Page 57 of Ruined Vows
He gives me a knowing look. He knows I’m not a man who falls in love easily. I wait for a few seconds, then I nod.
“We need to double the guards at the estate. Dragan, find out who’s speaking to Radovan behind closed doors. I assume it’s my uncle, but we need more intel. Luka, start by limiting the amount of money in their accounts until this settles.”
I do this because it will put them on notice, but it won’t cause a panic. It will make them think and worry.
“And me?” Emilia asks.
I meet her gaze. “Keep the calm among the loyal council members. Let them believe this is handled.”
She smirks. “And when it isn’t?”
“Then I burn them. Publicly.”
Filip says, “Radovan met twice with your Uncle Milan. Quietly, as in off-book. They’re circling the idea of ‘restoring the old order.’”
I groan. Miloš’ reign was bloody, weak, and chaotic. Are they too stupid to see this? The stupidity of others shouldn’t surprise me, and yet, it does.
“He’s so predictable,” I mutter.
I lean against the cold stone wall. My jaw is clenched. I need to remain calm because reacting is a mistake. I have to be patient. I will give them enough rope to hang themselves.
“Yeah, but it means he’s not alone,” he says.
“True. Thanks for the intel,” I say.
If they move at all, it will be soon. But if they touch Bianca?—
There will be no shadow left of them.
And an hour later, we emerge to attend the council meetings in the large dining room, which features a huge table. This serves as our boardroom. The council is comprised of eleven men and my cousin, Emilia.
These members of my syndicate are the founding bloodlines from the old world and the new. And when I enter, their looks are subdued. This is concerning.
I take my place at the head of the table. I let the room settle before I speak. David is beside me, Emilia to my right. The others? Some loyal. Some leaning. Some are already halfway turned to the defectors.
“No doubt you’ve heard the whispers.”
A few men murmur. The room is filled with tension and unease. A few men shift in their seats.
“I’ll make it simple,” I continue. “The Petrovic name stands. So does its future. If you doubt me, speak now. But remember—if you challenge me, you challengeeverythingwe’ve rebuilt and everything I have planned to grow. I have powerful alliances that can help us and will give you the money you want.”
One man clears his throat. Milan Petrovic—My father’s brother. He thought this empire should have been his after my father died—the man who watched Miloš wear the crown he coveted.
He never forgot that slight. And now he’s watching me wear it. I know he’s not happy.
“Some are concerned,” he says slowly, “about… emotional investments. That our leader has aligned himself too closely with the Borrelli name. She’s an Italian.”
He’s always the first to test boundaries. He’s family by blood. But damn it if he’s not an asshole.
I don’t blink. Instead, I stare him down. My eyes are cold and hard. I pull from my past to look menacing.
“The woman I’m marrying is a Borrelli,” I say. “She’s alsothe reason three of our rivals now fear me more than ever. Because I have something to lose.”
The silence is so thick I can hardly breathe.
“She doesn’t make me weaker,” I add. “She makes me unpredictable andviolent.”
David stifles a smirk. Emilia looks pleased. Luka leans in like he just placed a bet and knows it’s going to hit.
