The Bastard's Betrayal: An O'Malley-Romanov Novel (Scandalous Scions Book 1)

by Katee Robert

  Rose shook her head but signed as well. “You’re so damn sure of everything.”

  “Aren’t you?”

  She smiled a little. “I don’t have to be sure of everything. I’m sure of you.”

  The woman looked over the papers “Everything is finished. I’ll file these first thing in the morning.”

  Dmitri Romanov nodded. “As soon as they’re filed, your debt is paid.”

  The woman looked a little green as she nodded, her voice shaky. “It’s, uh, a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Romanov.”

  “Vasily will show you out.”

  As soon as she left the room, Dmitri motioned at the priest. “Your turn, Father Michael.”

  Rose and Dante approached the priest together, holding hands, and it felt so fucking right. No one was handing this woman off to him. She’d chosen him of her own free will, against odds that had seemed insurmountable a few weeks ago. Dante had never doubted they’d end up exactly in this place, but he still felt almost drunk on the reality of it. As the priest began to speak while the Romanov family looked on, he couldn’t take his eyes off Rose’s face.

  She looked tired and happy and more beautiful than ever.

  She looked like his wife.

  “The rings.”

  He pulled the one out of his pocket. Rose frowned a little at the sight of the emerald. “You already have a ring?”

  “Don’t you?”

  She grinned. “Guilty.” She held up a thick silver ring. “I picked it up in a little after-hours shopping spree.”

  “This was my mother’s.” He slipped the ring onto Rose’s third finger, easing it slowly on. It was a perfect fit. “It was the only thing of value she kept. The only thing she passed down to me.”

  “Dante,” she whispered.

  “I think she would have liked you.” Impossible to truly know, but his mother had been strong and doing her best. Surely she would be happy to see him married to a woman who did the same.

  Rose’s hands shook as she put his ring on. A perfect fit, which had him raising his brows. “No going back now.”

  “There never was.”

  The priest cleared his throat. “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

  For once in his life, Dante decided to play it safe and press a mostly chaste kiss to his new bride’s lips. It would be a shame to spend his wedding night bleeding from a bullet wound courtesy of one of his new family members, after all.

  They turned to face the room, and while it wasn’t the most joyful reception, no one had their guns or knives out. It would do. Keira Romanov approached first. She pulled Rose into a hug and then moved to him. “I’m sure you’ll be a wonderful husband to my daughter.” She pressed a kiss to each of his cheeks and moved away. A subtle threat, that. Rose must take after Dmitri in that regard.

  Sure enough, he was the next to approach. He also hugged Rose and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Only then did he turn his attention to Dante. “You’re a long way from home, and I have no problem making my daughter a widow if the situation calls for it. Remember that.”

  Dante shrugged. “It won’t be necessary.” Normally, he’d bristle at the threat, but his mood was too light at the moment. Her father and the others would come around. He didn’t really give a fuck what they thought of him, but it would upset Rose if he became a wedge between her and her family. He’d won her over; he’d do the same with her parents and sisters. Eventually.

  Anya came next, a sleek blond predator dressed in pants and a loose button-down shirt that showed off a slice of her chest. Of the Romanov daughters, she looked the most like Rose, even with the different hair. She squeezed Rose’s hand and eyed Dante. “Watch your back.”

  Finally, it was the last sister’s turn. Sasha. She had tear tracks down her pretty face, but he couldn’t tell if they were happy tears or mourning tears. She grabbed his arm, her grip fiercer than he expected. “You keep my sister safe, do you hear me?”

  “Sasha.”

  He ignored his new wife and focused on her sister. “No one will touch her. I promise.”

  She searched his face for a long moment and then nodded. “Good. That’s good.” The barest hesitation and then she released him and moved away.

  Just like that, it was finished. No one seemed overeager to linger, which suited Dante just fine. He wanted to be alone with Rose. When she finally took his hand, he marveled to find himself trembling a little. This was really happening. They’d gone too far to turn back now. That was his ring on her finger and hers on his.

  Husband. Wife.

  She led him out of the sitting room and down a long dark hall to a set of stairs. He should have taken in the details, but he was too focused on her. At least until she opened a door on the second floor and ushered him inside. “I don’t know what living arrangements will look like long term, but we need to stay here in the meantime.”

  He stepped into her room and looked around. The room was a treasure chest of Rose. A vanity stood against one wall with an overlarge mirror and every bit of space filled with more makeup than one woman could possibly use, though it looked like she used it regularly. A feat, that. Her bed was large and covered with a lush, deep-green comforter and a scattering of pillows. There appeared to be a sitting area with two chairs, but it was hard to tell beneath two massive piles of clothing. Two doorways led into a walk-in closet and a bathroom with a decent-sized shower and a tub.

  Dante walked back into the bedroom. “Your family isn’t going to thank me for whisking you away the first chance I get.”

  “No, they won’t.” She searched his face. “But it’s also not going to be comfortable living with them for who knows how long. They’re rather angry with me right now.”

  He shrugged. “They’ll get over it. This is your home. I’m not going to take you from it.” She’d be safer here in the coming confrontation, and it also eliminated the risk of someone deciding to undermine her authority because she wasn’t present. No matter how pissed her family was, they loved her. Once they realized he loved her as well, they’d get over it.

  If they didn’t? He was more than capable of handling it.

  Rose didn’t seem so sure. “I don’t think Anya is going to stab you, but…”

  “Amata.” He crossed to her and pulled her into his arms. “I am here for you and you alone. I can deal with your family, attempted stabbings, or no. You’re the heir of this family, and you need to be here. I can handle it.”

  She ran her hands up his chest. “I’d say you’re too good to be true, but there was the kidnapping.”

  “Si.” He backed toward the bed, taking her with him. “Though you started it when you shot me.”

  “I did, didn’t I?” She unbuttoned his shirt, and he let go of her long enough for her to slide the fabric over his shoulders and down his arms. She touched the scar on his shoulder. “It’s barbaric, but I like that you wear my marks.”

  Desire shot through him with a strength that staggered him. He took her hand and pressed it to the scar fully. “I was yours from long before the moment you pulled the trigger.”

  “We’re so fucked up,” she whispered.

  “No.” He cupped her face with one hand. “We’re twisted so perfectly that we balance each other in a way other people could never accomplish. You’re mine, amata. I’m yours.”

  Rose turned her face and kissed his palm. “Husband.”

  “Wife.”

  She stepped back and reached down to grip the hem of her green dress. One smooth move and it was on the floor next to her, leaving her in a pair of matching black bra and panties. “Tomorrow we have a meeting with Vladimir Romanov.”

  Dante sat on the bed and cupped her hips, urging her closer. “He will make threats. You will make your own threats. It will end in an impasse.”

  “Da.” She straddled him and pushed him back to lie flat on the mattress. “It’s the opening move in a chess match between us.” A line appeared between her perfe
ct brows. “I don’t know what happens next, d’yavol. There’s a reason we avoid war at all costs. The price is too high.”

  “You have nothing to worry about, amata.” He bent up and kissed her. “You have the devil on your side. I’ll keep you safe.”

  She smiled against his lips. “And my family? My people? My territory?”

  “Don’t you know how powerful the devil is?” He stroked a hand up her spine and cupped the back of her neck. “There are more alliances to consider and more plays to make. You’re smart and you’re ruthless, and Jovan Romanov has bitten off more than he can chew by fucking with you and your family.” He kissed her hard. “We will prevail.”

  “I love you, Dante.”

  He rolled her, moving them up the mattress enough that he could settle between her thighs. “I love you, too, Rose. Amata. Wife. Forever.”

  Epilogue

  Sasha hadn’t been invited to the meeting with Vladimir Romanov. She was never invited to the tense meetings Rose and Anya and even Lorelei attended at times. Well, not Lorelei any longer. Not with her sister married off to a Capparelli.

  If her family members were left to their own devices, they wouldn’t tell Sasha anything. They were too worried about bruising her or hurting her feelings. She couldn’t help that she worried about them, that tears got the best of her when her emotions were high. Now that Rose had married Dante Verducci…

  Sasha’s family wouldn’t ask her for help. They’d be too busy protecting her to consider her an asset, and she wasn’t even sure they were wrong. The temptation to hide in her room until this was all over was nearly overwhelming. She couldn’t do it, though. She wouldn’t.

  Which was why she was currently crouched on the other side of the door to the sitting room where her parents and Rose were holding the meeting. Not the one in the hall, where anyone could catch her. The door that went from one sitting room to another. They never used it, so no one thought to worry about eavesdroppers from this direction.

  She pressed her ear to the door, closing her eyes to focus better on the conversation in Russian going on in the other room.

  “My daughter can speak for herself.” Sasha instantly recognized her father’s terse tone.

  “And yet I’m speaking to you, man to man.” A stranger. That must be Vladimir Romanov. Sasha shuddered at how cold he sounded.

  Rose cleared her throat, and only someone familiar with her would recognize how furious she was when she spoke. “Marriage is off the table, Vladimir. To me or any of my sisters. I’m prepared to believe Casimir acted on his own…as long as he’s called home to Russian immediately.”

  “You’re a foolish girl, aren’t you?” Vladimir didn’t sound impressed. “You don’t decide when we’re done, Rose Romanov. Jovan does.”

  “You aren’t welcome in our territory.”

  He laughed, a dry sound that made Sasha shiver. “Why would I need to stay here? New York is a short enough flight from Texas. Our welcome there will be considerably warmer. Ivan knows his place.”

  “He wouldn’t,” Papa said.

  “Wouldn’t he?”

  Surely her father was right… Wasn’t he?

  They were on good terms with Ivan. Better than either of the other Romanov branches in the country. Surely he wouldn’t allow Vladimir and his people to set up a base there, knowing it would be to the detriment of Papa?

  Sasha moved away from the door and quietly left the room. Ivan might not, but his second-in-command would. Even being mostly left out of the business talk, she knew Ivan’s son-in-law wasn’t on the same good terms with Papa. He’d wanted Rose to marry one of his men, and when she’d refused, he held a grudge.

  A horrible feeling took root in Sasha, and she hurried up the stairs to her room. She’d heard the reasons why Papa didn’t want Rose to marry Dante Verducci. Among them was the risk that Kirill would allow Jovan’s people to come and go through his territory. If there was a way to stop it from happening in Texas…

  She had to do it.

  There was no one else.

  Her heart beat too hard as she scrolled through her phone to a contact she’d never used. Jiri Petrov. Ivan’s son-in-law and second-in-command. Before she could talk herself out of it, she hit the call button.

  He answered on the second ring. “Da?”

  “Jiri? It’s Sasha Romanov.”

  Silence for a beat. “Sasha. What a surprise. What brings this call?”

  Her throat tried to close, but she focused on breathing past it. It was all in her head. Throats didn’t actually close, not outside of an anaphylactic reaction, which she most assuredly was not having. “That deal you gave my sister? An alliance for a marriage to one of your men?”

  “Da? What about it? Your father said no.”

  Her vision swam, but she made herself speak the words that would save her family while damning her in the process. “I would like to renegotiate.”

  Glossary

  This is a quick reference guide for the main players in the world of both the O’Malleys series and the Scandalous Scions series, as well as a little history from the O’Malleys series for those who haven’t read it or would like a refresher. This is also meant to function as a more accessible way to see the information on the family trees at the beginning of the book.

  Some of the entries have spoilers for the O’Malleys series. You will also find links to the books themselves if you’re interested in checking them out.

  The reading order for The O’Malleys series is:

  The Marriage Contract

  The Wedding Pact

  An Indecent Proposal

  Forbidden Promises

  Undercover Attraction

  The Bastard’s Bargain

  The New York Romanovs

  Andrei Romanov: Former head of the Romanov family. Deceased.

  Rasia Romanov: Andrei’s wife. Deceased.

  Dmitri Romanov: Son of Andrei and Rasia. Head of the New York Romanov family. Played the part of a villain to the O’Malleys after his engagement with Carrigan was called off, until he married Keira. His story is told in The Bastard’s Bargain.

  Keira Romanov/O’Malley: Seventh child of Seamus and Aileen O’Malley. Married Dmitri in an attempt to avoid a war between the Romanovs and O’Malleys. Recovering alcoholic. Her story is told in The Bastard’s Bargain.

  Rose Romanov: Eldest daughter of Dmitri and Keira. Heir to the New York Romanov family.

  Sasha Romanov: Second daughter of Dmitri and Keira.

  Anya Romanov: Third daughter of Dmitri and Keira.

  Lorelei Romanov: Fourth daughter of Dmitri and Keira.

  Amal Rashidi: Andrei’s mistress. Deceased.

  Olivia Rashidi/O’Malley: Daughter of Andrei and Amal. Married to Cillian O’Malley. Attempted to escape the Romanov family and Sergei by moving to Boston with her daughter, where she fell in love with Cillian O’Malley. Sergei followed and created an incident, which resulted in Dmitri bargaining for the opportunity to be in his niece’s life even after Olivia stayed in Boston. Her story is told in An Indecent Proposal.

  Sergei Utkin: Former top enforcer to Dmitri. Olivia’s ex. Hadley’s father. Deceased.

  Hadley Rashidi/O’Malley: Daughter of Olivia and Sergei. Adopted by Cillian O’Malley when she was five.

  Verducci Family

  Lorenzo Verducci: Head of the Verducci family.

  Carla Verducci: Wife of Lorenzo. Deceased.

  Matteo Verducci: Only child of Lorenzo and Carla. Heir to the Verducci family.

  Elia Verducci: Sister of Lorenzo. Was kicked out of the family when she got pregnant with Dante. Died of a drug overdose fourteen years later. Deceased.

  Dante Verducci: Only child of Elia.

  Capparelli Family

  Romeo Capparelli IV: Former head of the Capparelli family. Deceased.

  Viola Capparelli: Wife of Romeo. Deceased.

  Romeo Capparelli V: Son of Romeo and Viola. Current head of the Capparelli family.

  Drucilla Capparelli
: Daughter of Romeo and Viola. Has some kind of history with Lev Romanov.

  Fabian Capparelli: Second son of Romeo and Viola.

  The O’Malley Family

  Seamus O’Malley: Former head of the O’Malley family. A harsh man who moved his children about like pawns.

  Aileen O’Malley: Wife of Seamus. Hard in her own way. She was the soft touch to manipulate her children as needed. Always looking at the bigger picture.

  Aiden O’Malley: Head of the O’Malley family. Oldest child of Seamus and Aileen. Married to Charlie Finch, former cop. He’s just as ruthless as his parents, but has worked hard to carve a different future for his kids. Father of Maeve and Cael. His story is told in Undercover Attraction.

  Carrigan O’Malley: Second child of Seamus and Aileen. Broke her engagement to Dmitri Romanov in order to pursue a relationship with James Halloran. Now runs a nonprofit that focuses on combating human trafficking. Her story is told in The Wedding Pact.

  Teague O’Malley: Third child of Seamus and Aileen. Never wanted to be in the life, but was ordered to marry Callista Sheridan to secure a Sheridan-O’Malley alliance. Arguably the most dangerous of his siblings because there’s no lengths he won’t go to for the people he cares about. His story is told in The Marriage Contract.

  Cillian O’Malley: Fourth child of Seamus and Aileen. The tech guy and money man. He used to be a wild child, but the death of his little brother changed everything for him. Married to Olivia Rashidi. His story is told in An Indecent Proposal.