The Hermit (Mafia Empire Book 1)

I carry the plate I prepared for Dominik to the cottage. Not because I care two shits about him, but because I have manners. He prepared the food, so at the very least, I can make sure he gets to eat some.

That’s the lie I’m telling myself as I knock on the door.

It takes a moment before it opens and I’m looking at his sister. Even though her hair is cut super short and she’s not wearing any makeup she’s so beautiful, I struggle not to stare.

Evinka’s her name, right?

Feeling intimidated by her, I practically squeak, “Hi.” I’m not sure if she’s deaf, and I hope I don’t offend her in any way as I add, “I brought food for Dominik.”

Her eyes remain trained on me, and the corner of her mouth lifts slightly as if I amuse her.

Dominik comes up behind her and mutters, “I’ve got it.”

At least now I know she’s not deaf.

When Evinka walks back toward the living room, I hold the plate out to him. “You should eat.”

He takes the plate and stares so intently at me that I start to fidget and quickly turn around so I can get my butt back to the mansion.

I don’t even make it past the roses that are planted around the cottage when Dominik falls into step beside me. I don’t see the plate of food and glance over my shoulder at the shut door.

“You’re not going to eat?” I ask.

He only shakes his head.

“But you made all the food,” I argue.

“For you,” he mutters.

Huh? Why would he make all that food for me?

When we enter the mansion through the French doors, he orders, “Get your sister and meet me in your father’s office.”

My feet come to a standstill, and I watch as he walks across the foyer.

Worry gnaws at my gut as I head up the staircase, and I quickly knock on the bedroom door before pushing it open. Ciara’s standing in front of her window with her arms crossed over her chest.

“Dominik wants to see us in Dad’s office,” I tell her.

“Why did you take him food?” she asks as she turns around.

“Because he made it.”

She gives me a worried look. “You’re not giving in, are you?”

“No!” I rush forward, and when I reach her, I rub my hand up and down her arm. “Of course not.”

She nods and gives me a relieved smile. “Okay.” The smile doesn’t last long and fades as she asks, “Do I really have to go to the office?”

I nod. “Let’s show a united front. We need to squash this crazy idea of a wedding between you and Dominik.”

When we leave her bedroom, Ciara hooks her arm through mine. Her eyes drift over my face, then she asks, “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” I reply as we near the stairs.

“You look tired.”

I give her a reassuring smile. “I’m fine. I promise.”

Ciara is already stressed out of her mind, and the last thing she needs is me offloading on her about the panic attacks and sleepless nights I’m having.

When we near Dad’s office, Dominik’s tone sounds impatient as he snaps, “I don’t have weeks to wait around, Devlin. Push me and see what happens.”

“Sorry,” Dad quickly replies. “I was just hoping for more time to get the girls used to the idea.”

I’m first to enter the office with Ciara sticking close to my back.

Dominik is standing in front of the wall-to-wall bookshelf and doesn’t even bother to glance at us when he orders, “Sit, ladies.”

I gesture at one of the open chairs, and when Ciara takes a seat, I move to stand beside her.

Dominik still doesn’t look at us as he says, “It’s time to come to an agreement.”

I glance at Dad and stick to my guns as I say, “There’s still no way Ciara’s marrying Dominik. It doesn’t matter if he stays here for a year. Nothing will change my mind.”

“It’s not for you to decide, Grace!” Dad snaps, which makes Ciara startle.

Dominik finally turns to face us, and with his eyes locking on me, he says, “Then I’ll marry you.”

“Okay,” I agree without even thinking about it.

At the same time the word leaves my mouth, Dad exclaims, “No!” He glances between Dominik and me, then says, “Grace was already married. It’s Ciara’s turn.”

Having had enough, I tap Ciara on her shoulder and say, “Leave.”

With wide eyes, she glances at Dad before climbing to her feet.

“Sit down, Ciara,” Dad orders, a second away from losing his shit.

“Go!” I pull Ciara around me before nudging her toward the door. “Shut the door behind you.”

She obeys me, and when she’s gone, I level the men with a glare. “This. Ends. Now.”

Dad darts up from his chair and slams his fist down on the desk. “Jesus Christ, Grace. It’s not for you to decide!”

Like hell, it is.

DOMINIK

“I agree with Grace,” I say, which only earns me a dark glare from her.

“Ciara is the only option,” Ian insists, his hand cutting through the air as he doubles down on his decision.

“She will never be an option.” Grace takes a step closer to the desk, her eyes burning with rage on her father. “I won’t let you sell her for your profit.”

“I’m not getting money out of this, Grace,” Ian mutters. “An alliance with Dominik is important for the survival of our family.”

Starting to lose my patience with Ian, I grumble, “Grace has agreed to marry me. Any further conversation is pointless.”

“No!” When Devlin directs his anger at me, my fist opens and close, and it takes a lot of effort not to draw my gun on him.

He glances between Grace and me, then says, “Grace was already married.”

“That doesn’t mean shit to me,” I mutter.

There’s a flash of panic in his eyes, then he gives Grace a pleading look. “You barely survived your first marriage.”

Grace stands her ground, not backing down. “No thanks to you. I won’t put Ciara at risk of being abused.”

My head snaps to Grace, and I capture her eyes. “Abused? You think I’d hit her?”

A weird expression tightens her features, and this time, I recognize it faster for what it is. Trauma.

Before I can stop myself, I ask with a fucking dark tone, “What did Mallon do to you?”

Ian quickly shakes his head. “We don’t talk about it. Just know Grace is off the table.”

“Tell me!” I demand, my patience slipping fast.

Realizing not to fuck around anymore, Ian clears his throat before saying, “He used to beat Grace.”

The frown on my forehead deepens even more as I look at Grace. “And?”

She shakes her head. “Someone like you wouldn’t understand.”

My voice is downright deadly as I mutter, “Try me.”

She stares at me for a moment before saying, “Even though we were married, I never accepted Braden.”

When I frown again, Ian mutters, “The intimate moments were violent, and it took a toll on Grace.”

Z kurvy syn!

I clench my jaw as the thirst for blood rises in my chest. My eyes drift over her face as I realize what kind of hell she’s been through. Now I understand why she’s fighting tooth and nail for her sister.

With a hoarse voice, I say, “He raped you.”

That would mean I triggered the fuck out of her the night I waited for her in her bedroom. No fucking wonder she passed out.

“That’s how Grace feels,” Ian quickly adds. “They were married, and Mallon had a right to–”

Murder coats my words as I hiss, “Finish that sentence, and it will be the last time you speak.”

Ian’s eyes widen, intense fear tightening his features.

A tremor shudders through my body, and remembering how I caged Grace on her bed, my guilt intensifies.

There’s not a lot that gets to me, but because Evinka was raped when we were teenagers, it’s a trigger for me. I had a front-row seat to Evinka’s trauma. Her nightmares kept me up at night, and her tears soaked my shirts.

I’ll never forget how broken she was.

“All that matters is how Grace feels,” I growl. “If she says she was raped, then that’s what fucking happened.” My body shudders with the thirst for revenge, but there’s nothing I can do about it. “Shooting Mallon was too merciful. Had I known this, I would’ve made him suffer.”

“What?” Grace gasps. Her jaw goes slack as she stares at me. “You were the one who killed Braden?”

“Yes,” Ian answers. “I hired Dominik. Braden didn’t keep his end of the deal and wouldn’t sign over my share of the African market.”

Slowly, my eyes move to Ian and my self-control hangs by a tettered rope as I ask, “Is it all that mattered to you when you hired me?”

Ian quickly realizes his mistake and shakes his head. “Of course not. I was worried about Grace as well.”

Sure he was.

“Jesus,” Grace whispers, seemingly still in shock.

I watch as she sucks in a deep breath of air, and when she lifts her hand to tuck hair behind her ear, I notice how she’s trembling.

Her tone is filled with disbelief as she says, “I wasn’t aware you’re an assassin as well.”

“I’m many things,” I say, my tone deceptively calm.

After everything I learned today, I now see the pain in her eyes. Braden Mallon was her worst fear, and he fucking destroyed her.

Grace has been through hell, and she’d go right back for Ciara.

Fuck. She’s much stronger than I thought.

Respect isn’t an emotion I feel often, yet as I look at Grace, it fills my chest.

“So you can understand why I won’t allow Grace to get married,” Ian states.

“That’s my choice to make,” Grace argues.

My phone begins to ring, drawing my attention away from them. Pulling the device out, I see Ilias’ name showing on the screen.

“Yes,” I answer, my tone curt.

“They just fucking attacked me. Cleared out an entire shipment,” he says, sounding breathless.

“And?” I mutter.

“When’s the meeting?” Ilias asks.

The corner of my mouth lifts in triumph. “Soon.”

“I want them dead. Every last fucker. You hear me?” he shouts, clearly rattled by the attack.

“I’ll be in touch.”

I end the call as I head toward the doorway.

“Where are you going?” Ian asks.

“I have business to take care of. We’ll finish this conversation tonight.”

I head straight to the cottage, where I find Evinka with the four guards.

I’m wound fucking tight from learning that Grace was raped.

Jebat, how long was she married to Mallon?

How many times did he force her?

The image of Grace fighting for her life as she’s held down flits through my mind, and it makes an intense need to protect her detonate through my entire being.

I begin to feel itchy from all the people around me, and it has me barking, “Did you find a place for the meeting?”

Giving me a worried look, Evinka nods while turning her laptop so I can see the screen.

She brings up a photo of an island, then signs, “Just purchased it.”

I check the information and see it’s off the coast of Chile. Seven hundred and sixteen acres that just cost me four hundred and fifty million dollars.

I give Evinka an incredulous look. “You couldn’t find something smaller?”

“The others can buy into the alliance,” she signs.

I take a moment to think about it before I nod. “Good idea. A hundred million each will ensure their loyalty.”

She nods, a proud gleam in her eyes.

“You did good,” I praise her. “Give me the coordinates.”

“The island is untouched,” she signs before informing me of the location.

I look at the few photos available and let out a sigh. “At least there’s lots of cover from the trees.”

I open a chat with the others and type out the coordinates before sending a voice message.

“We’re meeting on Tuesday at noon. Hundred million buy-in for an alliance or don’t bother coming.”

It takes a moment before the replies come through.

Enzo: Jesus, Varga. That island better be made of gold.

Leo: It says the island is untouched. Where the fuck is this meeting taking place? Between the fucking trees?

Ilias: I’ll be there.

I type out a quick reply.

Dominik: Noon on Tuesday. We can discuss building a facility then. Bring your own chair, or your ass is sitting on the ground.

Imagining their disgruntled faces makes me chuckle.

I set the device down and take a seat beside Evinka. “Get a team ready to build on the island. I want it to be a safe location we can escape to. Make sure the island gets the best technology to guard it.” I stare at the photo on the screen and mutter, “I want an indestructible fortress.”

“On it,” she signs before getting to work.

I glance at the four guards and snap, “Stop hovering around me.”

They quickly leave the living room while a silent chuckle escapes Evinka.

“Prepare for action,” I tell her.

“You think the bratva is planning to attack here?” she signs.

I shrug. “Eventually, but that’s not what I’m talking about.” My eyes meet hers. “I’m taking Grace, and we might have to use force.”

Evinka’s eyebrows lift in surprise. “You’ll kidnap her?”

“A deal is a deal,” I mutter, even though that’s a lie. “Out of Devlin’s two daughters, Grace doesn’t annoy the fuck out of me.”