you too, moya Malen’kaya Roza.”
When I end the call, Nikolas asks, “When’s the wedding?”
I give him a grin. “You’ll find out soon.”
