A hospital and several ice baths later I was still a fucking wreck. I took many painkillers and slept for three days before I decided to get up and be a human again. I had shit I needed to handle, but I look so busted up I think I'll scare pedestrians away if I go walking around town like this. But I need to go see Vitaly first thing, and then I need to go find a ring.
I'm not having Lexi keep Enzo's engagement ring. I heard she didn't even pick it out, and it doesn't seem like it's her style. I want to get her something that suits her. And when I think of Lexi I think of something vintage and beautiful.
So that's what I googled, and I found a few jewelers in New York that are collectors.
I asked Giana to come with me. She gave me shit at first telling me she's too tired and the babies been cranky, but I reminded her that she's the only person aside from Enzo who knows my history with Lex, and I needed someone's opinion. Don't think Enzo's very enthusiastic about it. But that part comes later.
First is Vitaly. Things aren't set in stone yet, but if I fought Andrei and almost damn near killed myself and he still says no I might go ahead and beat his ass too.
I have stitches in my eyebrow line, one through the inside of my lip where it split deeper than what it is on the outside, and I have surgical tape holding the skin on my knuckles together. I'm blue and purple all over like an over ripe plum.
I'm swollen in various places. I'm limping too. And still I hobbled my ass to the Petrov residence. They knew I was coming. This is technically a formal sit down.
When I got to the place I was escorted by the guards to Vitaly's study as I have been before when coming here for meetings. I usually never leave this place happy. Vitaly likes to disrespect me, and I don't respond kindly to it. Still he aired on false pleasantries when I walked through his office door.
"Anthony Rizzo" he said my name like an announcement. He came to shake my hand, but stopped himself when he saw their condition. Instead he waved for me to have a seat and went to his liquor cart to pour me a drink. I won't refuse it. Helps numb the pain.
"I must admit...I haven't seen a fight like that in a long time. Maybe ever. You surprised me, Mr. Rizzo. Andrei isn't a man to be beaten" he walked over and placed the glass on the edge of his desk in front of where I now sat.
It's very showy here in terms of decorating. I think Vitaly is a man who likes to remind others of his wealth and power. It's practically aristocratic here.
"I assume your son explained my proposal for that fight?" I asked him. He hummed and rounded the desk. "Yes. You want Aleksandra to be your wife" he said. Nothing in his tone or expression gave anything away.
I thought for a moment that we'd be alone, but of course Dmitriy is his shadow, so he appeared just then. He walked past me and over to his father. He literally stood behind him as a shadow does. His eyes studied my condition. "The both of you look like dog shit" was his only form of greeting. I just brought my eyes back to Vitaly.
"Well?" I asked him. He folded his fingers in front of him and made a show of taking his time. "What makes you think you're worthy of my daughter? You are an underboss to a creditable crime family, sure...but is that enough? She was meant for the boss of the whole mob, and somehow she's been passed around like an unpaid whore" he stated harshly.
"Mr. Petrov, I have nothing but respect for your daughter. I think your own son could vouch for that. I'd like to remind you that I kicked my own cousin's ass when he laid a finger on her." With that Vitaly smirked in the most unpleasant way. "Yes...if you can so easily turn on family then how loyal a man are you, Mr. Rizzo?" He taunted me.
"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.
He's insane.
Vitaly spoke with him in their native tongue, and the three men got into a conversation as I sat in the middle like a dumbass waiting.
"We want to have a word with your boss. I don't like that Enzo Rizzo had the balls to disrespect my daughter while she still carries the Petrov name. And I don't like the mess the Italians have been in. And I don't like that he overlooks talent and promotes someone far less capable than you are just to please us. If I ask him to suck my cock will he do that too?" He asked me. Rhetorically I hope.
"We want you as our business correspondent from this day forward, as the lead in this contract. Not Enzo. You and Andrei will keep things running in Philly after we're gone. With this you get the input of a man with the title as high as a number 3 man, so all parties involved get what they want. Aleksandra included" Vitaly spelled it out for me.
I have no idea if Dom will agree, but I think he has to. We've been a mess around them and we can't piss them off anymore than we already have.
"Good thing you share a last name with your cousin. Now we won't have to change the invitations" the old man deadpanned. Andrei smirked then flinched again. He was leaning on the chair beside me, probably to hold himself up.
"Then, sir, I got what I came for. I'll excuse myself now" I stood up and smoothed myself over. All three of the Russians eyed me over, but I can't tell what they're thinking.
"We want our vote on matters to be the majority vote, Mr. Rizzo. I hope your boss agrees to that promotion or else our end of the bargain won't be held up" he let me know.
With Lexi's shares on my side after we marry we do have the majority vote when it comes to business matters. I told them so and he nodded knowing I was right. Even without the promotion I can still swing this thing.
I won. I beat all three Petrov men at their own game. And now Lexi's free. Or as free as she's gonna be in a matter like this one. I can't wait to tell her about it. But first...the ring.
-
Giana gasped when she saw me today. She was appalled at the state of me. "I am not going ring shopping when you look like that. People are gonna think you're either a criminal or a fool" she stuck her nose up at me.
I kindly reminded her that I slept on my tiny ass sofa for over a week when she was still pregnant and nobody else was on her side. She huffed but she's with me here now.
I had been looking online all last night, so I already had a general idea of what the jeweler had and what I thought Lexi might like. I don't know her well enough to know what ring she would've wanted if she were to marry for love and not business.
I'm going to just go with my gut on this. My very bruised gut.
"This one is called an east west marquise" I told Giana as I pointed. The jeweler hummed in satisfaction at knowing my cut of diamonds. "Oh god...you really like her don't you. You were looking shit up and know things like 'marquise' diamonds" my cousin laughed at me.
"Well, I hope he likes her if he's proposing to her" the jeweler chuckled at his own joke.
He looked extremely uncomfortable when I'd first come in looking the way I do. When I noticed his doubt I told him I survived a bad car accident and was proposing to my girlfriend. "You never know when the day is your last" I had said to him. He turned somber and he sympathized with my injuries.
If only the bastard truly knew.
"It's between these four" I set the last of my options on the soft cushion the man had placed out in front of me when I started pointing at rings and pulling them as options. The first was a solitaire moissanite east west engagement ring, oval shaped over a thin band. The second was the same, only the band was made up of tiny diamonds. They were both white gold.
The third ring was another vintage. A morganite rose gold circular halo diamond with matching small diamond encrusted wedding band. And the last was an art deco vintage with a square center diamond and two side diamonds set in white gold.
"You have excellent taste, sir" the man approved of my choices. Actually Giana did too. "I'd wear all four," she said. "Does the lady wear more silver or goldish toned jewelry?" He'd asked me. I frowned. "I've barely seen her wear any," I admitted.
"If she enjoys antiques she'll enjoy any of these fine choices" he waved over the diamonds, glittering like rainbow shards across the counter, and onto our shirts when the light hit it just right.
"Is pricing a factor?" He asked next. I shook my head no, "Cost is no issue." His grin told me he liked to hear it. He'll get a good chunk of change for this.
"Fuck. I don't wanna screw this up" I muttered to Giana. She crossed her arms and popped out her hip. "You like-like her" she said more quietly, so the man couldn't overhear when he went to answer the phone on the wall that was ringing.
"She's...yeah, I mean, she's a cool girl" I stumbled over myself. I don't like-like her in the way she means. We have a lot of chemistry and the sex is incredible. That's all. Neither one of us wants anything serious. Even if we are married, that's just semantics.
Bottom line is Lexi didn't wanna be tied down either. We both just wanted something uncomplicated and casual. Physical. That's all it is between us.
Giana's only response to my half coherent ramble was, "You fool."
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Vote now. Which ring do you wanna see on Lexi's finger??