Eighteen:
Gedeon
"Two weeks have passed before Robert realizes that Dove was missing?" Timor asked, baffled. So much so that he almost dropped his chess piece, Lizabeta looked up from her laptop and Nicolai stopped sharpening his knife for a moment.
"And you, Timor, have the honor of accompanying me to see Mateo two days from now," I concluded. When Mateo had called in the middle of the night when Robert came demanding to see Dove and found out what really happened, I would have killed to see his expression when he found out that I swooped his little bird up. "I took the liberty to book up a nice restaurant owned by me at my yacht club so there's no chance Mateo might do something stupid there."
"Would Dove be coming along?" Lizabeta asked curiously.
"No," I snipped. The protectiveness surged in my heart and I growled in annoyance.
"What went down on the call yesterday?" Timor looked at me curious, mistaken what I was truly annoyed about and thought I was annoyed and angry about my conversation with Mateo yesterday instead.
Recalling the rather absurdly long call yesterday, I rubbed my temples. "Gaggi's family wasn't happy, especially Robert who went straight to Galileo who told them to sort things out on their own. I'll be meeting with Mateo to see what the next plan of action is, but it seems likely of an all-out war over Dove."
But it was more than that for everyone involved.
"That's going to be...something," Timor mumbled under his breath. "I just hope this ends up how you planned it to be with every single Italian dead."
I knew everyone trusted me with their lives, but to fight on the side of an Italian family was still frowned deeply upon. I tapped the edge of the table, knowing fully well the consequences if I even made one wrong mistake. "I've planned my whole life around this moment. The moment Mateo gave me his daughter who's next to the heir, it's a done deal. Every Italian will be dead by the end of the year once I make sure that Mateo is next in line rather than Robert."
"And to be clear we're on the same page, you'll kill your wife too when this is all said and dealt with?" Nicolai questioned; his eyes focused on my every move to show any signs of me lying along with Lizabeta.
Before I could reply, a soft tap broke through the tension. I already knew it was Dove due to her way of knocking and what she was looking for as well.
"Come in."
Dove poked her head through the head of the doorframe, and upon seeing everyone staring back, her eyes darted to the ground while she bit her lips. She's still rather stiff and nervous around Nicolai and more so with Lizabeta even though they haven't exchanged words. She held onto the doorframe and peered up slowly. "I'm sorry, did I intervene?"
I flicked a hand in dismissal. "Are you here looking for your rabbit?"
"Yes, Scrabble."
Of course, she had taken the liberty to name it after Jo's pet rat from Little Women.
"It's over there." I nodded to the corner whereit seemed Scrabble had made it his favorite place in the estate. Its right hindleg was still bandaged up with a blue cast over it after Anastasia called in aveterinarian. As it turned out, it'll be fine after a few weeks in a cast. Itsnose twitched as if it knew we were talking about it. Even its ears perked up tothe sound of her coming.
"Thank you," she smiled gently; another thing she seemed to only give to me that awakened a rather peculiar thing in my heart. Everyone watched as she bent down after tucking in her dress to scoop up the rabbit she was so passionate about saving two weeks ago. It struggled for only a moment before completely relaxing into her petting. For a reason I've yet to figure out, the sight of her holding something so tenderly reminded me of my own Mother.
I pictured Dove alongside me and I hated it.
When I pictured myself, I always stood alone in the things I do.
With Dove by my side, it sparked something in me. The calmness and peace I felt was unnerving and I needed to end whatever the hell was going on in my heart when she was around. I needed to help her physically close to me but remain stoic and cold because Nicolai's question reminded me what I needed to do.
She was an Italian.
And once the dust was settled, I would do the honors of giving her a painless death.
Dove's eyes fall onto the chessboard between Timor and me. Like usual, her eyes sparked with a fond intensity and eagerness for only a few seconds before her eyes landed on me, like she wanted to say something. Though, as fate had it, Aleksei decided to break the moment, coming in without even knocking. "Dove, you got Scrabble?"
My eyes narrowed into slits unconsciously as he gave us all a sheepish smile as he stands near the door. "Sorry, I didn't realize everyone was here. Is there a meeting or some sort around?"
"Nah, I'm out, I have a club to check in on and then get my fix on whoever catches my eye for the night," Lizabeta hopped off the table where she was seated while Nicolai snorted.
"I'm surprised you're not trying to get your fix on Gedeon's dick."
"I'm down, if he is," she winked playfully at me before her eyes landed on Dove who stiffened tensely at her words. Dove's hands immediately shot to Scrabble's head, stroking it while Lizabeta fake gasped. Lizabeta's hands snapped to her mouth, a façade of shock on her face. "Oops, I forgot you existed for a moment."
Everyone in the family knew about Lizabeta; the only one that was bestowed into the family personally by me when I realized she had nowhere to go but was able to put up a fight just on her own. Her loyalty and toughness were her main strength, along with her attitude about what others perceived of her. There was a reason why I liked her as a person while everyone else seemed to hate it.
Yet at the sight of Dove's uneasiness, it pricked at my heart for the first time in my life. The emotion to protect further fueled my anger. Gripping onto the edge of the table to not give the impression to the others I cared about her.
"Lizabeta," Aleksei snapped. "Stop being a bitch."
"Since when did you care who the fuck I offend?" she scoffed, patting Aleksei's shoulder as she sashayed out the door. Stopping in front of it, she smirked and turned her attention back to Aleksei. "Though, I'm not shocked you're defending her, but friendly reminder she's not your property."
Damn right.
Aleksei's whole body strained, his eyes dripping with venom. "I know."
"Just reminding you, don't need to get your panties in a twist," she whistled and pointed at Nicolai who watched the whole exchange quietly, observing. "Nicolai, are you coming with me to the city?"
"Are you giving me an option?" he asked, rolling his eyes.
"No," she deadpanned, checking out her rather long nails. "You know there's always someone out for me and I need a big and strong man like yourself to watch me."
He grumbled a curse under his breath and then nodded towards me and Timor. "I'll see you both later."
Leaving, Aleksei turned his attention back on Dove who still seemed on edge, stroking Scramble's body in a stoic motion. Her eyes were trained onto the rabbit, giving nothing away with her head ducked lowly.
"Let's go, Dove."
"Okay," she nodded as his hands went to her back, leading her out. Not for a moment did I miss the fact that she didn't even flinch at his touch. She always flinched, even the slightest whenever men approached her, and yet here she was.
"Dove," I gritted out, my voice coming off more on edge than usual and Timor noticed quickly.
"Y-yes?" she turned, swallowing. Her petrified doe eye was haunting and captivating but also full of curiosity and shock that I had used her name. I was a man of my words, after all. Ever since she had told me she was uncomfortable; I had stopped completely calling her bird.
Though it was something I was starting to regret.
"I want you to stand in front of your husband when he speaks to you," I spat out. The air became deadly quiet, but my eyes were trained onto her. She immediately came forward, away from Aleksei's hand, and I was more than happy to rip off her.
"Yes, Gedeon?" she whispered.
"I want you in my office tomorrow after breakfast," I demanded.
A frown so small, I almost missed it, appeared on her face. Before she opened her mouth, Aleksei cut her off, "For what?"
"What I discuss with her is none of your business," I lashed back. With my eyes on her still, I rested my chin onto the palm of my hand propped up. Not for a second does her eyes snap to Aleksei the whole time, which eased me a bit. "Do you understand, sweetheart?"
She nodded. "Yes."
"Good girl," I praised, watching her reaction with a smirk dangling on the corner of my lips.
I watched for her every move. The way she takes a sharp intake of air, her body completely going still at the appraisal. Even the rabbit in her arms perked its head up at her when she stopped petting it to see what was happening. I had to rearrange my seating position to see how far she's willing to go when the chance presents itself to be praised more.
"Is that all?" she mumbled, breaking her contact away from me to tuck in a loose strand of her hair. It only showed the extent of where the blush reached instead. Like a pink rose on her pale face. And I was the one who was able to do that. I shot a quick glance at Aleksei, making a mental note I'll be talking to him soon about his behavior with my wife.
My little, caged beautiful Dove.
I flicked my wrist in dismissal. "Yeah, and stop leaving your door open for your rabbit to come over here."
At that, she beamed down at the thing in her arms. "I think he's taken a liking of you."
I scoffed at her words as she left with Aleksei trailing behind her by a few feet now. He glanced at us momentarily with a rather involuntary smile before slamming the door on the way out.
"That was just harsh, man," Timor whistled, amused. He pushed himself from the wall he was leaning on the whole time, making his way over just to pat me hard on the shoulder with a chuckle. "A real-life soap opera in the comfort of my own home. Keep it up and we'll have a telenovela with our lifestyle."
"I don't know what you were talking about," I played it off, but unfortunately, I knew Timor had a keen eye with just about anything. He stands over me, crossing his arms over his chest rather arrogantly.
"Calling her a good girl in front of Aleksei? You might as well take a piss on her and then beat your chest as a show of dominance since you don't seem to like that Aleksei is getting closer to her," he said, arching a sly brow. "Though I would never imagine that to be your mating call."
"Cute," I deadpanned while repositioning the chess pieces back to their proper place. "I didn't even realize; you're probably imagining it."
"You're lying," he shot back.
"I'm not."
"You think of Aleksei like a little brother, right?" he questioned, following me as I got up to where my desk was. Other than the meeting with Mateo in two days and a couple of emails and meeting from a potential deal with a group in Shanghai, I didn't have anything going on. Which means in Timor's mind, was to humor him.
"Yes, much like everyone else in this estate, family," I agreed, trying to keep my voice mutual. I didn't want to make clear that though recently, it felt like the exact opposite.
"So, say at the end of this whole thing," he said, twirling his hand in a circular motion as he thought. "Aleksei wants you to spar Dove and wed her, take her to bed, breed her, what would you say?"
"She's mine," I snarled out, no room for discussion. If I thought I was angry and annoyed before, it didn't come close to the intangible rage of thinking about her with Aleksei.
"Under marriage and an agreement," he pointed out with a nod in understanding. "But what comes after this whole thing? Are you going to kill her like Nicolai had asked?"
"I'm not discussing this with you," I snapped. I was always the one with the plan and I've made it known to kill every single one of the Italian families, innocent or not. Dove had continued to plow through what I thought she was, but it didn't change anything. She was an enemy, born to be captive till the day she dies. "And I definitely wasn't trying to put a claim on her in front of Aleksei."
"So why are you calling her to your office tomorrow?" he coaxed.
"I'm not discussing that with you either," I repeated.
"You have a soft spot for her." He hummed under his breath, looking arrogant than ever before. "I guess someone who's a cold-hearted lion really a heart does have, doesn't he, Scar? That's what your little pretty bird likes to call you?"
"Fuck off," I warned. My patience with him running thin. On the edge between kneeing him in the balls, throwing him down on the floor, or punching him straight in the jaw. "You better stop."
"Can the Devil learn to love?" he sighed dreamily, patting me again on the shoulder and not heeding my warning.
Finally having enough, I didn't hold back on using my full force when I kicked him right on his leg. He jerked, wincing and going onto one knee; but refusing to go down. Instead, he chuckled through his pain, though it morphed into a hoarse groan.
"Are you done fucking around?" I questioned, unphased. Rather, I smirked down at him.
"You're so going to get it later tonight when we spar," he coughed out, putting a thumb upwards. "But totally worth it."
Walking over and drawing the curtains to either side of the window, I realized winter had come to an end. The snow had since melted into water and there were some buddings and grass sprouting about too.
Do you happen to know what comes after the snow melts? It becomes Spring.
I rolled my eyes at the memories of what Dove had said. There was no chance she would be the reason I was going to throw away my revenge I've planned since I was twelve when they set the house where Mother and I hid, killing her. They thought they were able to kill me, and that my Father in his deranged state picked an orphan child off the street to call his own. Everyone thought that, because no one knew of my existence. I lived in the shadow along with my Mother for protection.
And it all changed.
"Let it be known right now," I grounded out, turning to face Timor who had since gotten back onto his feet. "I'm not letting anyone distract me from my goal of revenge on behalf of all the families that suffered from the Italians, not even the bird I've taken for a mocked-up alliance. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes," he bowed his head in understanding.
"Good," I gritted out. There wasn't a chance I was slowing down for anything or anyone. Dove was just an amusing plaything to keep me entertained in the meantime. She was nothing more to me than that. It had to explain the intangible anger I felt whenever Aleksei was with her even though I assigned it. A classic example of a child not wanting a toy he hasn't touched in a while but when someone else showed interest, he pounced on it.
After all, I don't have a weakness, and it definitely won't be for an Italian princess.
A plaything to lower my stress, much like getting a pet, nothing else.
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