Binding Rose: A Dark Mafia Romance(7)

Fuck.

This is so fucked up.

Too fucked up for me to wrap my head around.

I shrug their hands off me, my whole body trembling with rage.

“Carlo,” my father begins to protest, standing up with palms flat on the table. “This is absurd. You can’t honestly allow my daughter to be shared like some common whore.”

“She’s a woman, isn’t she? I haven’t met one yet who didn’t enjoy being fucked by three cocks,” Vadim adds, his eyes sparkling with triumph, reveling in our misery. “Besides, it is an old Russian tradition. The most revered czars practiced such ways in the old country. It’s a sign of devotion. And it’s my family’s way of showing just how much we will honor this treaty.”

Sick fuck!

“Carlo,” Athair repeats, his voice begging for mercy. “Don’t allow this madness.”

Carlo Rossi’s forehead wrinkles, thinking long and hard about this turn of events. Both Athair and I hold our breath, waiting for his ruling.

“Gentleman, we all knew coming into this that there would be sacrifices to be made in the pursuit of peace. If the Volkov family wishes to uphold their traditions that will ensure obedience to this peace treaty, then let no man here refute their will. It is up to each family’s moral code to do as they see fit.”

Athair slumps back into his seat, defeat written all over his face.

I watch in horror as Vadim retrieves a switchblade from his inner pocket and orders Alexi to stand up.

“On my blood and on the blood of my legitimate heir, Alexi, we swear to protect and care for the woman who will ensure the life of the Bratva. Let her sacrifice bring union to every family here.”

His demon eyes stare into his son, silently ordering him to say the same words out loud.

“On my blood, and on the blood of my brothers, we too swear to protect and care for the woman who will ensure the life of the Bratva. Let her sacrifice bring union to us all.”

The words coming out seem robotic, as if he doesn’t even care he just officially made sure that Iris will not only be his, but his brothers, too.

Alexi sits back down in his seat, while Vadim drinks up his victory over Athair and I like it’s the best sweet cherry wine he’s ever tasted.

“Don’t worry, Kelly. My boys will take good care of her. We’re family now. Isn’t that the point of all this?” Volkov goads, trying to get a rise from me.

I’m not sure what pisses me off more.

Vadim’s triumphant sneer or Alexi’s complete indifference and disregard.

“He’s right. It’s done,” Alejandro mutters evenly beside me, not an ounce of emotion in his tone.

“Tell me, Kelly. Do you want to go to war because of one little girl?” Vadim directs the question to my father, who is sitting down looking as stoic as ever.

“If you hurt her, I will kill you,” I reply when my father refuses to acknowledge Volkov’s taunts.

His haughty smirk chills my blood.

“We can call this whole thing off, if you want? We are more than prepared to continue this war if you are.”

“This war ends here. You might not like it, Tiernan, but should you prevent this from happening, then all of us will make sure your last breath will be witnessed by every man here,” Rossi warns. “And you, Volkov, should we hear that the girl is treated in any way less than with the respect she is entitled to as the mother of your future heirs, then the same fate will be bestowed upon you. Think long and hard, gentlemen, because this is what this treaty really means. We are now all linked. One misstep and you no longer have one or two families to war with, but all of us.”

“We understand,” Athair says somberly. “Volkov, we are honored to have you welcome our Iris into your home and family. You will not have any issues from us. I give you my solemn vow.”

My father’s words burn a hole through my chest.

“And you, Tiernan?” Rossi questions.

Through gritted teeth, I nod, unable to consent to my sister’s macabre fate with words.

“Good. This… gentlemen,” Rossi begins, planting his palms on the table as he makes eye contact with every man here, “is the beginning of a new dawn. Where we flourish and thrive in business, knowing that old vendettas are put to the side for the greater good. You have ten years to settle into this new way of life and put your demands into place. We will all honor it. This is our future now. Our survival. And if there is a man here that will put this agreement in any kind of jeopardy, then death will not only knock on his doorstep, but also greet every family member they have ever cared for.”

In other words, submit or die.

My family could survive a war with two families, maybe even three. But with all five? We would all be dead within a week. And the same can be said for every family here if they also oppose it. I just hope the threat of death is enough to keep them all honorable. If not, then the previous Mafia Wars will pale in comparison to the retribution of the future.

Whatever our destiny, no one wins here today.

But to truly lose would mean our extinction.

Ten years.

That’s all Iris and I have now.

Only time will tell if we’ll have many more after that.

And as the outside wind continues to blow, the storm taking up new heights, I make my own vow to Saint Brendan himself, asking him to give me the strength and fortitude to strike down every man here if the fate that awaits us is filled with Kelly blood.