Page 453 of Sinfully Savage Mafia

“I believe you know my sister, Heaven.”

I suck in a breath. Oh my God… “You,” I gasp.

He holds up a hand. “Now, don’t tell me you’re one of those girls who believes everything they hear without getting all sides of a story.”

“There are obviously reasons why they won’t let you near them,” I say, narrowing my eyes. “I heard enough from Heaven. And seeing you here now tells me those reasons are pretty damn valid.”

Conor gives Uncle Boris a look. “Give us a few minutes alone. I think Anya needs a little more convincing.”

Boris slides his chair along the floor and walks away from the table. My jaw drops. He doesn’t even look back once. Just leaves me with this evident sicko stranger.

And that blood of his runs through my veins, too.

Good God, I’m fucked.

“You’re good at what you do, Anya. You fly under the radar, you follow instructions, and you deliver. You handled Vigo, that cocksucker. Escaped without a trace.” Conor grins. “I like the blonde hair better, for what it’s worth. Sexy.”

Bile rises in the back of my throat. “You knew about Vigo?”

“I know about everything,” he says in his thick New York accent. “I even know that my own brother and his dipshit sidekick, Dante Villani, were tailing me that night. I have eyes and ears everywhere, even out here.” An evil laugh escapes his lips. “You’re fitting in well, too. Getting fucked by the enemy.”

“He’s not my enemy!” I say through gritted teeth. “I know the truth now!”

“You only know what you know.” He lifts an eyebrow and sits back in the chair, folding his arms over his chest.

“What I know is that you and my uncle baited me. You sent me out here under false pretenses. He knew I’d never go along with this if he told me the truth about that night.”

“Yeah, well, now you know. But guess what? It doesn’t make a difference,” he hisses. “You’ve gained their trust and made it possible for me to get close.”

“They’ll never let you get back in! Heaven doesn’t trust you. She told me so herself. So whatever you have planned, it’s not going to work!” The legs of my chair scrape against the floor as my body shoots up out of it for the second time.

He looks at me, his gaze hard. “I suspected your loyalties might be a little tangled up, so here’s the plan.”

“My loyalties are just fine. So shove your plan up your ass!”

Conor raises a hand the slightest bit and two guys appear from out of nowhere, flanking me on either side.

“Sit,” one of them seethes. “And don’t get up again until you’re told.”

My eyes skirt around the restaurant. Exactly how much of a scene do I want to cause right now?

My blood simmers as it courses through my veins, my very limited options looping through my mind.

“What do you want from them? Everything is under lock and key,” I blurt.

“Not everything.” His eyes glitter murderously with repressed hatred.

“What the hell do you want, then?”

“You’ll find out in the morning,” he says. “But know this. If you don’t do exactly as I say, I will expose you. I will play the part of the concerned brother who tells them that it’s their ‘trusted’ Russian au pair who has been plotting against them this whole time under orders from the Volkov Bratva. Revenge for that infamous night in Manhattan. They will kill you before morning. You, not me.”

“You’re insane!” I yelp. “I’ll tell them the truth! They’ll believe me over you!”

“Why?” he asks in a sharp voice. “Because you’ve been so honest with them up till now?” He pulls something out of his pocket…an envelope with pictures. They fall onto the table, one by one, and my stomach sinks further and further into my shoes. Me, walking into Tatiana the night I killed Vigo. Me with Dante and the other guy who looks just like this sociopath Conor. Me, hopping out the window of Velvet Lounge in my sports bra, glasses, and shorts.

With a pounding pulse, I slowly raise my eyes to his.

“Now tell me again what I need to convince them of?” He leans forward. “You feeling a little conflicted right now? Well, let me give you a little more food for thought. Right about now, one of my other guys has your uncle tied up and in the trunk of his car. See, I heard all you said about wanting to get out of this life and wanting respect and blah blah blah. All that bullshit. And deep down, what you really want is for someone to give a damn about you. He does, in his own twisted way, I’m sure. Like you said, you’re his only family. And now you have the power to determine whether he lives or dies. Do what I ask, walk away a rich woman, save your uncle, and live your dreams.” He shrugs. “Or, ignore my threats and you both die. It’s that simple.”

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