Beautiful Trouble: A Dark Mafia Romance (The Oligarchs Book 2) Read online

  Heavy silence. I wanted to punch him in the smug face.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” I finally said, throwing my hands up.

  “You said I could give her my terms and I did.”

  “They were ridiculous.”

  “They’re more than fair.” He glanced at Anthony. “He doesn’t deserve to keep living.”

  “Bro, you know he’ll never go for it,” Anthony said, studying his nails. “Maybe you should consider something a little less extreme. Like make him give up half his territory and any connections to the Drozdovs or something. Knock him down a peg but don’t gut him completely.”

  I gestured at Anthony. “He agrees with me.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far.” Anthony didn’t meet my gaze. “I only think this war has gone on too far.”

  “You just feel guilty,” Darren said, waving it away. “I’m not listening to any of this. Roman has my terms and now it’s his turn to respond.” Darren stood and walked to the door.

  “You’re being unreasonable. I wouldn’t have made that call if I thought—”

  “You should be happy I was willing to talk to her at all.” Darren stared at me, a strange mix of rage and desire. “You’re the only person I’d stoop so low for.”

  Then he left. I slammed the table with my hands then glared at Anthony. “You must be happy.”

  “I can assure you I am not.”

  “Your brother’s fighting a war for you.”

  “This isn’t for me. This is for him and always has been.”

  “Roman tried to—”

  Anthony cut me off. “Listen to me. You might’ve married my brother, but you’re not part of this family yet, so don’t tell me about my family’s past. You don’t know shit about me.” He stood up.

  I stared at him, trying to decide if he was being serious or just fucking with me. “You can make all this stop, you know.”

  “Nobody can make this stop, not even you. Darren’s consumed with this shit and he will be until it’s done.”

  “You can at least try. You see how it’s ruining him, don’t you?”

  Anthony’s face clouded over. “I see it better than you think.”

  “Then talk to him. Get him to offer better terms.”

  “I’ll think about it.” He drifted to the door. “Don’t think this means you’re important. Never forget who you are.”

  Then he left.

  I stared up at the ceiling and closed my eyes.

  “As if any of you fuckers will let me forget,” I whispered to nobody at all.

  27

  Penny

  The irony of being rich but having nothing was never lost on me.

  I lived in a big house. I was comfortable. I was given whatever I wanted.

  And yet nothing was mine and I rarely went anywhere.

  That bridal store was the first time I’d left the manor grounds in months, and of course it ended in a bloodbath. That wasn’t my fault but still. There was a reason Darren wanted everyone to stay inside the house.

  Mother didn’t seem bothered. Erin was too lost in her own little world to notice.

  But I chafed against the restrictions.

  I’d never let Darren know that—it would only break his heart. I knew why we were supposed to stay sequestered as much as possible, but that didn’t ease the boredom and loneliness.

  Winter helped with that. It was so nice to have a friend that wasn’t deeply tied into the fucked-up world I grew up in. It was strange at first, since Darren didn’t want me interacting with her, but now that they were married, I felt like I finally had another sister.

  Not that she replaced Liv—but I missed having that close friendship.

  I was wealthy. Filthy stinking rich, apparently. But I couldn’t do a damn thing with that money. I could order whatever I wanted online and have it inspected and picked apart by the house security before it was delivered to my room, but that wasn’t the same.

  It wasn’t always like this. Back before Liv died, we could do more or less whatever we wanted. Life was normal.

  It hadn’t been normal around here for a long time.

  I wandered the hallways. I did a lot of that. I smiled and said hello to the staff, stopped to ask how Coleta’s family was doing, chatted with Gaspara about her new boyfriend for a little while, but they always treated me like a better, like I was their boss, and rarely dropped their fake smiles.

  I had a feeling Charleigh never let them forget their place.

  It was frustrating, but I grew to accept it.

  I drifted into the family wing. Most of the bedroom doors were shut, except for Erin’s. I heard voices drifting into the hallway and I slowed down as I came toward her apartment. She had several rooms across the hall from my own little private quarters and when we were younger, we used to meet in the hall with Liv and play games all over the grounds. Darren would join sometimes, and later I’d play with Anthony, but childhood seemed so long ago.

  It wasn’t fair, how it all slipped away.

  “…longer than necessary,” Erin was saying. I tried to peek through the cracked open door but only saw the far window and shadows indicating someone pacing around.

  “I’m moving as quickly as I can.” I recognized the voice that answered her.

  It was Kaspar.

  My blood chilled. What was Erin doing talking to a freaking Oligarch?

  Especially him?

  I hated Kaspar. Despised him. Ever since our brief overlap during my time at Blackhills.

  Time hadn’t done much to dull my feelings.

  “You have to finish him off. Darren is getting desperate and I’m afraid he’ll do something stupid.”

  “Such as?”

  “Make peace.” Erin sounded bored.

  But she was talking about the war with freaking Kaspar.

  I was absolutely riveted.

  “What’s so bad about peace? That would make things easier for you.”

  “Peace won’t get me anywhere. If I’m going to grow my family’s strength, I need to make sure there are places to grow into. That means territory and manpower.”

  “Which you think you can take from Roman.”

  “That’s the goal. But none of that matters if you can’t deliver.”

  “I’ll do what I can, but don’t forget our deal. My men are fighting and dying for you, and whether we win or not, I’m taking my payment.”

  “You’ll have her when this is finished.”

  I stepped back, my mouth hanging open.

  Have her when this is finished? What the hell did that mean? I blinked rapidly then pressed my ear against the frame again just as Kaspar finished saying something.

  “… Penny at the end of this. You know the deal we made. I only hope you can follow through.”

  “Don’t worry about my sister. When the time comes, she’ll do what’s best for the family.”

  “Then I’ll keep up the fight. You need to relax a little, Erin. You’re always so high-strung.”

  “Do your damn job, Kaspar.”

  I heard her slam a laptop lid shut then start pacing around her living room.

  I stood there sweating and breathing hard.

  “You might as well come inside.”

  I grimaced then pushed open the door.

  Erin stood near the windows looking out. She glanced over her shoulder and frowned as I took a step inside, but didn’t come closer.

  She was talking about me to Kaspar. I was involved in whatever scheme she’d cooked up with that psycho and knowing her, it wouldn’t end well for me.

  “What was that about?” I asked her, afraid of the answer.

  Erin didn’t say anything right away. She kept staring out the window. It was strange, seeing her interacting with the world instead of burying herself into a phone screen. It reminded me of the old days.

  She finally turned and regarded me with those cold, green eyes.

  “Kaspar is working for me right now.”

  �
�You? How?”

  “Mother began the process and I finished it. Kaspar’s on our side because I made certain promises.”

  “What did you offer him?” I felt a cold spread out from the base of my spine.

  “Life isn’t easy, Penny. You’ve drifted through your days with a smile on your face for long enough. It’s time you did your duty for everyone.”

  “What the fuck did you do?” I wanted to scream and slap her in the face over and over again. That crazy asshole, that manipulative bastard. She went behind Darren’s back to ally herself with Kaspar, and she threw me into the mix as a bargaining chip.

  Because she knew how Kaspar felt about me.

  And she knew how I felt about Kaspar.

  “You will be his when this is finished. It won’t be so bad. He’ll take care of you. That man worships the ground you walk on.”

  I took step closer, trembling. “No way. Absolutely not.”

  “Then Kaspar will turn on us and bring the other Oligarchs along. You realize our brother isn’t popular at the moment, don’t you?”

  “I know, but—”

  “We need Kaspar. He’s keeping the other Oligarchs out of this fight for the time being, despite how bloody and atrocious it’s been. If we lose him, we lose everything. You need to do your part.”

  “Erin, I’ll never—”

  “You will do your duty.” Her voice cowed me. The intensity, the anger. “We’ve treated you like a wounded little bird because you watched Liv die, but that was a long time ago now. It’s time for you to grow up.”

  Grow up. Like Liv never would.

  It wasn’t fair. None of it was fair.

  All the money in the world, but it couldn’t buy my sister back.

  I closed my eyes. Tears rolled down my cheeks.

  “You sold me to him.”

  “I did. And I’ll do worse if you don’t obey me.”

  “I’ll tell Darren.”

  “Go ahead. He’ll find out sooner or later. Someone’s got to make sure this family comes through all this ahead, and we both know it won’t be him. He’s too consumed with his revenge.”

  “You’re sick.”

  “And you’re deluded and naive. Liv’s dead, Penny. It’s time to move on.” She turned her back on me. Tears kept coming. I couldn’t stop them.

  I felt sick.

  “Why do you hate me? Ever since Liv died, you’ve hated me. You barely talk to me. You walk around staring at your phone like nothing else exists.”

  “I don’t hate you. I barely think about you. I spend my time making plans to keep this family alive, and I’m not going to let you ruin them all because you have some inflated sense of importance. You’re a tool for this family. You always were. Now, go back to your room. When Kaspar comes, you’ll go with him, and you won’t complain.”

  I backed away. I balled my hands into fists.

  I hated my sister.

  My horrible sister. I knew she was different, but I had no clue how far she’d fallen.

  She was a monster.

  “If this is what it means to be a Servant, then I don’t want any of this anymore.”

  “You can’t walk away from who you are. Go back to your room and stop crying.” Erin picked up her phone and began typing.

  I fled like a little girl.

  Complicated feelings rushed through me. I hated her like I did back when we were little and she picked on me for no reason. I wanted to run away and start over, but knew I never could. I wanted to hide from Kaspar, even if that was silly and impossible.

  I wanted Darren to protect me. I was afraid he wouldn’t.

  Erin was right. I was nothing. Unimportant. A worthless piece of coal.

  If giving myself to Kaspar was the only decent thing I could do with my otherwise unimportant life, maybe I should do it without complaint.

  Maybe then my family would care.

  But that was delusion. They wouldn’t give a damn no matter what.

  I fled to my bedroom, slammed the door shut, and cried hard enough to make myself sick for the first time since my sister killed herself.

  28

  Darren

  Spring breeze chilled the wind. I liked the way sunlight dappled the forest floor. Winter walked close, her stray flyaway hairs bustling around her beautiful face, and I wanted to stare at her, to take her in like a scenic vista.

  She was so much a part of me now.

  But she also pissed me off to no end.

  “Why won’t you at least be reasonable?” She set her jaw and marched forward, stomping over sticks and rocks.

  “You don’t understand.”

  “Of course I understand. You can call a truce and negotiate concessions.”

  “I won’t give up a damn thing.”

  “You won’t have to.” She threw her hands in the air. “But you won’t even negotiate.”

  “I’m not going over this again with you.”

  She grunted in frustration and strode ahead.

  I hoped we could have a nice, peaceful stroll. It was such a nice afternoon and I felt so cooped up and anxious back in the house. I thought being together with Winter outside would ease my mind, but all she wanted to do was pressure me into meeting with Roman.

  A meeting I knew would end in blood.

  I wished she could understand. My life was dedicated to protecting my family, and Roman was the biggest threat to their safety. He tried to kill Anthony once, and he’d try it again if he got the chance. So long as he was out there, none of them would be safe.

  I shoved my hands in my pockets and stared at the ground. Liv used to like going on hikes with me. We’d bring a blanket and snacks and find a good spot to set up. We’d play a little battery-powered radio and sing songs and eat junk until Penny and Erin found us, and then we’d all play hide and seek or manhunt or whatever. Those were good days—back when Liv was still the glue that held everyone together.

  Liv wasn’t the most outgoing. She wasn’t the loudest or the funniest. But she was the one we all turned to when things were difficult. She was the best listener, had the biggest smile, the most incredible laugh, and she was damn good at climbing trees. There was never any hint at her inner struggles—she never mentioned it, not a single time.

  Which made what happened so much worse.

  I knew it would never be like it was. I’d never be close to Penny or Erin that way again. Liv kept everyone together, the heart of our family, the glue that bound our relationships up tight, and without her, things slowly frayed and fell apart.

  Now I was obsessed with their safety, maybe to the point of doing more harm than good.

  I was self-aware enough to realize that.

  And yet I couldn’t stop.

  Winter waited for me up at a fork in the path. I took the left turn and trudged along to a small clearing around a massive, ancient oak with branches and leaves spread out in all directions. I sat down on a root and Winter shuffled up next to me, but left some space between our legs.

  I looked at the grass then at my wife. She avoided my gaze.

  “I used to come here with Liv.”

  She hesitated then glanced over. “You don’t talk about her much.”

  “Nobody does. It’s a sore subject.”

  “I’m sorry. Were you two close?”

  “Extremely. She was close with everyone.” I smiled and glanced up. “She used to climb to the top of this tree and throw acorns down at us. Penny would scream and cry, and Erin would try to climb up and catch her, but I was the smart one. I caught the acorns and threw them back.”

  Winter smiled and I laughed at the memory.

  “I bet it was fun growing up around here.”

  “Sometimes it was. Mostly it was lonely. We were a bunch of little kids living in this huge house, exploring every inch, stomping through the woods, but really just living alone in a big, beautiful cage.”

  “At least you had each other.”

  “That’s true.” I looked down at my hands. “
Liv killed herself when she was eighteen years old. I was twenty-two, graduated from college the year before.”

  “Oh, shit, Darren. I didn’t realize that she—” Winter stopped herself. “God, I’m so sorry. That must’ve been really hard.”

  “It nearly broke the family apart. Erin was always a little weird, but she pulled away from the world after that. Penny was there when it happened and developed a bunch of nervous habits that she’s really only just starting to outgrow.”

  “Penny was there?” Winter’s eyes went wide. “That’s horrible.”

  “Liv was staying in our Manhattan apartment at the time. It was in an old building near Central Park. I think all the Oligarchs own real estate in that area.” I smiled a bit ruefully. “Penny went to visit her. Pen was only fifteen when it happened.”

  “You don’t have to give me any details if you don’t want.”

  I waved that away. “It helps to talk about it. I haven’t told anyone in a long time.”

  “I’m here to listen.” She moved closer, put a hand on my leg.

  “Penny told me the story the day after it happened. She was so pale and shaking. I tried to imagine, but—” I shook my head. “Liv seemed like she was happy. She was heading to Blackhills College soon. She had her life ahead of her. And then one afternoon, she left a note for Penny then climbed to the roof of that building.

  “I guess Liv misjudged when Penny would get home, because Pen found the note, read it, then ran upstairs. You know what’s messed up? I don’t remember what that note said anymore. I know it said Liv loved us all and that she was sorry, and that she couldn’t hide how she felt anymore, but the details are all gone.”

  I laughed and shook my head. The pain of that day was like a lightning strike. Everything was still so clear and bright, colored in DayGlo paint, too bright and saturated, but all the details were wrong, like a camera out of focus.

  “Penny got upstairs,” I continued, “and ran through the emergency doors to the roof. She found Liv standing on the edge, staring out at the park. I don’t know what they talked about. Pen never gave me details. She only said that Liv couldn’t handle our family anymore, that the weight of what we did crushed her every day, and that she couldn’t continue living a lie anymore. Since Liv wouldn’t hurt the rest of us, she decided she couldn’t keep on going.”