The pilot blinks with recognition. “Fitzpatrick?”
“Just do it.”
“We thought you were dead.”
Fox pulls the hammer back with quick flick of his thumb. “I am.”
The pilot looks into the fuselage. “You definitely will be.”
“Land the damn plane.”
They say nothing more and a few minutes later, the Lutrova estate comes back into view. I don’t dare breathe any easier until the landing gear touches the grass.
Fox opens the door for me. I hop outside, happy to feel the earth beneath my toes again. I turn back and wait for him to follow me out, but he disappears into the cockpit instead.
Two gunshots echo from inside.
A few moments later, Fox appears again and joins me in the grass. He walks around me, taking wide strides to lead me back to the estate.
“Fox,” I say, finally finding my voice again. “Thank you.”
He nods as if I never needed to say it in the first place. “You’re welcome.”
Chapter 25
Luka
I always knew that someday I would have to bury my father, but I didn’t expect that day to happen so soon.
Sofia takes my hand. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think her touch was the last bit of warmth left in the entire nation of Russia — except for that feeling I have whenever I hear my son laugh.
She balances Lucian on her hip with her arm hugged around him, occasionally whispering in his ear to keep him calm while the priest says his words. I reach out and I push a bit of hair out of his eyes. He looks up at me and smiles. Good. I don’t want my son to experience grief like this yet. If he’s anything like me, he’ll immerse himself in it.
I open my arms and Sofia turns to pass him along to me. Lucian doesn’t make a peep, not a single sound of discomfort or mourning for being out of his mother’s embrace. I hold him close to me, breathing in that perfect scent of him while he tugs at the lapel on my suit jacket with curiosity in his silver eyes.
A father protects his family.
I get that now.
I look at my mother standing between me and my brother. Each time I glance at her, she hasn’t moved at all. Her eyes sit straight ahead, dry and unblinking. Her chest barely rises with her shallow breaths. Brave and strong, even today of all days. I would expect nothing less from Nina Lutrova.
I catch sight of Fox across the cemetery as he walks by again. Keeping today a private family matter was a top priority. There’s no one else I’d trust more right now than him and his sharp eyes to keep unwanted pests out of here. I take an easy breath and squeeze Sofia’s hand a little tighter, thankful that I chose not to kill him.
Once the casket has settled, I turn around. Markov stands behind us with his hands in his pockets, years of experience keeping a cautionary hand on his pistol hidden inside.
He’s standing next to Stefan Petrovin, after all, one of the most notorious mobsters in Russia besides my father.
I look at the man on Stefan’s left. His other son, Nikita. Hans’ baby brother. I barely recognized him at first. Back in school, he was four-eyed and lanky. Not so much anymore.
He briefly bows his head in acknowledgment, reading me with shadowed eyes as I read him.
Stefan nods to my mother with sincerity and he takes her hands. “I am sorry for your loss, Nina.”
“And the same to you, Stefan,” she says.
He offers his hand to Yuri and my brother shows him the same respect.
The slaying of Hans Petrovin had the opposite effect than Gio intended. He wanted us to fight and tear our country apart while he profited from the pieces. Instead, Russia stands strong and united.
There’s nothing like a common enemy to bring two families together.
Stefan turns to me. “We will start looking today,” he says.
I nod and shake his hand. “Thank you.”
He offers a happy smile to Lucian sitting on my arm, highlighting the wrinkles around his old eyes, before turning back to his car. Markov escorts him away with his hand still in his pocket. I suppose one can’t be too trusting at all anymore.
Nikita lingers behind and smiles at Lucian. “Cute kid,” he says.
“Thanks,” I say.
“Must take after his mother,” he adds through a shit-eating smirk.
I grit my teeth as he walks off to catch up with them. You can take the boy out of the school yard, as they say…
“Nina.”
I turn to Sofia to find her standing in front of my mother.
“I am so sorry,” she whispers with guilty, shaking eyes. “This… If I hadn’t have—”
“Stop,” my mother says. “You didn’t do this, Sofia.”
My heart aches for them as I hold my son a little tighter.
“But I…” Sofia’s voice falls. She blames herself for this, for all of it, and nothing I’ve said so far has been able to convince her otherwise. “I’m sorry for the pain I’ve brought on your family.”
My mother shakes her head. “Sofia, I loved my husband more than life itself, but he was not without his foolishness. He saw the evil that condemned Zappia women like you and he pretended it didn’t exist. Even I did. But Luka... he never could. Not since the moment he saw you, and I see the way he looks at you now. I’ve never seen my son love so completely. Given our family’s deeds, I often worried that my sons were incapable of that.” She reaches out and takes Sofia’s hands. “No, Sofia. You haven’t brought pain on my family. You brought us life. And with Lucian, you gave us a future. You will always have a place in my home. Remember that.”
Sofia’s lip trembles as she nods. “I will.”
My mother takes a step back, keeping her tight grip on Sofia. “Come with me. I have something to show you.”
I follow behind them across the lot, limping on my wounded leg as I move. Words stand out on tombstones as we pass by them. Fathers and mothers. Sons and daughters.
Brothers and sisters.
My mother stops at the end of the line of stones. Sofia looks down and tears spill from her eyes as she reads the name.
Rosalie.
“We all deserve a place to mourn,” my mother says. “Now, she will always be close to you.”
Sofia sobs. “Thank you.”
I step closer to her and she leans into my embrace, clinging to me with all the life she has left.
With my arm around her and Lucian in the other, there’s nothing more affirming than this.
She buries her face into my shoulder, sniffling softly. I rest my lips against her head until she’s ready.
Finally, Sofia wipes her eyes and stands up tall. I lay Lucian into her steady hands. She smiles at him, throwing on a brave face. I adore her even more as she whispers words of love in his ear and walks toward the car.
I stay behind with my mother. “You’re the strongest of all of us, you know that, Ma?”
“Well, what did you expect?” She peeks up at me. “I created you.”
* * *
“We should kill them,” Yuri says from the sofa. “All of them.”
I glance around the study, drifting from one face to the next to gauge the reaction.
Markov sits beside Yuri with a flexed jaw, obviously just as ready and eager to take out every last one of the Zappias with him. My mother gives a short smile from the armchair by the door, admiring the plan for its simplicity, while Fox stands tall against the opposite wall, silent as always.
And then, finally, I look at the empty chair behind my father’s desk.
“It wouldn’t be easy,” my mother says.
“But it would be poetic,” Markov says.
Yuri shrugs. “We should, at least, burn their house down.”
I let out a quick, dry laugh. “I’ve thought about that before.”
My mother crosses her arms. “With that little shit inside of it.”
She hasn’t called Giovani by his name in days. None of us have.
Yuri looks at Marko
v. “Any luck tracking him down?”
He shakes his head. “Not since we found his parachute. We will keep looking.”
“Let him run,” I say. “There is nowhere for him to go.”
“He may crawl to Papa,” Yuri says.
“Doubtful. I don’t think he’s eager to admit how badly he’s fucked up.”
“So, our choices include doing nothing or sitting on our hands?”
The room falls silent again.
I look at the graceful shadow hovering in the doorway. “What do you think, Sofia?” I ask.
All heads turn in her direction. She stands there in her sundress, elegant and strong, with her hands by her sides, absorbing every word we say.
She tilts her head. “We could kill them…”
I raise a brow. “Or?”
“Or…” She stares into the space between us. “A Zappia man is a proud man. He doesn’t just take what is his, he earns it. He carves his name from stone itself. So, you can imagine, how the family reacts to failure.”
I don’t say a word. I couldn’t even if I tried. My eyes stay locked on her, unable to pull away from the absolute perfection in front of me.
“You pick away at stone long enough, it dissolves beneath you,” she says, meeting my eyes. “As they panic, we take our secrets, go to the top of the world, and we scream them out. Then, we watch as the Zappia family destroys themselves.”
“Sofia…” My lips curl. “You are sinister.”
She smiles. “Thank you.”
I look around at the rest of them. They all nod softly, whether they realize it or not.
“Well…” I say. “You heard the lady.”
“Where do we start?” Yuri asks, tepid excitement growing behind his vengeful eyes.
I turn to Fox. “What do you say, comrade?” He peeks at me, standing with his thick arms crossed over his chest. “How would you like a ride home?”
He nods. “Sounds like a plan.”
Markov rises out of his chair. “I will prepare the plane.”
“We’ll leave as soon as it’s ready,” I say.
My mother shakes her head. “I’ve been to Chicago once,” she says with an upturned nose. “That was enough.”
“You can stay here with Sofia and Lucian, Ma.” I smile.
“That’s my boy.” She grins as she pops up onto her toes to kiss my cheek.
They all head for the door, but Sofia lingers with me, waiting until they leave before closing the door behind them.
She puts her back against it. “You don’t really think I’m going to stay here, do you?” she asks.
I step toward her. “Sofia…”
“I will not sit here and do nothing, Luka.”
“I would never expect you to.”
“I’m coming with you,” she says, not even blinking.
I brush her lips with my fingertips. “I couldn’t stop you even if I wanted to,” I whisper, leaning in.
She accepts my kiss, straightening against the door as I pin her to it. I take her face in my hands and she trembles, parting her lips as I move my tongue with hers.
I draw her dress up her thighs, laying kisses on her neck as she lets out heaving breaths for me. She slips a hand into my zipper, and I instantly grow hard in her fingers.
I raise her up and she wraps her legs around my waist.
“Luka…” she whispers.
I press her even harder against the door. I look into those eyes of hers, falling deeper in love with her than I was before.
She guides my cock and I lose my breath the instant my tip impales her. Her tight comfort surrounds me as she moans for my ears only.
I take her with deep thrusts, easily holding her little body against the door. She squeezes me hard from the inside and everything in me throbs with lust for her.
“Sofia…” I groan her name and she smiles. “Tell me what you want.”
Her core quivers. She rolls her hips on me, taking me in deeper and harder. “I already have it…”
I slide a hand over her breasts, feeling every piece of her as I grind her perfect, wet pussy. She pulses around my cock, just moments away from purring. I nibble on her lip to stop her from screaming, but that just makes her mewl even louder.
The tension breaks and she gives into the pleasures tearing her apart. She settles against my grip, trusting me to hold her up. I cradle her closer, refusing to let her go.
Strong and beautiful Sofia. My Sofia.
I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces.
Chapter 26
Sofia
The Zappia casino is unlike anything I’ve ever seen in my life but, then again, I’ve said that quite a few times recently.
It sits on the water just west of the beach. I fill my lungs with the constant Chicago wind sailing in from the waves, hoping that it calms my nerves.
It doesn’t.
“Sofia.”
Luka grabs my hand. He kisses my knuckles before tugging me along with him toward the entrance across the dock. Suddenly, that story of the man being swallowed whole by the giant whale enters my mind.
We walk inside, right into the belly of the Zappia beast.
A dozen tables line the floor, each one surrounded by players with stacks of poker chips and drinks from the bar. My nose twitches from the chaotic mix of smells — from alcohol to sweets to cigarette smoke — and my ears ring from the constant chatter.
I tighten my grip on Luka’s hand.
He smiles, his silver eyes calm and steady as ever, and I breathe a little easier. At first.
It all changes when I spot Antony standing on the balcony overseeing the casino floor.
He sees me as I see him, and my heart stops.
That stare. So full of bitterness and apathy. Ever since the day Rosalie and I were dropped off at his estate in Rome, he’s looked at me like this. Tonight is no different, but as recognition crosses his eyes, confusion settles in along his brow.
“Antony!” Luka shouts with a grin. “How are you? It’s been a long time.”
The sudden boom of his voice draws plenty of eyes. Most of them instantly turn back to their games, but there are some who pause.
Enzo and Marty, Gio’s brothers, stand up from their poker table.
Antony’s eyes shift from me to Luka, looking even more puzzled as he makes his way down the balcony stairs. I scan the room, feeling two other pairs of Zappia eyes boring holes deep into my skull.
Still, I smile. “Hello, Antony.”
He stops in front of us. “Luka, what is she doing here?” he asks.
“She’s with me,” he answers.
“With you?” Antony asks.
Luka’s smug smile remains, even as Enzo and Marty plant themselves behind us. “That’s right. I wanted to come here and let you know, in person, that Sofia is no longer a madam of the Zappia household. Her marriage to Gio is over. She and our son now reside in Moscow.”
My chest constricts. Having my biggest secret spoken aloud so casually is quite jarring, no matter how many times I hear it. The Zappia boys glare at me with whiplashed eyes, both of them eager to squash me with their heels.
Antony stares at Luka as if he were a punk kid getting busted with too much grass in his pocket. Arrogant and immature Luka Lutrova. “Your son?”
“My son,” Luka nods. “Lucian is a Lutrova. Always has been.”
The man finally looks at me and he takes a short step forward, but Luka grows a little taller beside me. “You…” he whispers. “You did this to my boy?”
I hold his stare. “You never gave me a choice.”
Antony shakes his head once and recoils from me. He looks at Luka. “Your father will—”
“My father is dead,” Luka says.
Antony stops. “Nikolai is gone?”
“Gio killed him.” Luka pauses and takes the next few seconds to study Antony carefully. Shock, confusion. Fear. It all bleeds from his old eyes in a span of seconds. “It’s time for the two of us to nego
tiate a new truce.”
Enzo reaches behind his back and pulls out the pistol hidden in his belt.
Antony shakes his head. “Gio would never—”
“I’m not going to waste time proving it to you, Antony,” Luka says. “The fact is, starting tonight, you no longer have three sons.”
“Excuse me?”
“Gio is dead. Dead to you. Dead to me. And, especially, dead to Sofia.”
Antony glares at me again. “Now, hold on—”
“In addition to losing Gio, your family will abandon Italy completely.”
The old man’s jaw drops. He laughs, taking a step back to look Luka up and down. Marty and Enzo chuckle behind us, but Luka keeps his features sharp and serious.
Antony waves a hand in the air, clearly fed-up with us, and three guards appear from the corners with pistols drawn. “Get this piece of shit out of my sight,” he says to them, gesturing at Luka. He squints at me, the whites of his eyes nearly swallowed by his anger. “The girl stays.”
Luka doesn’t move. “I’m not leaving until we’re done negotiating.”
“You were done the second you stepped in here.” Antony points a finger. “You walk into my casino alone with my son’s whore on your arm and tell me to abandon my boy and my homeland, and you expect… what? To walk out again?”
“Yes.”
He scoffs, deepening the anger in his forehead. “You are too outnumbered to have balls so big, Lutrova.”
“I assure you, the size of my balls is more than adequate.” Luka smiles. “I didn’t come here alone.”
A man slides off the barstool in the corner. His face lies obscured under the shadow of a baseball cap, but I can make out the scar drawn down his left cheek.
Fox pulls a pistol from his coat and rests it against Enzo’s ear. “Give me your gun, please,” he says, extending his free hand.
Enzo doesn’t move, his jaw sagging with amused disbelief.
Antony chuckles. “You brought one man?”
Luka tilts his head. “Not quite.”
The room falls silent. Dealers and players rise out of their chairs, standing up from the game tables and the bar to head in our direction. They move in waves, each taking their place in a circle around us until the entire casino points a gun at Antony Zappia’s face.
Killer Love Page 16