Roses & Ruin

Chapter 89 (Anthony)

"I respect my cousin, but that doesn't mean his actions go unanswered just because he's family. We squared shit away" I retorted quickly. He's not gonna make me out to be a bad guy for sticking up for her.

"We had a deal" I reminded him, because I felt we were drifting from the main point. I won the fight. I won the girl.

"You had a deal with Andrei, not me" he corrected me. I flared out my nostrils because I couldn't tense my jaw without shooting pain. "I know how you Petrov men function. I had to earn your respect before I made my request, and I did that. I fought your son and won. We were half dead by the end of it, and still I'm here days later in pain, but just as determined" I held strong.

The mother fucker laughed. It's a cold and distant laugh though.

"I will say this. My son Andrei seems to like you. He vouched for you as the better choice for Aleksandra" he told me. Well at least I know one of the Petrov men sticks to his word.

I tried not to tighten my fists so I wouldn't tear anything open. My flesh is so raw it's pink and worn down to just before bone. It's mostly wrapped up, but you can see the mess of it in other places.

"Don't take this personally, Mr. Rizzo, but you do understand we want Aleksandra with a man who has enough sway in the Italian side of business. An underboss of a crime family other than the De Luca's wouldn't carry the kind of sway we need" he informed me. I licked my teeth and took a breath.

"In your entire time here in America, name a man that's been more capable, who has gotten more results than me? I'm the one who saved Lexi from that safehouse attack. I'm the one who took her to the hospital. I'm the one who volunteered to go undercover with your son to blow up that bowling alley, and it was My idea in the first place to even do it" I tried not to get worked up as I went.

"And let's not forget the operation Andrei and I uncovered in the process. We put an end to that. And when Liam O 'Riley threatened me, and your son, with evidence I turned around and nailed him And the whole fucking Irish clan into giving us Philly completely" I ranted.

My heart was pumping. If I did all this for nothing I swear to god I might kill the mother fucker.

Vitaly sat there thinking on my words for a long torturous second. Then he started speaking in his native tongue with his son. Andrei wasn't here. He's probably resting like I should be. My ribs are killing me. Everything's killing me.

"I happen to agree with you there. You're much more capable than your cousin. He seems like a fool. But he's the one carrying the title we need..." Vitaly trailed off. 

I didn't like that he was insulting my cousin, and I didn't like that he was insulting me. And I told him so. Then I grit my teeth and stood, which sent Dmitriy a step forward. Vitaly held his arm out to stop his son for now.

"I think I'm one of very few men who is willing to speak his mind in front of you Petrov, and you might hate it now, but you might like it some day when I speak up and set some things right in our shared business interests. So do you want titles and ass kissing, or do you want a man who's accomplished this much, with such a lowly title and a couple of raw fucking fists?"

Vitaly smirked. "Papa, he's earned our respect. Cut the shit" I heard Andrei's deep voice filling the doorway behind me. He looks just as bad as I do. Stitches and a set nose. He's yellow, green, and blue all over. Purple too in some places.

He was holding his ribs as he spoke like each word might be hurting him. "Anthony Rizzo" he smirked then flinched when he felt his injured lip. "The only Italian to ever gain my respect. Good fight man" he spoke with ease like we didn't almost kill each other.