Arranged love

I always knew Grave wouldn’t be able to continue running Crown. As a recovering addict, I thought it would be too much temptation. The alcohol alone would be a distraction. We’re not stupid. Although we don’t deal in drugs, we know they are passed around inside the clubs.

“I don’t understand.” Derek looks around quickly. “What does this have to do with me?”

“Well, I want to offer Crown to you,” Grave states.

Everyone looks over at the guy, and he sits up straighter. His eyes widen as he points at himself as if there’s more than one Derek in the room. “Me?” he asks.

“Why not?” My brother takes a drink of his Monster. “You helped Alexa run Lucky’s, right?”

Derek nods, eyes still wide with surprise.

“Alexa will have the new club opened soon, and she won’t be able to run both. I don’t plan on stepping back into Crown. So …” He shrugs. “This makes sense.”

Some shit went down with Alexa and Lucky’s-the bar she was given when Lucky passed away. It’s currently under construction. But Cross is determined to have it open and better than ever as soon as possible.

“I’ve already spoken to the other Kings, and we think it would be a good opportunity for you,” Grave goes on.

He had messaged us about this last night while I was sitting on the beach waiting on Mia to wake up. We were all in an agreement that keeping Derek close was a good idea. And what better way to do that than putting him to work at Kingdom. Where we can have eyes on him at all times.

“That’s …” He looks over at Cross, who just stares at him, flipping open his Zippo, not giving his feelings about the matter away. He couldn’t care less. If need be, Cross would set him on fire right here and now. “A great opportunity.” Derek swallows nervously. “But Lucky’s was on a much smaller scale-”

“I spoke to Alexa this morning.” Grave interrupts him. “She said that she would continue to work there with you until she opens the new club. That way, you won’t be doing it on your own right off the bat. It’ll give you time to get some training in.”

Derek runs a hand through his dark hair. “That would be great.” He nods to himself. “Thanks, guys.”

“Then it’s decided,” I say, ready to get this meeting over with and on with my day. I need to bury myself into my work to get the pretty brunette staying in my beach house off my mind. I want to kick myself in the ass for not setting up cameras there. If I had, then I would have the option of watching her whenever I wanted. No matter how creepy that makes me sound.

Cross closes his Zippo and reaches out, slapping his hand on Derek’s shoulder, and he flinches at the contact. “Fuck us over, and I’ll kill you. Do you understand?”

“Oh, I would never …”

Titan gives a rough laugh. “We’ve heard that before.”

“I promise.” Derek throws up his hands. “I won’t let you guys down.”

With that, I get up and exit the conference room, not bothering to say anything else. People can talk a lot of shit. I’m about action, and only time will prove him right.

Making my way back to the private elevator, I step inside and push the button for the fiftieth floor, pulling my cell out of my pocket. I go to her name and hover over it. I feel like I should call Mia. She’s probably even more scared now after speaking to Luca. He just reiterated what I had told her-she’s on her own.

He was a wreck when he came to me for help. We both knew I was her only hope and that it wasn’t a good thing.

“What do you mean she’s your sister?” I demand. “Since when do you have a sister?” Maybe she’s adopted like his parents adopted Oliver Nite.

“She’s six years younger than us,” Luca answers hoarsely. “My mother had a daughter before I was born. My father killed her …”Exclusive content from NôvelDrama.Org.

“Jesus!”

“After that, she had me, followed by Matteo, then my twin brothers. They went for another boy, and she had Mia.” He turns to look at me. His dark eyes are desperate, and it makes my chest tighten. I’ve seen that look before. He’ll do anything to accomplish whatever plan he has come up with. “I was there when Mia was born. My mother begged my father to keep her. And he said that Mia could stay, but a time would come when she would earn her last name.”

I run a hand through my hair.

“Her role was to always be a weapon, Bones. He wanted to use her.”

“For what?” I ask. “How is he going to use her when no one knows about her?”

“You.”

“What about me?” I snap, unsettled by this information and what I saw on the video.

“He wanted her to marry you. So he could have Kingdom.”

“This is insane,” I state and turn to walk away.

He grabs my arm, stopping me. “You don’t understand. In the Mafia, you marry for power. Her name attached to yours gives my father a lot of that. It makes him even more untouchable. She was always a card to be played when he needed to win a hand. And your Kingdom is what he’s always wanted.”

“I don’t believe this,” I mutter. It’s ridiculous, really.

“He came to me a few months ago and said it was time for Mia to step up and do her part. I blew him off. I’ve tried to buy time, knowing that you and Mia would never be. But I can’t do it anymore, Bones.” He punches his bare chest. “I can’t save her.”

“And?”

Running a hand down his face, he sighs. “And Matteo sent me that video an hour ago.”

“How do you know for sure it’s her in the video?” I reach, trying to think of anything that can ease his concern. “It didn’t show her face.”

“Because I know!” he snaps and then takes a deep breath. “Matteo called me after I watched it, or I would have been here sooner. Said she was picked up last week. The video was taken in Italy, and then she was placed on a cargo plane and shipped to New York along with the others.”

“Why would he call you and tell you this?”

“Because he knows I’m the only one who gives a damn about her and will do whatever it takes to save her from the future my father has decided for her.”

I bow my head and rub my eyes. “What do you want me to do?”

“I need you to buy Mia.”

“Fuck, Luca,” I hiss. “What am I going to do with her?”

“Let her go.”

“Let her go where?” He makes it sound like she’s a bird I should let fly away.

He turns, giving me his profile view, and looks back over the city. “You’ve got plenty of vacation homes. I need you to purchase her, then ship her off to one of them.”

“I-”

“Don’t tell me where you send her.” He interrupts me.

“Luca …”

“Do what you need to do,” he adds cryptically.

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“I could send Nite, but Mia knows him. We can’t let her know that it’s not real. I have no one else to send. And I know my sister, Bones. If you don’t buy her and someone else does … she’ll die.”

“Luca, this is …” I begin to pace and run a hand through my hair. “What you’re asking me to do is …”

“I’m begging you, Bones.” He grabs my shoulders, bringing me to a stop. This is odd, considering he’s still only dressed in his boxer briefs. “I can’t save her anymore. She needs you. Why do you think my father is putting her in an auction? To sell her to the highest bidder. If you don’t do it, someone else will. And we both know that whoever that is will use her just as that video intended to show.”

I don’t understand, though. Once I buy her and then set her free, her father will know. He’ll be on to us. What will keep him from looking for her? He won’t give up that easily, will he? “Your father will know I’m the one who bought her,” I argue.

He shakes his head. “It’s all anonymous. He’ll receive payment, and that’s as far as he’ll know. It keeps the seller from getting paid and then stealing the product back.”

“He’ll look for her,” I grind out.

“No. Once he’s been wired the money, he’ll forget about her. He’s using his last name to cash in on her.”

“I know nothing about sex trafficking, Luca. Even if I wanted to help her, what would I do? Where will she be? How do I get in …?”