Page 313 of Sinfully Savage Mafia

“Pretty noble of him,” I mutter.

“Yeah, well, the Volkovs haven’t forgotten about it. They want their drugs back. Sound familiar?”

“So you think he robbed us because he needed access to…shit,” I mutter.

“He’s not going to get you those drugs or the money,” Matteo grunts. “It’s all long fucking gone, don’t you get it? Frankie’s desperate, Roman. He’s either gonna run to save his ass, or he’s gonna hit you up again, but this time with his pals from the bratva on his heels because he knows he’s dead if he doesn’t pay them back every ounce of what he stole. You killed the wrong fucking guy, Roman. You should’ve killed Frankie because he’s not finished with you. But you didn’t. Instead, you took his sister, who is leverage not only for you, but for the Volkov Bratva. Do you know what that means?”

My spine stiffens and anger bubbles in my veins because the one thing I was trying so hard to prevent is the very thing that is coming back to bite me in the ass.

I took action to gain respect, to show leadership.

My most trusted guy fucking sold me out.

He decimated any shred of trust I may have had in him when he made that call.

I’m on my own now, neck-deep in the murk that is about to swallow me.

And yeah.

I know exactly what Matteo means.

Blood rushes between my ears and any sliver of control I may have had before slowly seeps out of me, dissipating into the air. My heart hammers against my chest, waiting for the words I know will come.

“Payback.” Matteo’s forehead creases. “It means they’ll be coming for you, too. So you have a choice. Bend over and let them fuck you up the ass again, or show them what happens when they take what’s ours. But make it fast, because you’re almost out of time to stop them.”

CHAPTER16

MARCHELLA

Isink onto the kitchen chair with Bella in my lap after she scarfs down an entire bowl of puppy kibble in what feels like seconds. Poor baby. I hate that she was wandering around on the streets of Inwood by herself, hungry and cold, for God only knows how long.

I pick at the bacon in front of me, unable to eat a single bite of the feast Dante ordered for breakfast. My heart clenches when I think about giving her up. I mean, it’s been less than twelve hours that I’ve even known her, for Pete’s sake.

Still, she represents a bittersweet memory, one that will be really hard to close the book on once we give her up to the police.

I release a shuddering sigh and slouch over in the chair.

It’s the right thing to do, though.

I’m doing what’s best for Bella.

And even though it really hurts now, I know I’ll be making her owners really happy.

My eyes sting with tears and I force the images of that last day in the park to the dark corners of my mind. I can’t think about that day and all of the trauma that came with it. I have to focus on what lies ahead and what’s still in my control.

Admittedly, with Roman in the picture, what’s in my control for the foreseeable future is a bit fuzzy, especially after last night.

I wrap my arms around Bella as she curls up in my lap, her little body warm against my bare legs. A loud snore breaks the silence and I giggle, despite the tear sliding down my cheek.

A shiver slides down my back and I bite down hard on my lower lip remembering his hands stroking my prickled skin, his hungry mouth devouring me like I was his last meal, his muscles rippling beneath my hands.

And his eyes…blazing with a heat so intense, it could singe my insides from a mile away.

“How twisted am I, Bella?” I whisper. “How can I feel these things? How can I get swept away like this, knowing that he’s still a?—”

“Hey!” A booming voice silences my next words and I look up in a panic at Dante strutting into the kitchen. “How’s the food?” He pulls on a baseball cap and slides his arms into a sweatshirt.

“Good,” I say even though I haven’t been able to stomach a single bite. “Are you heading out?”

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