Chapter 38 Surrender, Donna
❦ Rosalind ❦
The doorframe shuddered with the force I used to slam it shut.
Rocco startled and got in position, his gun raised.
“Give him a warning shot if he knocks again. Preferably on the kneecap,” I ordered dryly.
Walking back to the kitchen, I snatched a steaming bun from Claudia’s tray.
She cleaned her hands on her apron, pinning me with a disapproving stare. “You shouldn’t be so rude, Rosa. He brought you flowers.”
“Trust me, Claudia, I don’t want flowers from the likes of him.”
“Nonsense. Rocco, let him in. Back when you were in university, his father used to come over here for business and talk to your papa about you two.”
I stopped chewing immediately.
“What?”
“Yes. I used to think you would get married to him, you see. Don Giancarlo seemed to like the idea very much. But your papa, well, such a smart man, God rest his soul, he never gave him a definitive answer.”
The cogs in my head turned. Had Viktor been right? Did Orlov know who I was all that time at school?
Orlov walked into the house, his hands full with the ugly bouquet. It had too many random selections of flowers and showed he didn’t put any thought into it.
Claudia bustled around him, cooing at how beautiful the bouquet was. I rolled my eyes.
“Good day, Prima Donna. Do you like your flowers? They’re imported blooms and cost quite a ton.”
He looked pleased with himself. Typical Orlov, didn’t know me and didn’t care to know what I’d like or prefer. My favourite flowers are jasmines. Owning a flower shop and handling several exotic plants didn’t change that and probably never will.
“They’re not my flowers. I don’t want them.” At my scathing tone, Claudia finally shrank away after placing them in a large vase on the counter.
“Look, I get you’re mad at me…”
“Mad at you?” I advanced. He stood his ground, looking down at me beneath his nose. “I loathe you. What part of leave me alone do you not understand?”
“You’re being emotional when you should be looking at this from a place of strategy,” he hissed.
Ah, there it is. That tone.
“I know you, Orlov. I know what you want. And you’re never going to get it. Besides, why are you shoving flowers in my face when you have a girlfriend?”
“Dahlia is not my girlfriend.”
At that, I laughed heartily.
“What is she? Your booty call? So you couldn’t even reward her betraying me with what she wanted most of all, to be yours?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I loved you. She was just a distraction…”
“You brought your ‘distraction’ to an exclusive racing event.” I stared him down, daring him to deny what we both knew.
He didn’t get the chance to respond. My bouncing ball of fury, his archnemesis after me, walked down the stairs. From the expression on her face, she had heard his voice before coming down.
Orlov adjusted the cuff of his shirt. I watched, amused, as a bead of sweat formed on his forehead. She scared him, and rightly so.
After I broke up with him, Juliana had pried the story out of me, and when I didn’t agree to tag along on her mission of ‘making him pay,’ she formed a crew of her own friends and made a visit to his house.
One of her friends lured him into opening his door under the pretense of wanting to sleep with him.
I heard he’d barely escaped after they tied him to a chair, doused the place, and set it on fire.
“What’s this coglione doing here, Rosa?” Her tone was ice, her face blank save for the vein ticking in her temple.
“Nice to meet you too. You know, I should’ve had you fucking arrested for that stunt,” Orlov said without conviction.
It happened so fast, I almost missed it.
Orlov gasped at the pistol Juliana pointed at his face, inches away from his nose.
“Then maybe I should end you before you get the chance,” she sneered.
“Okay, okay,” I said with a smirk. “I think he gets the message. Haven’t you, Mr. Conti?”
Orlov glared at us, then turned abruptly to the door.
Bang.
I flinched at the sound. Juliana had shot at his feet, missing on purpose, I hoped.
Orlov did not react. He left as swiftly as he’d come.
I turned to Juliana, my ears still ringing. “You have a gun?”
“Of course I have a gun. How could I come to visit my mafiosa cousin without a weapon? I would’ve sent me back if I were you and I didn’t bring a gun,” she said matter-of-factly, waving the weapon around.
I collected it just as Claudia came in. “No shooting in the house!”
“There was an intruder, Claudia,” Juliana responded.
“I let him in. He’s a Conti,” Claudia insisted.
“Well, he’s a cunt, that’s for sure. He hurt Rosa. He broke her finger.”
I groaned inwardly.
Claudia gasped in shock, her chubby hands rising to her mouth.
“Dio mio! You didn’t tell me. I would’ve never let him near!”
“It’s okay, Claudia, you didn’t know,” I said hurriedly.
Great. Now everyone knew I was abused, including my soldatos, who looked like they’d like to hunt Orlov down and maim him on my behalf.
Nodding at Claudia’s apologies and promises to protect me from Orlov next time, I herded her and Juliana to the kitchen so we could at last eat. I was starving.
After a colourful and spicy breakfast, I don’t know what I would do without Claudia, we lounged in the living area, stomachs protruding and watching Sex and the City.
The doorbell rang again.
Marcus came in, flanked by his bodyguards.
After exchanging pleasantries with Juliana and politely turning down Claudia’s homemade snacks, we retired to my father’s office, now mine.
“We need to act now. I tried my way and it didn’t work. Sometimes we do have to go with some muscle.”
“I appreciate your praise of my methods. But now isn’t the time to go with muscle.”
“What?” I said, shocked. Marcus didn’t seem like one to turn down a good war. In fact, he’d always preached it.
“Why?” I insisted when he didn’t speak, instead staring off into the distance with a very thoughtful expression.
“You say he asked for your hand in exchange for Dante’s life, and by extension maybe even yours,” he finally muttered.
“Yes. And that’s not an option. I would never marry him, thereby giving him what he wants.”
“Your instincts are correct. He no doubt expected you to just go with the contract after meeting him, but lost patience when you didn’t yield.”
My stomach twisted.
“You knew?”
“Of course I did. I tried to talk your papa out of it, but he was set on it.”
“Why didn’t you mention it? And why did my papa agree?”
“Because you didn’t show any signs of following through with it. I knew you could think for yourself and make the best decision.”
Marcus stood, walking to the large map of NYC on the wall. Pins and markers indicated where we owned, ran, and operated.
“As to why he did it, I do not know.”
I sank into my thoughts.
Marcus tried to save me from this fate, but my father didn’t take the advice of his own consigliere. And even more strangely, Marcus doesn’t know why he sold so many assets to the Marinos before finally signing the contract.
There was something bigger here, something my father didn’t want anyone to know. It was most definitely a case of blackmail. But over what?
Marcus turned to face me. His expression grave.
“You will accept his proposal.”
Wtf?
“What?!” My chair screeched back on the rug. “Why would you even suggest that? It would give him rights to the hotel, legally…”
“Listen, fiorellina.” Marcus stared at me with a glint in his eyes. “The best way to defeat your enemy is to know him, to have access to him.”
I still wasn’t following. I didn’t want to know Viktor, okay just a bit, enough to feel how far he could stretch my… focus!
I didn’t want him anywhere near my hotel. I would never give him what he wants.
“You will accept the proposal to secure your soldato and your safety.” Marcus continued. “You will pretend to surrender, and after he lowers his guard, you will kill him.”
“Pretend to surrender…” I started, but he cut me off.
“Something peaceful, poison, a setup, something that puts you in no connection to the death. And that’s how you win.”
He spread his arms like he’d just delivered a speech worthy of applause.
“There is no pretending with Viktor. This would be surrender to him.”
His lips stretched into a bloodthirsty grin.
“You already know him then. It will make it so much easier.”