He shows us the paper and pushes the bowl to the next made man sitting to his side. It’s no secret the Cosa Nostra and the Outfit hate each other. Picking the Rossi girl is a blow to both families.
The bowl continues to make its rounds, and when it’s Athair’s turn to pick a name, he surprises me by grabbing my hand and pulling me next to him. My father then makes a show of slicing both our palms with the pen, clasping them together before droplets of our mixed blood fall into the wretched bowl that is to seal my sister’s fate as well as my own. I hold my breath as my father utters his oath and then looks to me to repeat it, word for word. As his heir, I follow his lead and do my duty. Everyone in this room knows what my father’s intention is with this one deliberate move—what it symbolizes. Even after his death, I am to uphold his oath as my own.
The men sitting at this table hear our vow and wait on bated breath to see who is chosen.
When the name Rosa Hernandez comes into view, a myriad of emotions assaults me all at once.
This is it.
This is the woman I will be shackled to.
And though I just promised not to hurt her, I hate her already.
The blow continues to make its way through my body, my heart beating a mile a minute with the realization that my future is now entangled with the cartel princess. The only thing that brings me out of my reverie is when my baby sister’s name is called out.
And God help me, I’ve never wanted to have a gun in my hands more just to kill the Volkov fucker who just breathed Iris’s name with a smirk.
The Bratva.
My baby sister is to wed the Russian pigs who view women as disposable property.
They will snuff my sister’s wild spirit out.
Iris will be a pawn in their twisted games.
They won’t stop until they break her.
“No,” I yell out. “Choose another.”
Vadim smiles sinisterly. “Now where would be the diplomacy in that?”
“You can’t have her.”
“I can, and I will.”
“Tiernan,” Athair mumbles softly, but unlike every man here, I hear the tremor of fear in his voice.
“I said fucking pick another one!” I slam my fists on the table.
“No. She’s my son’s now.” His eyes gleam in triumph, while Alexi stares into blank space, not moving a muscle. “Actually, Iris will belong to all my sons. As I see it, my family needs you just as much as you all need mine. These are my terms. The Irish girl is to be made a Bratva princess to all my boys.”
“Over my dead body!”
“That can be arranged.”
I launch myself at him from across the table, but two pairs of hands pull me back. I look to my left to find Giovanni shaking his head, ordering me to cool it, but it’s the man to my right that actually gives me pause and stops me in my tracks. Alejandro Hernandez stares me down with his dark eyes, silently commanding me to stand down. Never in my wildest imagination would I ever conceive of the idea that one day Alejandro would come to my aid and prevent me from starting a war. But in doing so, he’s already making it clear to everyone here where his alliances are, considering the fact that I’m to be his family.
Fuck.
This is so fucked up.
Too fucked up for me to wrap my head around.
I shrug their hands off me, my whole body trembling with rage.
“Carlo,” my father begins to protest, standing up with palms flat on the table. “This is absurd. You can’t honestly allow my daughter to be shared like some common whore.”
“She’s a woman, isn’t she? I haven’t met one yet who didn’t enjoy being fucked by three cocks,” Vadim adds, his eyes sparkling with triumph, reveling in our misery. “Besides, it is an old Russian tradition. The most revered czars practiced such ways in the old country. It’s a sign of devotion. And it’s my family’s way of showing just how much we will honor this treaty.”
Sick fuck!
“Carlo,” Athair repeats, his voice begging for mercy. “Don’t allow this madness.”
Carlo Rossi’s forehead wrinkles, thinking long and hard about this turn of events. Both Athair and I hold our breath, waiting for his ruling.
“Gentleman, we all knew coming into this that there would be sacrifices to be made in the pursuit of peace. If the Volkov family wishes to uphold their traditions that will ensure obedience to this peace treaty, then let no man here refute their will. It is up to each family’s moral code to do as they see fit.”
Athair slumps back into his seat, defeat written all over his face.
I watch in horror as Vadim retrieves a switchblade from his inner pocket and orders Alexi to stand up.
“On my blood and on the blood of my legitimate heir, Alexi, we swear to protect and care for the woman who will ensure the life of the Bratva. Let her sacrifice bring union to every family here.”
His demon eyes stare into his son, silently ordering him to say the same words out loud.
“On my blood, and on the blood of my brothers, we too swear to protect and care for the woman who will ensure the life of the Bratva. Let her sacrifice bring union to us all.”
The words coming out seem robotic, as if he doesn’t even care he just officially made sure that Iris will not only be his, but his brothers, too.
Alexi sits back down in his seat, while Vadim drinks up his victory over Athair and I like it’s the best sweet cherry wine he’s ever tasted.
“Don’t worry, Kelly. My boys will take good care of her. We’re family now. Isn’t that the point of all this?” Volkov goads, trying to get a rise from me.
I’m not sure what pisses me off more.
Vadim’s triumphant sneer or Alexi’s complete indifference and disregard.
“He’s right. It’s done,” Alejandro mutters evenly beside me, not an ounce of emotion in his tone.
“Tell me, Kelly. Do you want to go to war because of one little girl?” Vadim directs the question to my father, who is sitting down looking as stoic as ever.
“If you hurt her, I will kill you,” I reply when my father refuses to acknowledge Volkov’s taunts.
His haughty smirk chills my blood.