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Part Seventy-Eight
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Bound by Blood Part Seventy-Nine
Gage’s penthouse apartment was one of minimalist luxury. He hadn’t thought of a woman in his space when he’d bought and decorated it and now as he looked around he wondered what Anya would think.It wasn’t really a question of whether he would like her, he had to like her. He was going to sign a contract where he vowed to protect her, care for her, and spend his life with her. Every such contract had a few clauses, an heir being one of them. It cemented the ties of family between the two parties and Gage had no objection to fucking his wife, even if he had no idea what she looked like.He would come to care for her, he knew he would. He’d been raised with the knowledge that he’d never marry for love but for alliances and it made it easier. This way he knew they were in the exact same position. She wouldn’t like him for his status, money, or looks. It was just a business deal with sex thrown in as a bonus.He’d met up with Lev the previous night and they’d sat in his office above Pulse
Bound by Blood Part Eighty
“What do you mean there’s a change of plan?” Dominic asked Hunter as they stood in his living room in his city penthouse.“I mean exactly what I’m saying. Call Lev and tell him that there will be no handing me over later today,” Hunter said and crossed her arms over her chest.“Fuck, Hunter. Did something happen? Did he do or say something to piss you off? I know how emotional you get, so fucking tell me why!”“Are you done?” Hunter asked him.“Hunter …” His tone was warning her and she smiled before sitting down in the chair in front of his desk.“I’ve already organized everything. Lev will meet us at the courthouse this afternoon where we’ll be getting married. The sooner we are the fewer chances there are of Rocco interfering with your plans. Since he has not been voted in as godfather yet and our father is rotting in his grave, I went off on my own and married Lev Volkov, since we’re so obviously in love and have been seeing each other secretly for months,” Hunter said.Dominic lo
Bound by Blood Part Eighty-One
“I will give you a good life, Hunter,” Lev said as they sat side by side.“And in return, I will be a good wife,” she replied.“We have our own private suite at the compound where all my men live as well. We are one big family and nobody lives outside of the compound. Nikita will shadow you and escort you wherever you need to go. My office will always be open to you and you never need to make an appointment to see me,” Lev said as he studied her.“You already know I’ll never be the meek little wife at home. I intend to work beside you and get involved in what you do but I will follow your lead. I know how it works and I will never question or belittle you in front of others. Don’t disrespect me, cheat on me, hit me, or treat me like I don’t matter and I will always make sure that you’re cared for,” Hunter said.“I would expect nothing less of you, Hunter.”“Good. Take me home, Lev,” she said and Lev smiled at her words.They drove for an hour and the compound Lev had spoken about was
Bound by Blood Part Eighty-Two
Inara’s heart was hammering against her chest. She’d sent Agron a text every night and this morning he’d reminded her that he would pick her up at four. She had five minutes to spare as she zipped her suitcase shut.Endrit had met her outside of her dorm building every morning and dutifully walked her to class. He sat with her at lunch and walked her back to her building after school. She saw him on the sports grounds and the whole school knew she was off limits.She had no idea what was going on. Dominic was alive and he texted her every day, normal things like ‘have a good day’ so she knew the Russians were dead and every day she lived in fear of Dominic showing up and getting himself killed.She took a deep breath and wondered if Agron knew that it was her eighteenth birthday on Sunday. She pulled her suitcase to the floor and wheeled it out of her room. She had to make this work, somehow she had to appeal to Agron’s better side to leave her family alone. She’d do whatever it took
Bound by Blood Part Eighty-Three
Inara had settled in and taken a shower and she stood in front of her suitcase with a small smile on her lips. She might not have many choices here but that didn’t mean she was going to make it easy for Agron and just play the meek little arranged bride.She pulled on her favorite pair of sweatpants with an old University sweatshirt she’d swiped from Gage and left her hair in a messy bun. She wore no make-up and pulled socks on her feet and left the bedroom.If Agron wanted her as a wife he might as well get used to this side of her. It wasn’t her problem if he didn’t like what he saw. With that thought in mind, she headed down the hall and down the stairs to the living room.As promised, a whole pile of take-out menus were stacked neatly on the coffee table. Inara made herself comfortable on the couch, and tucked her legs underneath her and grabbed the pile. She had no idea what Agron liked and she didn’t really care.She’d done her research on Albania as well and everything she coul
Bound by Blood Part Eighty-Four
“You know, we could always just shoot everyone,” Hudson said.“Right and have the sons of the heads and Elders come hunt us down, real smart, Hudson,” Cooper said with a shake of his head.“It’s not like you have a better plan,” Hudson remarked drily.“But Dominic does,” Cooper said with a grin as he glanced in the rearview mirror.“Hunter is safe within the Volkov compound. Gage’s location is secure. Inara’s at school, whatever they have planned, they won’t hurt her. I will step in and remove her when it becomes necessary. Tonight’s meeting will be enlightening and I’m sure I’ll have some questions answered by the time it’s done,” Dominic said.“Who do you think orchestrated this whole thing?” Ethan asked him.“Rocco. He wants power.” Dominic turned his head to look out of the window, a signal for his men to keep their mouths shut. He needed to think. Rocco would not be pleased when he found out that Hunter now belonged to the Russians and that Gage had taken a Russian bride as well.
Bound by Blood Part Eighty-Five
Tensions rose in the wooden cabin but Dominic remained unmoved. He would not give his sister to a man like Dante De Santis, over his dead, cold body. Aldo Bianchi cleared his throat and moved on to the next item on the list.“You are all eligible for marriage and a match has been found for you, Dominic. We will start negotiations for my daughter’s hand in marriage,” Aldo said.“Again, I’ll have to apologize, Elder. I have been married for almost two months already. A marriage contract was in place since I was a boy, concluded between my father, Conrad, and Lorenzo Altobella,” Dominic said.“You had no right, Dominic!” Michael De Santis roared in anger.Aldo Bianchi perused the contract and glanced over at Lorenzo Altobella. “Why did you not tell us about this?”“I had thought the contract null and void when Conrad died, but Dominic insisted that I fulfill my end of the agreement. I had little choice but to hand my daughter over to him,” Lorenzo said.Dominic realized then what Lorenzo
Bound by Blood Part Eighty-Six
Rafaella ventured out of the bedroom and found Remy sitting at the kitchen counter. His head turned at the sound of her approaching footsteps and he smiled and stood up from the chair.“Good morning, Rafi,” he said.Rafaella smiled at him. Everyone had taken to calling her Rafi ever since Hudson had started copying Dominic’s name for her. “Are you hungry, Remy? I feel like an omelet would hit the spot.”“I could eat again.” Remy smiled as he put the kettle on and rolled up his sleeves. “What can I do to help?”“You can grate the cheese while I chop the mushrooms and peppers.” Rafaella handed him the block of cheese and the grater.They made small talk as they each completed their tasks and Rafaella put the stove on and heated up the olive oil. She made their omelets and Remy made tea and coffee. When she was done, she plated up their food and they sat at the counter and ate.“You are an amazing cook, Rafi,” Remy said and wiped his mouth with the linen napkin.“Thank you, Remy,” she sa
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Bound by Blood Part One Hundred and Twenty-Eight
The sniper teams had dealt with the men sent to the house so swiftly that Rafaella hadn’t even known it had happened. Hudson had given them the all clear and she’d asked about Dominic first.“He’s fine, Rafi, I spoke to Cooper, they’re all fine,” Hudson said.“Then this is the perfect time for us to leave,” she said.“You got what you need?” Hudson asked her.“Yes. Let’s go before they know we’re gone,” Rafaella said.Hudson led Rafaella out of the house and into the garage. He took the smaller SUV and they sped away from the house. The other men were busy dealing with the dead bodies and the women were all safely in their quarters.“You did everything I asked?”Hudson looked at Rafaella in the rearview mirror. “I did.” She nodded her head. “Are you sure you want to do this, Rafi?”“I’ve never been surer of anything in my life, Hudson,” she said as her hands cradled her pregnant stomach.“Dominic’s not going to be happy about this.” She knew Hudson was right. Dominic’s temper was lege
Bound by Blood Part One Hundred and Twenty-Seven
Twenty minutes later, Cooper slowed the SUV down and Gage looked at Dominic. “See you soon, brother.” The door opened and Gage was out of the car. Cooper sped up again the moment the door closed and Dominic could feel everything inside him settle.Tonight everything would end, one way or another.Cooper pulled the SUV up at the specified warehouse. Three men stood outside the door and watched them warily. Their hands reached for their weapons as the doors opened and Dominic climbed out.“Mr. Vittori is waiting inside,” one man said.The other two men stepped closer to them and started patting them down. Dominic had expected it and neither he nor Cooper were armed. Ethan had been somewhere on a rooftop since the sun set with his sniper rifle and he’d start taking the men out when Gage gave him the signal.Dominic walked into the warehouse first, Cooper following close behind him. He hadn’t liked the idea of bringing any of his men with him, but they’d argued and Cooper had told him tha
Bound by Blood Part One Hundred and Twenty-Six
Sniper teams were waiting at the compound, Agron’s house and Dominic’s country house. Each woman had three men with her and security at Dominic’s house had been doubled. Austin and Hudson were in strategic places on the ground floor of the house.Dominic sat in the rear while Cooper drove the SUV and Gage sat next to Dominic. He had his head resting on the headrest with his eyes closed and Dominic had no idea how he remained so impassive.The trip to the warehouse took them forty-five minutes and Dominic was itching for a fight. He wanted to feel his knuckles split open on Rocco’s face and see the fucking bastard bleed. He could even feel it in the tightening of his groin.“I get it now,” Dominic said.Gage opened his eyes and turned to look at him. “Get what?”Dominic chuckled. “I get why Hudson gets aroused by blood.”“Fuck,” Cooper muttered from the front and Gage laughed.“I’ve always been aroused by it. I just hide it better than Hudson,” Gage said.“There’s a difference between
Bound by Blood Part One Hundred and Twenty-Five
Gage’s eyes snapped open as a door opened on the far side of the building. He’d been in the ceiling for two days, waiting for the perfect moment. The plan was a fucking good one, even he could admit it.They’d spent three weeks going over the details. For the first time in their history, three crime families were working together to take out the godfather of la famiglia. Rocco Vittori had surrounded himself with soldiers.It was a good thing that he was afraid, because Gage was pissed off and his patience was wearing thin. He wanted Rocco’s blood so much that he could taste and smell it. The women were at the country house, being watched by their men.Dominic would take Cooper with him, Lev would take Sasha and Agron would have Granit with him. Gage worked alone, he didn’t need back-up, he was first in line, back-up and the middle man.Gage closed his eyes again and listened intently as footsteps neared the office. “All I’m saying is, tonight’s meeting with Dominic will end in blood.”
Bound by Blood Part One Hundred and Twenty-Four
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” Dominic growled. The documents in front of him told the same story Faro just did, but he didn’t want to believe it. He was pissed that Eris kept his problems to himself.Dominic would have helped him, he’d always help all of them, blood was blood and they were bound by it. They all had the middle name ‘Rose’ for a reason. It was their mother’s maiden name and for them it was as strong as the blood that made them family.Faro sat in the chair in front of his desk, the proof spread out over his desk. Fucking Eris. “Sihana found it. She said he was broke, Dominic. He had a few grand in his account, the others were empty.”“Drugs. That’s the only explanation,” Dominic said, sounding a lot calmer. No matter how angry he felt now, Eris would always remain his brother, even in death. He should’ve seen the signs of Eris’s freefalling earlier, but he hadn’t, Faro had.He also blamed himself. If his relationship with Eris had been better, he might have bee
Bound by Blood Part One Hundred and Twenty-Three
Sihana woke up to light kisses on her bare shoulder. She shifted onto her back and looked at Faro’s face. His hair was tousled and she could see it was still dark out. “What’s wrong?” Her voice was thick from sleep and she cleared her throat.“Why did you leave?” Faro’s voice was soft but he sounded wide awake.“Because you were being an asshole and I wanted to sleep peacefully,” Sihana said and turned away from him.Faro moved up right against her. “You know how I feel about waking up without you. It’s our bed for a reason.”“Then don’t be an asshole to me right before you go to sleep,” she said.“I wasn’t being an asshole. I just disagreed with you,” Faro said.“The truth is still the truth, you’re not a bookkeeper, I am. Eris was skimming money from the strip clubs. I showed you the proof,” Sihana said. “You have to tell Dominic.”“Fuck, Sihana. Do you have any idea what that’s going to do to him?”Faro’s arm snaked over her hip and his hand cradled her stomach. She felt sorry for
Bound by Blood Part One Hundred and Twenty-Two
Inara clamped her hand over her mouth and retreated away from the kitchen. Her heart was thudding loudly in her chest. She’d woken up half an hour earlier and pulled on her robe, wondering where Agron was.He never left without waking her and she’d gone downstairs for some water when she’d overheard something that might get her killed. She took a deep breath and quietly made her way upstairs again and slid back into bed.By the time Agron joined her, she had her eyes closed and her heart had stopped betraying her. She tried not to stiffen when his arm encircled her waist and his mouth nuzzled her neck. She felt like an idiot. Agron had played her, had played her whole family and it was all her fault.She must have fallen asleep at some point because the sun’s rays woke her and Agron was still wrapped around her. She hated the fact that she’d given herself to him willingly. Hated that she’d fallen in love with him.She understood the saying better now, there really was a fine line betw
Bound by Blood Part One Hundred and Twenty-One
The trial had dragged on for two more weeks and Dominic was glad that the end was in sight. The jury was deliberating the outcome but he wasn’t focused on that anymore. They were back in the city and headed to Rafaella’s gynecologist.Hudson had accompanied her to her other appointments while he was stuck in court and they’d decided to wait until he could be with her to find out the genders of their babies. Dominic couldn’t remember a time he’d been more excited about something.“Mrs. Vittori?” The nurse called out their name, and Dominic stood up to help Rafaella to her feet.Dominic had his hand on the small of Rafaella’s back as the nurse led them down a hallway and into an examination room. She took Rafaella’s blood pressure and made notes on the chart for the doctor.“You can get comfortable on the examination bed with your shirt up. Dr. Rehmeyer will be in shortly,” the nurse said and left the room.“After this trial, I think we should go away for a bit, someplace you can relax,
Bound by Blood Part One Hundred and Twenty
Isadora had taken the stand and sworn to tell the whole truth. Dominic’s rage flared up again the moment she opened her mouth and started lying. He knew Halden had coached her. The things she was testifying to hadn’t been made public knowledge and he’d never said a word to her about it.It took all his self-control not to lash out at her or call her a lying whore in front of the whole courtroom. She was a woman scorned but Dominic could see himself wrapping his hands around her neck and choking the life out of her. He could almost understand Hudson’s fascination with it.Mitchelson stood up with a stoic look on his face. “Miss Watkins, would you say that you were close to Mr. Vittori during your relationship?”“Yes,” Isadora said. “We were very close.”“Mr. Vittori shared things with you, personal things?”Isadora shifted in her seat. “Yes.”“Can you tell the court what the name of Vittori Ads’ sister company in Japan is named?”Isadora blinked and Dominic’s lips twitched but he fough
