Luca's pov
The death toll was a total of forty-eight. Forty-eight people out of the hundred and twenty people that were present for the wedding party.
I stared at the list of their names projected on the grey walls of the conference room of my main club, my muscles tightening beneath my skin. Fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, all dead.
A turbulent wave clashed in my chest and I pressed my fist on the conference table, even children hadn't been spared.
Dominic, sensing the pressure building inside me, flipped the list to something else and I was now staring at a picture of an unfamiliar man. "This is Yaroslav Kozlov aka the deathsmith and he's the Alexei's most deadliest krysha-"
Krysha was the Russian term for enforcer and I didn't need Dominic's information to tell that this Yaroslav fucker was one. He had the empty gaze of one who had sent many men back to their maker.
I got up and went around the long table to get a closer look at the projected picture, leaning on the edge of the polished surface. I studied the tattooed giant, taking in his blond mane, scarred face and soulless eyes and I wondered what the mere enforcer had to do with anything.
"-he's Alexei's most dangerous killing machine and has risen up the ranks to the pakhan's innermost circle even though he's just an enforcer."
I had my answer.
Dominic continued, turning his swivel back and forth. "Yaroslav is highly valued by Alexei and is even said to have influenced some of the pakhan's crucial decisions. The both of them first met in prison after the young pakhan had been arrested for killing a college mate.
Yaroslav got into a fight with a local gang and although he killed all ten of them, the injuries he sustained were severe. The wardens supposedly left him for dead, but Alexei had found him and attended to his wounds. The Russian giant had stayed loyal to him ever since."
Dominic's twirling swivel halted, his face pinching into a foreboding scowl. "Yaroslav hardly ever leaves the pakhan's side since his assignments are limited to very important targets but these days, he has been caught snooping around our territory."
I leaned off the table and strolled to the projection, my pointer finger coming up to poke the bastard's forehead. "We'll have to take care of him then. Before the mostro does something messy." I said, turning to my consigliere, my finger still pressed to the projected face of the enforcer. "Has Satino been contacted yet?" I asked.
Satino was my most ruthless hitman and not once has he ever missed a target. Dead shot, his nickname, had been inspired by his bullet precision.
It had been a while since I sent him out and I knew the bloody-thirsty son of a gun itched in anticipation wherever he was.
Dominic nodded once. "Yes, he's to carry out the job next tomorrow."
Next tomorrow. That was Tuesday, the day before the rats are exposed. A slow smile worked up my lips, such a pleasant sequence of good news.
"Tell Satino to deal with Yaroslav together with the others." I turned back to the projected picture. "It's only fair that our dear pakhan grieve alongside the Cosa Nostra."
It won't be easy taking out the brute enforcer but it was going to be much harder to do if we left him to run amok like a wounded grizzly.
The deathsmith was about to get clipped by the dead shot. Dark excitement flooded my veins.
Unfortunately the excitement didn't last as my next order doused all of it in cold water. "Prepare a meeting with the other families. I need to render my condolences and give them a modified summary of the situation."
It occurred to me that the rat was going to be present as well and the realization left a metallic taste in my mouth.
Just the thought of sitting at the same table as him along with having to pacify the rest of the old bitching dons that didn't know any more than to panic caused a vein to throb in my temple. But, it was either that or risk an internal battle for power. I didn't have the time to deal with any opposition challenging my capabilities, I already had a lot on my plate. I could not afford to give Alexei such an advantage.
My gaze bored into the projected picture of Yaroslav, and I vowed to make he and every other bratva fucker causing havoc disappear completely.
I swore this on my dear mother's grave and marked an X on the bastard's unsmiling face.
***
"Tutti bene?" Dominic asked once we returned to my office.
I waved him off. "Everything's fine." Although my friend was a cold, heartless bastard most of the time, he still possessed an annoying mother hen trait that showed up once in a while and unfortunately for me, I was the sole recipient of the bizarre disposition. I stole a glance at his face and the raw concern on it made me wince.
"I think you should go home to rest, you look sallow." Dominic said, unbothered by my dismissive attitude.
My facial muscles squeezed into an irritated scowl. "Jesus Christ Dominic, stop acting like I'm suddenly going to collapse to the floor."
He pinned me with a solemn stare. "I'm serious Luca."
"F uck you." I retorted, pouring myself a glass of whiskey.
"You should take it easy."
My smile was sardonic. "If only Alexei Mikhalov would be nice enough to let me do that."
Dominic sighed, obviously exasperated. "Fine, do whatever you like. Treat your body like it's invincible, I don't give a fuck."
I didn't bother with a response and instead took my first sip on my whiskey, flexing my jaw at the delicious bitterness.
"You should at least get some stress prescription from the doctor."
This persistent f ucker.
"Dominic shut up. I'm not my aging father, I don't need any f ucking stress prescription."
That finally got him to give it up. He sighed heavily, giving me a don't say I didn't warn you look.
He might be right about me being stressed, anyone would be if they dealt with the shit I've been dealing with but what I needed wasn't some stupid pills. No, it was something much sweeter and hotter and very much human.
I glanced at my watch. I still had about two hours before the meeting with the representatives of the Cosa Nostra families. I could make a quick stop at Rico's, have stress relieving sex with Cara then return just in time for the meeting.
I rose to my feet and grabbed my jacket.
"Where are you going?" Dominic asked, getting up from the leather sofa he had been so casually slumped in.
"Out," was my cryptic reply.
"You're going to see her." He threw me an accusing gaze.
I shot him a scathing look. "And what about it?"
A scoff left him. "Are you being serious?"
"Don't start."
"Luca, you're supposed to be getting ready for the meeting. Not running off to that woman."
He was beginning to appear really punchable at the moment.
"I don't need to "get ready" for anything. It's not an office presentation." I slipped into the jacket. "Don't wait for me, I'll see you at the meeting."
"She's not worth the trouble, man."
One moment I was flattening the lapels of my jacket then grabbing my oldest friend by his the next. I glowered at him in restrained annoyance, trying my hardest not to break his nose with a headbutt.
I successfully reined in my rising temper, sheathing the promising claws of violence as I decided not to fight him over a woman. My smile was caustic when I released him.
"Let's not do this." I said, smoothing his wrinkled lapels. "We have bigger issues to focus on."
Dominic's clinical gaze was unwavering. "Exactly the point I'm trying to make."
Well f uck his badgering nature and fuck me for being the pacifist.
My fist connected with his abdomen.
He sucked in a sharp breath, bending over from the pain. He groaned as he pressed a palm to the affected area then laughed.
The bastard fucking laughed.
Not that I was surprised, Dominic was sick like that. It just made me all the more annoyed. "You're lucky you're who you are." I said, putting my phone into my pocket. "I'd have broken your jaw if you were to be any other man."
His tone was sarcastic. "Thank you for your benevolence."
"You're welcome." I was halfway across the spacious office before he spoke again.
"Should I be worried about you not making it to the meeting? Her sexy ass seems to hold your complete interest after all."
I stilled and turned back to him. If I had been near him, I'd have punched him again. "I will be there, keep the other dons in order until I return."
He nodded, his face squeezing as he went back to standing erect.
I drew satisfaction from his pain. "And another thing," I said, pinning him a stern look. "You will address Cara with the respect she deserves."
Dominic's frown was disagreeing.
I turned away to open the door. "That is an order." I said before walking out and shutting the damned thing.