Filed to story: Submitting to My Bestie’s Daddy Read Online >>???
“And he’s still protecting that asshole?” I asked in sheer disbelief. “After his own boss tried to kill him?”
“That’s the fucked up part,” Gabriele smirked, darkly. “Enzo told us this with great pride. He wanted to die by Dmitri’s hand like it was some honor.”
“Fucking hell,” I shook my head.
There was nothing more terrifying than a man with nothing to lose, and Dmitri had gathered a whole organization of them–brainwashed to die for him by the sound of it.
“I don’t know if it speaks to their dedication to their mission or how little they value their own lives.” Gabriele sighed. “Either way, we know there’s no limit to what they’re willing to do to destroy us.”
“Change of plans,” I said, thinking deeply about this more. “Leave Enzo to Alessandro and James’ team, at least for however long they are here. Put the rest of our resources on the safehouses and locating Dmitri.”
Gabriele raised an eyebrow, skeptically, “Are you sure? That would leave our defenses vulnerable.”
“It’s even more important that we find him now,” I said determinedly. “Not just him, but every member loyal to him. Dead or alive, we need them to be found and captured as soon as we can.”
“We know their endgame,” Gabriele argued, “If we just let them come to us first–”
“No,” I shook my head firmly, staring down my oldest friend as I tried to get him to realize the same conclusion I had come to. “With that kind of suicidal mentality, none of them can survive, or this will never end, Gabriele. If we cut off one head, it will only grow three more, just like a Hydra. We have to destroy them all.”
“And how exactly do you suppose we do that?” Gabriele scoffed. “We can’t exactly put up missing posters or billboards with their faces on them.”
“No,” I said, a smirk growing on my lips. “But we know at least one company where they’re getting their resources from.”
“Russo,” Gabriele’s eyes brightened, smirking now.
“I’ll handle Russo from the business end. I will make them regret choosing to support Dmitri with every asset I have. Once they realize they’re going to be ruined because of that asshole, they’ll give him up.”
“Bold plan,” Gabriele remarked casually.
“Let everyone know our new targets,” I told him. “I’ll start setting up for Russo’s fall.”
“Got it,” Gabriele said, lazily turning on his heel to head out for real this time.
“And I’ll get on that pay raise in a week or two,” I called after him, smirking as he raised a middle finger behind him. Once the door shut after him, any humor fell away, and I slid into my chair silently.
Dmitri was walking a thin line. If he was Damocles, there would be a sword hanging above his head. And no matter how much he tried to get it to fall upon my own, it was his burden to bear.
The sword wouldn’t dangle there forever, waiting for the loose ends to be tied with a pretty bow. No–one day, it would fall.
I just had to make sure it was Dmitri who was under it when it did.
*Olivia*
I yawned as I lounged across the long leather couch in the living room. Some random cartoon was playing entirely in Italian, and I was only catching a few words here and there as I stared blankly at the screen.
I didn’t really get the cartoon about the human-like chickens. In fact, it was pretty creepy to watch, but it was mindless entertainment, and that was enough for now.
“Why does he still have the eggshell on his head?” Dahlia questioned, baffled, as she glanced up from her phone to see what we were watching.
My head lay on her lap like a pillow, my gaze focused on the TV as the baby chicken began to wash itself with soap, revealing it was a white chicken and not black.
“I dunno,” I shrugged, suppressing a yawn. It was a lazy afternoon, and I felt like I finally understood cats who lazed about while sunbathing. Something about the light peering through the window, warming you up, just made you sleepy.
“Where are Tallon and Alessandro?” I asked, attempting for some conversation so I wouldn’t pass out right there.
“Dunno.” She shrugged. “They went out and wouldn’t tell me what for. Said they’d be back with a present.”
“Better be good,” I remarked.
We didn’t have to wait long because as the next episode of the same cartoon began, the front door opened and a loud sing-song voice called out, “Look what we got!”
“In the living room!” Dahlia shouted back, drowning the little chicken noises out with her loud mouth.
I tilted my head to see an upside-down Tallon enter, a huge grin on his face, though it looked more like a frown from where I was seeing it.
“Why’s that chick got an eggshell on its head?” he asked, confused, as soon as he stepped in.
“Thank you!” Dahlia threw her arms up.
“Just go with it.” I rolled my eyes, heaving with effort as I pulled myself into a sitting position. I stretched my back, moving back and forth until I heard my bones cracking with satisfaction.
“What’s the surprise?” I asked, sliding on the couch until I was facing them. My eyes went to Tallon’s hands, but they were empty.
“Alessandro’s got it,” Tallon grinned. “He wanted to make amends, so he got a present for you.”
“Permission to enter?” Alessandro called out from the hallway, and I rolled my eyes at the hesitance in his voice. After figuring out he had been a major asshole to everybody for weeks, Alessandro had thankfully come to his senses after his kidnapping.
Not only had he apologized, but he had done it nearly a dozen times despite everybody having forgiven him.
Well, Dahlia was still keeping him on the hook. But I suspected that was more of her getting to use him as a slave than actually being mad still.
“I told you we already forgave you,” I reminded him firmly. “There’s no need to keep apologizing.”
His head poked into the room, a grin on his face as he looked at me and then Dahlia, “One last time, I swear.”
“Olive said no,” Dahlia said firmly. “So get out!”
Alessandro pouted, stepping fully on the edge of the room and revealing a tray full of cups of goodness in his hands. I saw the logo on the pink and white cups and I froze in disbelief.
Was that….
“I bought gelato,” he said, sadly like a kicked puppy.
“Apology accepted!” Dahlia grinned. “Now, gimme!”
I hesitated as Alessandro stepped inside, unsure of how to feel. The last time I’d had gelato, it hadn’t gone well. I wasn’t sure if I had the stomach for it anymore.
I could still smell the blood sometimes, lingering in my nightmares.
Alessandro handed over a cup full of a red and white swirled gelato to Dahlia, nearly losing a finger in the process as she snatched it with a hungry look.
She would have been drooling right then if she didn’t have some class left in her. She took a huge spoonful, shoveled it into her mouth, and moaned in delight.
“God’s gift to humankind,” Dahlia said, wiping away a pretend tear from the corner of her eye.
