Savage Sinner: An Enemies To Lovers Russian - Italian Dark Mafia Romance (Sinfully Savage Mafia)

“Do you realize that I have done everything that you’ve ever asked of me?” I hiss. “And I’ve barely gotten a ‘thank you’ for any of it. I’ve risked my life more times than I can count for you and never asked for anything in return. I just wanted you to give a shit about me, your only family.”

He lets out a dry laugh. “Family,” he scoffs. “You want to know how I feel about family? Let me tell you. Your father promised me a windfall if something happened to him and your mother. He swore I’d be taken care of for life if I took you and Maks to America. Well, guess what?” he sneers. “I didn’t get shit. I got two pain in the ass kids and not a fucking cent. I had to figure out how to take care of you and then how to teach you to take care of yourselves. I wasn’t in this for the love of family or for loyalty, Anya. This is business. It always has been. My brother made empty promises that fucked with my livelihood. Our livelihoods. So you need to wrap your head around that and give up on these ridiculous emotions. They’re part of the reason your parents were killed in the first place. They let feelings cloud their judgment and that exposed their vulnerability — you and your brother. And you know what happened to Maks.” There’s an edge, almost a warning in his voice that grabs me by the throat and squeezes. Tears sting my eyes but I blink them back because…weakness.

“It’s always been about the money with you,” I seethe, clenching my fists. “You never gave a damn about us!”

“I did what I had to do.” He glares at me. “I taught you life skills, Anya. I showed you how to get exactly what you want.”

“You’ve shown me what a piece of shit uncle I have.” I press my fingertips to my temples. All of the losses I’ve suffered come rushing back like an all-consuming wave, ready to swallow me whole. Wounds that have been patched up with bandages and bubble gum are torn open, exposing my pent-up grief and anger.

“Don’t you dare disrespect me like that,” he growls. “Did I avoid my responsibilities? No! I did what I had to do — always! I may not believe in that warm and fuzzy family shit, but when it comes down to it, I take care of my own!” He leans closer, his blue eyes flashing with rage. “That’s why I went to Manhattan that night to avenge Maks’s death! I went after his killer, Frankie Amante, and I was ready to take them all down as punishment — him, his sister, and his father! But your new bosses, the Villanis, stopped me from fulfilling my orders. The threatened me with a war if I came back for the others. They’re the reason why Ivan Volkov demoted me, why we’ve been passed over for jobs. They prevented me from getting the revenge I needed, and I didn’t deliver for Volkov. I didn’t make us whole.”

“So you sent me here as part of a plot to destroy people who didn’t actually have anything to do with my brother’s murder?” I ask, slowly connecting dots I didn’t even know existed. My gut clenches. “How long ago did this happen?”

Uncle Boris presses his lips together, averting his eyes because he got fired up and said way too much.

Although for me, it was just enough to confirm what I already suspected.

I really have nobody.

He is a fucking liar.

And he doesn’t give a shit about me.

“Six months ago. Give or take,” he mumbles.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me about this? How could you keep it from me?” I shake my head. “You told me they played a part in my brother’s murder, but that wasn’t true! You lied to me after that meeting with Vigo at Tatiana and told me the Villanis were involved with the murder. You made me hate people who did nothing to me — all for your own gain!”

“They are the reason why I was forced to claw my way back up to the top of the organization,” he grunts. “That was all you needed to know.”

“No! It’s not!” I say, my voice rising. Fury bubbles in my chest and I shove back my chair, popping out of it. “I am tired of being used by you. I am finished with your plans and your plots. I’m not a chess piece, Uncle. I am your niece. Your blood. And if you can’t treat me that way, with honesty and respect, then I am done with you and your fucking games. And this whole plan? Finished! I won’t hurt innocent people on your behalf! I’m done with it! Done with everything!”

Uncle Boris captures my wrist and gives it a tug. “You will sit down now and attend this meeting. You will do what is asked of you and I will make sure you have everything you want when it is all over.”

”Didn’t you hear what I said?” I ask through clenched teeth? “We have nothing left to discuss!”

“Oh, but you do,” a smooth, deep voice trills into my ear from behind. “So sit your ass back down. Now.”

I spin around, my breath hitching as I stare into a pair of ice blue eyes glaring at me so hard I actually feel a chill of trepidation sweep over me. “Who the hell are you?”

His thin pink lips lift into a threatening smirk. “I’m the guy who’s gonna get you everything you want.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Dante