“Valentina,” he greeted, his voice smooth and commanding. “I heard about the attack. Glad to see you made it out alive.”
“Well, I'm glad, too. Thanks to someone unexpected,” I replied. “Not Max, by the way.”
Victor’s eyes darkened when I mentioned Max's name. This man always hated my boyfriend. I didn't get it at first, but I totally agree now.
“I warned you about him. He’s a liability.”
I nodded. That might sound harsh, but it's totally true. “I know.”
“And you think Max still deserves your consideration?” he added, his tone almost mocking.
“No,” I said firmly. “He doesn’t.”
Victor leaned back in his chair, studying me. “You know, the offer still stands. You have the skills, the potential. You could be the first female second-in-command. I might be a pain in the ass for repeating this over and over, but you’re more than ready, Val.”
I took a deep breath. "I sure am."
Victor’s smile widened. “Good. Because we need someone strong, someone who isn’t afraid to take risks and make the hard decisions.”
“I won’t let you down.”
Chuckling, Victor stood up, extending his hand. “Welcome to your new beginning, Valentina. Can't wait for you to meet the reaper.”
I stared at him, confused. “The Reaper? But our boss is Hades.”
Victor’s smile didn’t falter. “I’m not stepping down, Valentina. You are stepping up. There’s someone else who’s been interested in you for a long time.”
“What are you talking about?”
Victor crossed his arms. “I’ve been receiving secret messages from an anonymous sender for years now. At first, I thought it was some kind of sick joke. But the sender was persistent. He wants you and will reward me if I convince you to work for him.”
“And you believed him?”
“Not at first,” Victor admitted. “But then I started investigating. I wanted to know who this sender was and if he was powerful enough to back up his claims. Turns out, he is. The Reaper is a mafia boss of a family even stronger than ours. He’s the one we’ve been trying to surpass for years.”
“So, what does he want with me?”
Victor shrugged. “That’s the part I haven’t figured out yet. But he knows about you, and he wants you on his side.”
“Are you betraying the Red Blood Gang?” I asked suspiciously.