by Penelope Sky
“What are the Skull Kings? What do you do, exactly?”
“The Skull Kings started decades ago as a group of assassins. If you paid the right price, the Skull Kings would kill anyone you wanted. Over time, it morphed into something else. Soon, they became arms dealers. Then it continued to expand more and more. Under my reign, we monitor everything in this country. I tax all of my criminals and take a percentage of their profits.”
“Why would they agree to pay you?”
“Because they want to live,” I said simply. “And protection. I keep the peace among the different factions, make sure no one is infringing on anyone else’s territory. If someone is causing too many problems, I remove them.”
“Does that mean Lucian pays you a tax?”
“No. Not everyone is under my reign. I have enemies like everyone else. They have their own alliance.”
Cassini nodded slightly. “That’s why you work all the time.”
I nodded.
“And why you don’t have a girlfriend.”
“No. I don’t have a girlfriend because having a girlfriend is pussy shit. I’m either fucking someone, or I’m not.”
“So you’re fucking me?”
I nodded.
“But you said I was your woman.”
“Yes. You’re the woman I’m fucking. It’s that simple.” She would never mean anything to me, just as no woman ever meant anything to me.
“That sounds like a really bleak existence. All you do is work, and you don’t have any real relationships. You don’t love anyone, no one loves you. What’s the point in risking your neck every night? You’re already rich, so does more money really make a difference?”
“It’s not just about the money.”
“Then what’s it about?”
“Power.” I had the ability to do anything I wanted, to execute anyone without a single objection. I controlled this city, and that gave me purpose. Maybe I didn’t have anything meaningful in my life, but I had that.
Cassini didn’t seem impressed. “My happiest memories are the nights when my family would be gathered around the table, and we’d be drinking wine and eating bread. Mother would cook one of her delicious meals, and Father would drink way too much and tell stories he’d told a million times. It didn’t matter how much money we had. Power was never relevant. Just being together made us the richest people in the world.”
My parents died a long time ago, and the only family I had left was my obnoxious brother. We didn’t have a happy childhood. We didn’t have much of a childhood at all. “Not everyone can have a picture-perfect family.”
“We weren’t picture-perfect. That’s the point.”
The annoyance was beginning to get to me. She judged my lifestyle when she was dumb enough to open her legs for a man who didn’t deserve her. “You aren’t better than me, so stop acting like you are.”
“I never said I was.”
“You’re acting like it. Turning up your nose at me like you’ve got it all figured out.”
“Again, never said that. I’m just trying to understand you.”
“I’m pretty simple—not much to understand.”
“Yes…I’ve noticed.” She turned quiet, detecting my rage. “When did you become the Skull King?”
“Five years ago.”
“And how did that work? Did the man before you die?”
“No. He made a lot of bad decisions. The guys told him to step down, and he refused. So they elected me to defeat him by combat.”
She raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“To replace an existing king, you must defeat him in battle. No weapons. Just fists.”
“And you fight until someone gives up?” she asked incredulously.
“No. You fight to the death.”
Her face immediately paled.
“Two kings can’t live at the same time, not when the first refuses to step down. Causes too many problems.”
“So, you killed him?” She was still in shock about the whole thing.
“Yes. I crushed his skull with my bare hands.”
Now she didn’t blink at all, as if she finally understood just how dangerous I was. “So, someone could challenge you?”
“Theoretically. But they won’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m the best king we’ve ever had. My focus is on peace, not rivalry. I don’t risk my men needlessly. I’ve also brought in more profits than the kings before me. Any time we’re at war, I’m on the front lines. I don’t hide in the back like previous leaders. I get my hands dirty. I expose myself to the flying bullets just like my soldiers. I don’t send my men into battle unless I’m standing beside them.”
She seemed overwhelmed, like she didn’t understand the true extent of my profession. She looked down at the table, her eyes showing that her thoughts were a million miles away. Maybe understanding who I truly was would give her an incentive to behave.
But knowing her, she would disobey me anyway.
12
BALTO
“So when are we going to do this?” Heath asked.
We sat at the table with the two men I trusted most. Brutus was on my left, and Thomas was beside him. Brutus told me exactly where Hunter Reyes was doing business that week, so catching him off guard would be simple.
“We roll in with everything we got,” Brutus said. “That should scare him shitless.”
“I say we kill a few of his men just to send a message,” Thomas said. “Preferably his kids.”
“We aren’t killing anyone until we know for certain.” I sat in the high-backed chair with the skulls carved into the wood and my hand resting over the top of my glass. “We arrive and take a look at the scene. Depending on what we find, I’ll make the decision then.”
Heath was new to the position, but he caught on quickly. He was a smart man despite his dumb decisions, and the men didn’t have a problem with him. “If he’s really skimming that much cash, we gotta prove it. Because we can’t let him get away with that shit.”
One of my men walked inside. “Balto, I’ve got two men here to see you.”
“I’m in a meeting. I’ll speak with them afterward.”
“They said it was urgent.”
I lifted my gaze again to look at him. “Is that supposed to mean something to me? Who the hell are these guys?”
“Case and Dirk Cardello.”
Cassini’s brothers had arrived at my lair—to talk about Cassini, no doubt. I was surprised they came all the way down here on my territory. They were surrounded by my army, and if they stepped out of line for even a second, they were dead. They really were brave. “Send them in.” I turned to Brutus. “Make all the arrangements. We’ll hit them tomorrow night.”
“Alright.” Brutus and the guys left.
Heath lingered behind for a second. “If they think you’re gonna change your mind, they’re idiots.”
I would never give up Cassini, no matter what kind of sob story they could tell. “Get out.”
Heath flipped me off before he walked out.
A moment later, Case and Dirk entered. The door shut behind them, and two men guarded the door, both armed and ready to kill them if they made a move against me. Case wore a black leather jacket, and Dirk wore a long-sleeved olive shirt. They possessed the classic Italian features that Cassini also had. If all three of them appeared on a Christmas card, they would look like a beautiful family.
The topless bartender appeared and gave the guys two glasses of scotch. She replaced my drink even though I was only halfway finished. Then she disappeared and gave us our privacy.
Case didn’t touch his drink. His green eyes were full of irritation—all of which was directed at me.
Dirk was just as cold.
“You’re wasting your time, boys.” I shook the ice cubes before I took a drink. “I understand your grievance, but there’s no way around it. Your sister is mine, and there’s nothing you can do to get me to release her. I sugges
t you let it go.” She might not have her freedom, but she was well taken care of.
“We have something to offer you.” Case held on to his glass but didn’t take a drink. “We negotiated fifteen percent of our business. Give up Cassini, and we’ll give you fifty percent. You know what kind of numbers we’re pulling. You know how much that leaves on the table. It’s a generous offer.”
It was a very generous offer, but Cassini was priceless. “No.”
Case sighed loudly.
“Even if I agreed, you have no way to keep her safe from Lucian. He’d figure it out quickly enough, and you’d be powerless against him. Honestly, the safest place for her is right beside me.”
“We’d figure something out,” Case said. “We could sell the business and leave if it became necessary.”
“That wouldn’t work because I wouldn’t be getting my cut.”
Case shrugged. “We would find a way. We aren’t going to give up on our sister.”
Even though it was pointless, I admired his determination. “I rejected your offer, so you can leave.” I’d taken Cassini from behind before I left, fucking her good and hard on my bed before I gave her a load to last her through the night.
“How about this?” Case asked. “Give her up…and we’ll give you a hundred percent of the business.”
That caught my attention because it was so desperate. “You’d be working for free.”
“We’re there for the pasta anyway. We would just keep whatever we needed to break even. The rest of it is yours. We’re talking twenty million euro a month—for doing nothing.” Case leaned forward and stared at me with enthusiasm, hoping that would tempt me into folding.
A small part of me felt guilty for keeping Cassini when her brothers wanted her freedom so much. It was obvious how much they loved her if they were willing to sacrifice everything for her. Those family dinners she mentioned must have been as wonderful as she remembered. It was a little heartbreaking to hear these men sacrifice everything for her. I had no one who would do anything like that for me. Heath was my brother, but I doubted he would walk away from that much money to save me. It was a huge sacrifice.
Case kept watching me. “We got a deal?”
It was tempting, but not tempting enough. “No.”
Case slammed his fist onto the table. “Then what the hell do you want, Balto? Name it, and we’ll give it to you.”
Truth be told, there was nothing anyone could offer me that would tempt me. Cassini had captured my obsession from the moment I’d laid eyes on her. Without her in my bed, my sheets would be ice cold. Sex would be routine and stale. She set my world on fire and kept me warm. “There’s nothing I want more than her.”
Dirk shook his head. “Everything has a price.”
“Not Cassini.”
“We could do something to Lucian,” Case offered. “Anything you want.”
“Don’t bother. Lucian is an opponent you can’t match. For Cassini’s sake, stay away from him. You won’t come back alive.”
“You underestimate us,” Case said coldly.
“No,” I said. “I’m just giving you a reality check. But I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll bring her by once a week so you can spend time with her. Once she and I work out our issues, she can come see you alone.”
Case sighed, like that only annoyed him. “She’s not an animal.”
“And I don’t treat her like she is. That woman is rich, protected, and safe. She can’t run off and do whatever she wants yet, but she’s treated like a queen.” I gave that woman whatever she wanted, a life of luxury.
“Queens aren’t captured and locked in a tower,” Dirk snapped.
“That’s the best I can offer you. Take it or leave it.”
Case stared at his brother.
Dirk took a drink.
“What are you going to do with her?” Case asked. “When Lucian wants her back, you’ll trade me for whatever he stole?”
I lifted my left hand. “He took one of my skull diamonds. And I’m not sure if I’ll trade her or not. I haven’t decided yet. He hasn’t offered yet.”
“She’s a fucking person,” Dirk snapped. “Not cash or diamonds.”
“She’s more valuable than both,” I said. “And let’s not pretend this isn’t how the real world works. You should both be happy I’m the one who has her and not someone else. Trust me, it could be much, much worse.”
“No,” Case said. “I can’t imagine anyone worse than you.”
I HAD private quarters at the Underground, so I stayed there for the night.
I didn’t intend to come home for several days.
Tomorrow evening, I would hit Hunter Reyes when he least expected it. That would take some time. I got into bed, the bed where I screwed most of my whores, and I stared at the ceiling as the sunrise started to pierce the curtains.
It was almost six in the morning.
My phone on my nightstand started to ring.
It was Cassini.
I answered, smiling because I knew exactly why she was calling. “Baby.”
“When are you coming home?” Exhaustion was in her voice, like she hadn’t slept at all. She was probably on the couch in her usual spot.
I liked the way she said home, that she considered my building to be her residence. “I don’t know.”
“What do you mean, you don’t know?”
“It might be a few days.” I was enjoying this so much.
“Why? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I’m sleeping at the Underground.”
“I don’t understand. Why don’t you just come home?”
“Because this is your punishment.”
The line went dead silent. She processed the horrifying news without conjuring a response.
She claimed she hated me, but she hated it more when I was gone. She felt vulnerable without my presence, without my ability to drive away the monsters. She didn’t know my twin was just one floor below, so if anything happened, he was right there. “I’ll be home in a few days.” I hung up.
She called back.
My smile was wider now. “Yes?”
“Don’t hang up on me.”
“Or what?”
I could feel her flames over the line. “Because I said so. And are you being serious right now? You’re just going to leave me here?”
“I just put groceries in the fridge.”
“That’s not the problem.”
“You should have thought of that before you pulled your little stunt.” She thought she’d outsmarted me with her lingerie, but I always had the upper hand. She got some time with her brothers, but now I would use her own weakness against her. She’d be uncomfortable until I finally walked through the door and chased her fears away. “I’ll see you in a few days.”
“Like, how many days? Two? Three?”
“I don’t know. Between two and six.”
“Six is almost a week.”
“But not quite.”
“What if I just leave?” she countered. “I could storm out of here and take off.”
“You’re welcome to try, but my men have their orders. If you try to leave, they’ll just drag you back up the elevator.”
She sighed into the phone. “This is just cruel.”
“Well, I’m a cruel man. Goodnight, baby.”
“Don’t you dare hang up on—”
Click.
13
BALTO
I stayed at the Underground and prepared for our mission to catch Hunter Reyes off guard. He had a place in Tuscany, surrounded by stone walls and gardens for privacy. He produced his product there, hiding in plain sight. Tourists drove past the house and snapped pictures because the property was so beautiful, but they had no idea what sinister things lived inside.
My men wore bulletproof vests, but I hardly ever did. As the Skull King, I had to appear as menacing as possible. It was much more terrifying to be provoked by a man who was fearless, who was so unintimidated that he showed u
p without any protection. Even in the direst situations, I wore a smile on my face and pretended the whole thing was a joke. It was unnerving. I was a man unafraid of death, and it made provoking my enemies that much more fun.
I watched my men ready the vehicles with all the weapons we would need. We prepared for a full-scale war even though it was just a friendly checkup. I hoped I wouldn’t have to execute Hunter tonight. The man made me a lot of money. It would be a shame to break his skull because he was too greedy to pay his share.
My phone started to ring.
Cassini hadn’t called me again, probably because she’d figured out she wouldn’t be getting her way. I glanced at the scream and hoped to see her name, but it was a number I didn’t recognize.
It could be anyone.
I stepped away from the men and moved to the opposite side of the underground garage. I held the phone to my ear. “Balto.” I stared at the wall with my arm resting by my side, knowing these phone calls could be declarations of war or just bullshit. At a moment’s notice, my life could completely change. In my line of business, the fighting was never really over. One enemy was subdued, and then another popped up.
There was a long pause before his obnoxious voice came over the line. He didn’t have a man’s voice, a deep baritone that oozed with masculinity. He sounded like a slimy weasel coated with oil. “My maid went through Cassini’s things…and discovered she had two phones.”
I knew where this was going before he even provided a thorough explanation. My smile was impossible to fight as I imagined his horror when he realized what had transpired right underneath his nose. He was pissed I took his wife and fucked her, but how pissed would he be when he realized I’d been fucking her for much longer? “Maybe she needed a bigger data plan.”
Lucian’s attitude was still icy. “How long?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes. It fucking matters.”
“When you thought her pussy was wet for you, it was actually wet for me. I’ll leave it at that.” Torturing this man was almost boring because it was so easy, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. He’d made the biggest mistake of his life when he crossed me. Now I would torture him for as long as possible until it stopped entertaining me. Once I had everything I wanted, including his balls in my hand, I’d finally execute him. Men assumed death was the worst punishment, but that was false. Death was a beautiful, merciful thing. When the body was broken beyond repair and the pain was unbearable, death was the ultimate painkiller. Only healthy people feared death. The broken worshiped it.