The Don’s Stolen Bride

ROMEO’S POV… We had barely taken off when the turbulence started. The jet shook violently for a second before stabilizing again. I stared out the window at the clear night sky, jaw tight, fingers wrapped around my glass of vodka. The weather outside was calm. Too bad I wasn’t. I took another sip and immediately regretted it. French vodka is shitty.” Across from me, Rudy trembled so hard his knees nearly gave out. I looked up at him slowly. “So explain something to me.” My voice stayed calm. “How exactly does my brother get kidnapped under your watch?” Behind him, the flight attendant nearly tripped over the i***t bleeding out on my floor. Wonderful. That was another cleaning bill. I shot her a glare and she disappeared immediately. Rudy swallowed hard. “P-please, sir… I didn’t know. H-he tricked me.” I picked up the file beside me and flipped it open. “According to this,” I said casually, “I pay you almost thirty grand a year.” He nodded shakily. “So tell me, Rudy… what exactly am I paying for?” His mouth opened and closed uselessly. “K-keeping Mr. Nicholas safe, sir.” I tossed the file onto the table. “And do you see Nicholas anywhere on this plane?” Silence. “Better question,” I continued. “Have you seen him at all in the last five days?” Nicholas. My fifteen-year-old brother. Spoiled. Impulsive. A complete pain in my ass. And somehow kidnapped by the f*****g Bratva while under protection from two men who were apparently allergic to competence. Last week, my father insisted I take Nico to a meeting in Russia. “Teach him the business,” he’d said. Now the kid was gone. Rudy’s voice shook. “H-he asked me to get him a game and when I came back, he’d run off with some girl—” “Really?” “Yes, sir. I swear.” I looked toward Mateo. Without a word, he handed me the iPad. I turned the screen toward Rudy. Security footage played instantly. There he was — flirting shamelessly with some woman while Nico walked straight out of the hotel with a girl beside him. Rudy went pale. Ah. There it was. The realization. “You know,” I said quietly, “failing at your job is one thing.” I leaned forward slightly. “But lying to my face afterward?” I tsked slowly. “I am so s…sorry, sir, I…I—” “Of all the places to get a f*****g b***r, Rudy, you chose enemy territory! Now Nico is gone! And without him here, you have no job, which makes you useless to me.” I slowly raised the revolver toward his head. He broke immediately. “Please… please don’t kill me!” The cabin fell silent except for the sound of his panicked breathing. A few long seconds passed before I sighed and lowered the gun. “Mateo.” “Yes, boss.” “Lock him in the cabin.” Relief hit Rudy so fast he nearly collapsed. “Thank you, sir. Thank you, I swear I’ll fix this. I’ll go back to Russia myself, I’ll find him—” I stopped listening. The i***t thought he was surviving this. Killing him on the jet would just increase my cleaning costs. For the next four hours, I sat in silence while the plane crossed into American airspace. Nico’s disappearance kept replaying in my head alongside a promise I made my mother years ago. A stupid promise. Because if it weren’t for her, I would’ve stopped protecting Nicholas a long time ago. “Fuck.” **** The second the plane landed, my phone buzzed repeatedly. Enzo. (13:21) ENZO: Boss, Ivan Labazanov agreed to meet. (13:23) ENZO: He knows we have his brother-in-law. He wants to discuss terms. (17:21) ENZO: Valeria. 4PM tomorrow. I typed back immediately. (23:04) ROMEO: I’ll be there. I glanced down at the blood staining the floor near my shoes before adding another message. (23:04) ROMEO: I’ll be there. Also hire a cleanup crew, the jet’s a bit… bloody. I texted back… THE NEXT DAY By the time I got to the hotel, it was already 3:30 PM. Normally, I’d arrive late just to piss Ivan off, but today wasn’t normal. Nico’s life was on the line, and as much as I hated the bastard, I couldn’t afford to provoke him. Mateo and the others followed behind me as I entered the lounge. The place practically screamed money. Dark wood, expensive liquor, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. People lounged around like they didn’t have problems in the world. Public location. Smart. If this meeting happened somewhere private, we’d probably try to kill each other before getting a word in. At least, I know I would. A few minutes later, Ivan walked in. Cold bastard. He looked around my age, maybe younger, but there was something unsettling about him. Slicked-back dark hair, pale skin, and that ridiculous Bratva tattoo carved near his jaw like he wanted the world to know he was dangerous. Neither of us spoke for a second. The hatred was mutual. “Didn’t think you had the balls for this, Labazanov,” I said finally. “Kidnapping my brother in broad daylight? Bold move.” His lips curled into a smug smirk “Always straight to business, Gambino. Whatever happened to hello?” He motioned for vodka like we were old friends catching up. “f**k hello,” I snapped. “Where’s Nico?” My grip tightened against the armrest. I was going to kill that i***t myself when I got him back. Ivan leaned back lazily. “He’s alive… for now.” The room went still. “And before you start threatening me,” he continued calmly, “your dumb brother walked into my territory. No guns, no goons, just waltzed right into my house.” “Bullshit.” Ivan laughed under his breath. “Careful, Gambino. I’d hate for this nice little meeting to turn ugly.” His fingers tapped against the table casually. “Your brother followed my niece straight into my estate.” Shit. “Why the hell would he follow your niece?” Ivan shrugged. “Maybe he thought he could charm her. Maybe he wanted to f**k her. Or maybe…” his grin widened slightly, “…he’s just a f*****g idiot.” I clenched my jaw. Yeah. That sounded like Nico. “Either way,” Ivan said calmly, “he belongs to me now.” “If you think holding my brother makes you untouchable, you’re dumber than I thought.” "You don't scare me Gambino, and threats won't get your brother back. But..." he paused, calmly picking up a glass, "I hear you have something of ours." “What do you want?” “My sister’s husband.” Ah. There it was. “And the North Pier,” he added. “Sign it over, and Nicholas walks out of Russia alive.” I laughed in disbelief, "The north pier? You're insane. That pier's worth more than the whole f*****g city." Ivan shrugged, “Then I guess your brother's life isn't worth much is it? Shame." I gripped my glass so hard I nearly shattered it. Fuck you, Nico. After a long silence, I exhaled slowly. Fuck! “I can’t give you the North Pier,” I said finally. “But I can give you something else.” That got his attention. “I heard you’ve been trying to buy that club near Volgograd.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “You own the white Sesso?” I shrugged casually. “The owner owes me a favor.” Lie. The club belonged to me. One of many businesses I secretly owned across Russia to keep tabs on measly enemies like Ivan. His expression shifted instantly. Interest. “Fine,” he said. “Then it’s settled. The White Sesso in exchange for your brother.” I nodded in agreement just as a waitress approached our table, setting down a tray of vodka. As she leaned over to place the glasses on the table, my attention wavered. Why the hell was the uniform that short? I caught a perfect view of her well-rounded ass, and before I could think, my hand moved of its own accord. “Damn,” I muttered. “Didn’t realize this place came with entertainment too. How much for a night?” I asked, tugging at her skirt lightly. She turned around, her green eyes wide with shock. Without hesitation, she grabbed the glass of vodka she’d just set down and threw it directly in my face. “f**k you!” The entire lounge went silent. Vodka dripped down my suit while Mateo instantly reached for his gun. I raised a hand without looking at him. The waitress stormed off furiously. Cursing under my breath, I reached for the napkin in my suit jacket and cleaned my face. Across the table, Ivan was laughing loudly, clapping his hands like a f*****g child. “Who would have thought I would witness the day Leonardo Romeo Gambino gets his ass handed to him! By a f*****g waitress no less!” Ivan laughed. I scoffed. “Bullshit, I could have her in my bed by tomorrow if I wanted to,” I retorted, brushing off my suit jacket in annoyance. This day just keeps getting worse. “No…. That one?” He pointed toward where she disappeared. “She looks immune to your Italian bullshit.” I scoffed. “There isn’t a woman alive who’s immune to me, Labazanov.” That smile on his face widened. “Interesting.” I immediately didn’t like that tone. “Since our fathers forced this pathetic peace treaty on us,” he continued casually, “I’ve been bored.” “Get to the point.” His blue eyes locked onto mine. “If you can get that waitress into your bed before the end of the week…” he lifted his glass lazily, “…your brother walks out of Russia alive.” Silence. “What?” “If you fail,” Ivan said casually, “I’ll kill him and send his remains to you.” "What the f**k, Ivan? That's not the deal. I'm not putting my 15 year old brother's life on the line for some meaningless f**k," I growled, my voice sharp with anger. "Well, I'm changing the deal.” He paused, “Why? Are you worried, Gambino? I thought you said you could have her by tomorrow. So if you think of it—I'm making things easier for you. Now you don't have to give me the White Sesso. All you have to do is f**k that… loose… lips… waitress," "What about your brother-in-law? The White Sesso?” Ivan waved dismissively. “Keep the club. Kill Evok for all I care.” He took another sip of vodka. “My sister will survive. She can marry again.” Fucking psychopath. This is why I hate f*****g Russians. The worst part was that he knew I couldn’t touch him. Not while Nico was still breathing somewhere under his control. And despite how much of a reckless shithead he was… he was still my brother. And I protected what was mine. Even if it meant sucking up to sleazy bastards like Ivan Labazanov. Finally, I leaned back in my seat and exhaled sharply. “Fine.” Ivan smirked. “But I don’t do audiences when I f**k,” I added coldly. “You’ll have to take my word when it’s done.” “No chance.” He laughed lightly. “One of my men will wait outside the room for confirmation.” “You’re f*****g sick.” “Getting cold feet Gambino?” He teased. I clenched my jaw so hard it hurt. “God help you, if there is a God; you touch one f*****g hair on his head.” I said quietly, “and I’ll burn everything you care about to the ground.” I warned, rising from my seat. Ivan stood too, his smile widening. “So I guess we have a deal. Always a pleasure doing business with you, Gambino." “f**k you, Labazanov.” I turned and walked away before I put a bullet through his skull. The second I got outside, I dialed Enzo. He answered immediately. “Boss?” “Get me the manager of this f*****g hotel," I ordered, hanging up before he could respond. Fuck!