Six:
Gedeon
"You married a fucking Genovese?" Nicolai threw my office door open, glaring at me like I had just done the absolute unthinkable. In his mind and everyone else that just learned who I was particularly married to, it probably did. When Timor found out, he didn't hold back when we sparred in the basement. I was still healing from where he socked me in the stomach. "The Italian's princess? Engaged to who's next in line for the throne with Gaggi's heir?"
"I don't see what that pertains to you," I said casually, moving a piece from the chessboard as Timor cursed under his breath. I didn't bother to look up as I continued talking. "I see you already met her."
"A hundo to bet the fact that he's going to stab someone before he leaves this room," Timor mumbled from my side as he made his next move on the chessboard. He lazily nodded to where Nicolai is coming from. "My guess is you or Aleksei, because I'm staying the hell away from that crazy motherfucker."
"A hundo says he'll try going for that vase I took from Page's place after burning his whole bloodline to the ground," I shot back with a side grin. We shook hands as Aleksei closed the distance between us, slamming his hands onto the table in front of me. I moved my final piece with a sly smile. "Checkmate."
"You never fucking let me win," Timor groaned, annoyed as he pushed himself out the seat. He straightened his back and nodded at Nicolai. "Already, let's get this over with. It's been a real pain hiding this from everyone so let's get this over with."
Finally, I looked Nicolai who was fuming at this point. His jaw was clenched so tightly that I was surprised that it didn't break from the sheer pressure. There was no doubt that he probably had a knife tucked in his pocket that he wouldn't mind stabbing me with. Picking up the queen piece, I held it up for him. "It's simple why I brought her here. I need her to win."
"Why didn't you tell me who she was?" he growled in anger, his nose flaring. He stalked forward till he was looming over me. I didn't bat an eye as I continued to hold his gaze. He tugged at his hair roughly and glared at Timor. "You knew about this, Timor? And you just let it slide?"
I rolled my eyes at his question. "If I stated I was going to Mateo in order to get the game started, did that not indicate that I would be taking her in as my wife?"
He slammed his hands hard onto the table. "I assumed you meant blowing his guts out or something else. But to marry a Genovese? After everything they had done to us?"
I got up from my seat and smiled. "That was exactly why I did it. It was the perfect timing. It's all part of my plan which I was planning to tell you after everything settled. Tell me, how is she? Was she everything you thought?"
Before he could say anything, Aleksei came running in, panting heavily. "Sorry I had to put down my laptop before coming here and got caught up with making sure Ana doesn't need me. What I miss? Did Nicolai stab anyone yet?"
Timor scoffed. "Please, like he could. Is Ana okay?"
He scratched at his stubble as he walked up to us, closing the door behind him on the way. "I think she's fine. She wouldn't let me go into the shower room since she was trying to get Dove to strip. Ana sounds fine, but I wasn't too sure."
"From the looks of it, it doesn't seem like Dove actually knows how to fight anyways," Timor observed, taking out a cigar and light it. He took a loud puff and exhaled, even when I glared at him for smoking in the estate. Sometimes, it felt like he did it just to piss me off. "Though, we should all be in guard, since we don't know her or if she's relaying everything to Ma—"
"Don't say his fucking name," Nicolai growled. "I don't trust her; she could be spy for all we know. You want us to live under the same household as someone who—"
"Yes," I stated, cutting him off. Getting up, I opened the window, allowing the bristle cold air in. The winter months were finally over, but not before one grand winter storm. The coldest winter of the decade, the newscast had stated this morning. Calmly, I leaned onto the ledge with a ghost like smile. I knew they all hated Genovese's family out of all the Italian's, but to have their princess there without causing her harm was something particularly hard. I knew she could still backstab me. The first rule in this business was to trust no one, which was why her room would be right across from mine, with regular random checks to make sure she doesn't have communication of any sorts. "Do you have a problem? Do you wish to duel me to the death in the basement?"
Everyone in the room tensed for a moment at my question. No one ever questioned me, but I always allowed those who did to duel me. If they win, they will take the throne as the Russian's leader. If they lose, they die. Out of the ten duels so far, I had yet to lose, though I had suffered scars all over my body. Nicolai's jaw ticked and his shoulder slumped as seconds ticked by. Finally, he lowered his head in a sign of respect. "Is this your final decision?"
"Yes."
"Un-fucking-believable," he groaned and slammed his fist against my table once more. "This is probably the craziest plan you had come up with. Well besides sending Lizabeta on that mission."
"You could say that again," Aleksei shook his head, exhaling loudly. "I almost couldn't believe it for a moment. I thought she was just a mirage, since even our spies never laid an eye on her before now."
He could say that again. I had assumed Dove would be a sheltered and timid from her lifestyle. Turned out that was the exact opposite. Although submissive, the fire in her eyes didn't conceal what she wanted in her soul. She wanted to fight back in her own snarky remark with the way she huffed quietly and narrowed her eyes when no one was looking. She reminded me of an angry looking bird that puffed up whenever it wanted to attack. I shrugged at Aleksei's statement. "Well, there she is."
"She looked like she was beaten or a drug user from how her arms and legs were wrapped," Nicolai pointed out as he racked his hair roughly as a grin appeared on his face. "Think she into that shit? I wouldn't be surprised."
"No, it seems like her father and Robert beats her," Timor answered, flicking a lint from his suit. At that, Nicolai and Aleksei went quiet, narrowing their eyes into slits. Even as a Genovese, she was a woman. Hitting a woman was something no one tolerated, even if they were twisted. A quick death was something we believed in when it came to them. "Any other questions?"
"Just one more," Aleksei held up one finger and then tapped it under his chin. As my body guard, he was probably the most observant when it came to what I was doing. It was a double edge sword. He shot up an eyebrow as he stared at me. "Dove's father just allowed you to whisk away his only daughter without a fight?"
"I had to give up one of my Rolexes," I said smoothly.
He went quiet for a moment and then narrowed his eyes. "What else?"
"His loyalty if he wants to declare war on Gaggi to be the next heir since Robert is going to piss his pants when he comes back and realizes his fiancé was stolen under his nose," Timor replied for me.
"This is the second time you stole my thunder," I mumbled as everyone went quiet, taking in what he had said. I counted to almost ten seconds when Nicolai was the first to break the silence.
"You want us to help the Italian if they declare war within their internal families?" Nicolai asked, his voice low and deadly. "You want us to lay our lives down for the Italians?"
"I am," I replied a beat later.
In a blink of an eye, Nicolai ran over and took the vase, throwing it onto the floor in blind rage and did the same with the cabinet. Everyone didn't bat an eye at his rage, knowing it was better to let him take out his anger before we could even talk.
Aleksei sighed, shutting his eyes as he pinched his nose. "Sometimes I swear we should send him to a psychologist for his anger issues."
"So long as he doesn't harm anyone in the estate, I don't really care. He is my most loyal man and commander," I pointed out while a grin formed on my face as I extended my hand in front of Timor. He took another puff of his cigar as he eyed me. Cocking my head to the side, I continued to hold his gaze. "Money please."
"You should have stabbed Gedeon to take your frustration out," Timor grumbled to Nicolai while fishing for his wallet from his back pocket. He slammed the Benjamin into my hands, the sound echoing through the office. He wanted me to wince, but he would have to try harder to get a reaction out of me.
Nicolai snorted after he was done with his tantrum, rubbing at his shoulder. "Stabbing the boss means questioning him."
"And are you questioning my choices?" I asked, though I didn't care about it.
"As your most faithful men, never. As a friend? Hell fucking yes, I think we all are. Why didn't you just take a different approach to allow Mateo to repay his debt for killing our men? Like a duel?"
I nodded at his question. "Yes, I could have done that, but that's not the end goal. The goal is to crush them for what they fucking did to –"
Suddenly, a high pitched scream cut me off guard and everyone's eyes widened when they realized who's voice it was. It was just a small scream, just two second that sounded out of shock then of fear, but it didn't stop us from running down.
Shit, if anything did happen to Anastasia, there was no doubt I would have to kill Dove before myself. Racing to where the bathroom was, Aleksei was the first there at his sister's sudden scream from before.
"What happened?" Aleksei banged on the bathroom door loudly. He fumbled for the door knob and when it didn't turn, he continued banging frantically, trying to get her to reply. "Ana? Are you okay?"
"Yes," Ana squeaked on the other side. She cleared her throat, though she didn't open the door. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. It's nothing, I was just –"
"Move aside, I'm breaking the fucking door," Nicolai growled as everyone stepped away. He took three giant steps back and glared at me. "I knew this thing was going to backstab us. We can't trust an Italian no matter what. They're fucking snakes."
"No wait, don't –"
Nicolai didn't wait for Anastasia to finish before he slammed his whole body against the door with Aleksei, breaking it. Steam came pouring out of the room as we stepped in, trying to assist the situation. Anastasia yelped in surprise as we all examined her. Her sleeves were rolled up as she gawked at us. Taking her in, I realized that she was unharmed, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Are you okay?" Aleksei rushed to his sister and gripped her arms as he looked at her. "Please tell me you're okay."
"I said I was fine," she huffed as Nicolai approached her as well, trying to examine her and glared at Aleksei for taking the spotlight.
"Why did you yell then?" Nicolai questioned.
"Holy shit," Timor mumbled next to me, his face paled. We all followed his gaze to where he was looking, and everyone went still. Standing in the middle of the tub was Dove. Her figure was slim, and without the flimsy tattered old dress shielding her, I was able to make out just how tiny she was. Her pale white skin was flushed, dripped with water as her hair was slicked onto her skin. What caught my eyes wasn't her naked body, though my cock swelled, but what covered her delicate skin.
From head to toe was bruises and marks of all kinds. They were tattered all over her in black, purple and light green from those that were healing. No matter where you looked, it was there. Small rigid scar lines also plagued her thin arms. Her hands were still blistered from what appeared to be burn marks. My eyes traveled to where her breasts were, and I froze in horror when my eye made contact with what was beneath it, on her ribcage. At the same time, Aleksei drew in a sharp breath with Nicolai when they realized what was there. My stomach twisted at the sight.
She was branded like an animal.
Though it had healed, the scarring was still there. A circular formation with the Italian's branding. Something I've seen before when we had kidnapped, trapped, and tortured their family for information. A snake coiled around the tail with another snake upwards and the snake's heads facing the other way. The middle was had a cursive "G" to show ownership by their owners of the family. It wasn't an honor to get branded, but out of just showing ownership and dominance.
As if she knew we were all staring, her hands went to where the brand was, trying to shield it. Shame filled her eyes as she ducked her head down quietly. Although it took away the view, it didn't help that the bandages that covered her arms and legs were now gone, exposing her bruises and scars out in the open. It was so bad; I didn't even know how she was able to move before without breaking apart.
That was why Anastasia screamed before.
For some reason, the swell to punch something build in me the longer I looked at where the mark was. Everyone's eyes on her wasn't making it any better as I growled, making Dove tense. "Sit down in the damn tub."
Without another word, Dove lowered her body slowly into the tub, her body tensing even more as she bit her lips. Before I could understand it completely as of why, Anastasia gripped her hand on my arms. "What are you doing? How about all of you get out instead. Her wounds are still healing and it's burning her."
Fuck.
"Everyone get the fuck out," I snapped, authority dripped in my voice. Without another word, everyone left slowly before my eyes fell back on Dove, who was struggling to follow through with what I was telling her to do. Guilt hits me, something that hasn't happened in a long time. Perhaps it was the way she was branded and although she was in so much pain from her life before, she had no choice. It reminded me of when I was a teenager and felt the same. I hated it. "Stop, sweetheart you don't need to get in the tub. We're leaving."
She jerked her eyes up, as if trying to see if I was telling the truth or was testing her. Gingerly, she covered her breasts with her other hand and shuffled herself to hide. For some reason, the gesture aroused me more and my cock stiffened and hardened more. Without her bruises, I was sure she was beautiful.
Her voice snapped me back to reality and I didn't even realize I was looking at her like a prey. "Then why are you still here?"
At that, Anastasia slapped her knees and laughed, doubling over. "Good one, Dove."
I narrowed my eyes at her before my eyes went back to Dove who stared back at me, holding my gaze. While everyone usually looked away after a while out of fear or respect, she held on. It was rather intriguing to see sometimes her acting obedient and the next like she was ready to murder me. A slow smile came to my face. Her snarky demeanor comment went perfectly against her doe innocent eyes.
I turned and cocked my head back, winking at her. "Maybe it's because I like what I see."
Anastasia gave me a disgusted look while Dove glanced away finally at my comment. My comment could have been taken either way; I liked seeing her bruised or I liked seeing her pale petite body. Either way, I didn't care how they deciphered it as. I never needed to explain myself, so long as I knew what I meant.
What do you think will happen next?
Any votes and comments would be great!