Page 41 of Hers to Command

Riccardo pulls back just enough to meet my gaze, his eyes smoldering. “Careful, Cara,” he says, his tone laced with both warning and promise. “You’re going to get what you wish for.”

Before I can respond, his lips are on mine again, and this time there’s no hesitation, no teasing. It’s raw and consuming, and when he finally pulls my pants down I’m far past ready for him to sink into me, only annoyed by the fact that he dons a condom, because, damn it, I want to feel him bare.

Chapter Seventeen

Anya

Riccardo’s arm is draped over my waist as we lie tangled in the sheets. His body radiates warmth, his chest rising and falling against my back. For once, there’s silence between us, but it doesn’t feel awkward.

“You know,” I say, breaking the silence, “if you support me, you’d get more than just an alliance.”

Riccardo hums, his fingers tracing lazy circles along my hip. “And what exactly are you offering me,Tesoro?”

I turn in his arms, propping myself up on one elbow so I can see his face. His eyes are half-lidded, but there’s a glint of curiosity, or maybe it’s calculation, beneath them.

“Leverage,” I say, my voice steady. “The Bratva controls information on people, businesses, and politicians. Not like Gianna with her cameras and blackmail, but the girls hear shit all the time. The men talk in the bars and especially in bed. With me in charge, those girls will get a chance to actually earn their way out. It’ll motivate them to listen closely. And you’d have access to all of it. Quietly, of course. You wouldn’t even need to ask.”

His lips curve into a smirk. “You’re offering me blackmail as a bargaining chip?”

I shrug. “Call it insurance. You don’t trust easily, and neither do I. But I know the value of shared interests. You can get useful information for your business while I’ll carry the risk since my organization pays the price if it comes out that we don’t hold to client/dancer confidentiality. In exchange, I get your backing now and an agreement that you don’t cross into my territory while the agreement holds.”

Riccardo watches me for a moment, his hand sliding up to cup the back of my neck. His grip is firm but not forceful, grounding me in place. “Go on.”

Taking a breath, I push past the nagging vulnerability that creeps in when I talk about this. “I won’t expand our operations the way my father probably would have liked to. I don’t like the idea of running a stable of girls and I like the trafficking even less. As much as I hate to say it, I’ve always admired how Gianna runs things. You know, even before her father died. Her blackmail schemes have class in a way that running a territory full of drugged-up prostitutes can never achieve. But that doesn’t mean I think that selling sex is outright wrong. I just like the idea of high-class call girls who earn a decent living a lot more. It’s a direction I wouldn’t mind taking. Which means my focus will be inward. And that means no territory disputes and no stepping onyour toes. You help me solidify my position, and I’ll stay in my lane.”

I turn to look at him, but his expression doesn’t change.

“You’re making a lot of promises,” he finally says, his thumb brushing against my jaw. “But promises mean little without action. How do I know you’ll keep your word once you have the power?”

“Because it’s in my best interest to keep you happy,” I reply evenly. “I’m not stupid, Riccardo. Crossing you wouldn’t just be bad business—it could very well be suicide.”

His expression darkens for a moment, his eyes going through me like he’s seeing something else entirely. Then he pulls himself together and forces a chuckle, low and dark. “Smart girl.”

I pull away slightly, sitting up and clutching the sheet to my chest. “I’m serious. I want to take over.”

Riccardo sits up, his hand running through his dark hair as he studies me. “You’ve thought this through.”

“I have,” I say firmly.

For a moment, he’s silent, his gaze unreadable. Then he nods, a small but deliberate movement. “I can get Gianna on board. Make sure she doesn’t intervene when you take over and kick Dmitri out.”

My eyes widen, but I quickly school my expression. “Gianna? You think she’ll agree?”

Riccardo nods. “She won’t support you outright obviously, but she sees the advantage of getting rid of Dmitri. If she and Mikhail don’t oppose your claim to inherit over Mikhail, Dmitri’s position will weaken, since any of the men who might otherwise have worried about family squabbles will be more likely to stay loyal to you.”

The idea of Riccardo working behind the scenes for me is both thrilling and unsettling. He’s not doing this out of the goodnessof his heart. He’s playing his own game, and I’d be a fool to forget that. Even as his hand is stroking down my bare hip, forcing me to do my best to ignore the tingling heat radiation from his touch.

Riccardo leans back against the headboard, his smirk returning. “Tomorrow night I’ll take you to dinner, and we’ll discuss how to make this happen.”

For a second, I just stare at him.We’ll discuss how to make this happen.I hadn’t just convinced him to let me give things a shot without fucking them up for me before I could even try. No. Riccardo was offering to help me. To give me advice.

“Dinner?” I echo, raising an eyebrow, not having to fake my surprise. It wasn’t like anyone had ever believed I could do this. Sure, my dad had paid for my degree, and, if what Sergei said was true, had let me get my hands dirty, but in the end, he hadn’t truly believed I could do it on my own. And Mikhail thought I should hide my head in the sand and let his wife take over. He had gone straight from psycho killer big brother to Italian pussy licker.

Riccardo smacks my ass. “Yes, dinner. Gotta keep my wife happy, no?”

I roll my eyes but can’t suppress the small smile tugging at my lips. “Fine. Dinner it is.”

As I lay back against him, his arm wrapping around me once more, I settle in for the night, feeling oddly optimistic. Of course, whether Riccardo’s support will be my salvation or my undoing remains to be seen.

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