The Volki

Chapter Four, Part Two, Drama Bitches

Massimo exhaled, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "Good. It's better if you don't get involved in this."

I frowned, my curiosity burning. "Massimo, what's going on? Is everything alright?"

"It's complicated," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "But don't worry, I've got it under control."

His words didn't reassure me, I know what the mafia life is like, but I nodded anyway. "Okay," I replied, not wanting to push further—at least not yet.

I sat down at the desk and turned on my laptop, trying to focus. My fingers flew across the keys as I worked through a few documents, signing off on files that needed my approval. But my mind kept drifting back to what I overheard. Killed him? What move is the Italian mafia making? The words played over and over in my head, but I knew better than to dig too deep—at least not here, not now. Massimo thought he was the only one with secrets. He didn't know I had my own.

Just as I finished going over the last file, my phone buzzed. Seeing Amir's name flash on the screen, I answered quickly, knowing it was probably something mundane, but also needing a distraction from my thoughts.

"Hey, Amir," I said switching to Russian, keeping my tone light.

"Hey, darling," he replied, his voice as warm and familiar as ever. "Axton wants to cook burgers tonight, but we don't have any meat. Can you pick some up for dinner?"

I smiled, despite everything. This was the side of my life Massimo would never understand—the normalcy that Amir and Axton brought into my world. A world that was anything but ordinary, filled with secrets and shadows. While Massimo thought he was the only one carrying the weight of the family's darker dealings, he had no idea that I was just as deep in the mafia life as he was...

"About that—" He hesitated, and I could hear Axton laughing in the background.

"What did you do?" I asked, half amused, half exasperated.

"Nothing! Axton just made tacos for lunch."

I chuckled. "Okay, so we need more ground beef. Anything else?"

"I don't think so—oh, wait, we need more French fries! Nihel ate the rest of them yesterday."

"Alright, got it. Love you."

"Love you too."

I hung up and stood, feeling the weight of the afternoon hanging over me. Walking over to Massimo, I kissed him lightly on the cheek. "I'll see you later at home, brother," I said softly.

Massimo gave me a brief nod, his stern demeanor softening for a moment. "Be safe, little sister."

I smiled, grateful for his brief moment of warmth. "Okay, thank you, Massimo," I said as I headed out.

After saying goodbye to Massimo, I called Sergey, to pick me up at the front of Monti Incorporation. While waiting in the lobby, I watched the rain pour down in steady sheets through the glass doors. It blurred the city outside, turning the streets into a frantic mess. People waved desperately for cabs, sprinting through puddles, hunched over as they covered their heads with whatever they could find—briefcases, jackets—anything to stay dry.

I sat down, trying to mind my own business as I passed the time. But out of the corner of my eye, I saw them—the three women I could barely stand, heading my way. Only this time, they weren't alone. They had three security guards with them. All of them were walking straight toward me

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered under my breath in Italian, my irritation growing as I braced for whatever nonsense was about to unfold.