Chapter 17

NICHOLAS 

"You're forty-eight hours late," I said to Vlad as he strolled into the warehouse, a relaxed smile on his face.

Vlad became my supplier from the moment my father died, and not once had he ever been late to a drop. Even though he had things to deal with, he showed up early, and we never exchanged smiles. 

He acted out of both characters - he was late, and he smiled at me. 

"I know, I know, but I had to make sure you had the best bricks in the market," he said, his thick Russian accent rolling off his tongue. "I had an issue that I had to sort out myself. My old man has been acting out."

He broke rule number three. We never exchanged personal details.

"Yeah?" I asked as he placed a briefcase on the table between us. "What'd he do?" I baited, just to see if he'd fall for it.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Broke out of the asylum, and he stole my drugs. Nothing too serious."

He took the bait. Matteo's stance shifted, and from the corner of my eye, I saw him discreetly reach for his gun.

Vladimir Novikov was one of the well-known Russian cartel leaders in the underground, but his family had a track record of fucking people over.

Just because he hadn't fucked me over in over two years, it didn't mean it wouldn't happen now. The only reason I gave him a chance was that his products were easily the best on the market, and because he had lesser patronage, he didn't cost as much as the other dealers.

"I thought he was dead." That was the news that had gotten to me.

Vlad shrugged. "It's just rumors. He isn't dead. That was the narrative I pushed to keep business moving. Business is just business, right? No hard feelings," he said with a smirk.

I reacted a second too late. The lights in the warehouse went off, and gunshots rang in the warehouse. It took a while for my eyes to get used to the darkness, and when they did, I saw Vlad heading for the door.

I didn't think twice before I raised my arm and shot.

"Niko, move!" Matteo shouted. My body moved before my brain could fully process the command. If I'd moved a second later, I'd have had a blade stuck into my side.

My attacker did something unexpected next. He slit his throat, choking on his blood as he hit the floor.

I frowned down at the dead body. "Well, that takes care of that." He would have had a more painful death by my hand. "What the fuck just happened?"

"Vlad fucked us over."

***

"Not one of them survived?" I asked Matteo through the phone, my jaw locking in anger.

"No. There was no scuffle."

"So, sniper then," I concluded. Vlad would beg for death when I finally got my hands on him.

"Yeah. The cocaine is all fake, too. It was flour. The gunshots we heard were probably from one of the soldiers when they realized what was going on."

None of this made sense. He didn't get his money yet. Why would he go through the trouble of coming to the warehouse if he knew he would not get his money?

"Also, I got the news that Giselle's half-sister went missing for a few hours before a blackout van dropped her off."

News like that rarely ended well. "Was she raped?"

"Not that I know of. She's fine, but Gregorio isn't making a big deal out of it. One would think he doesn't care about her, seeing as they kidnapped her from his house."

I snorted. "Of course, he doesn't care. If it doesn't get him laid or paid, he's not gonna be bothered. He chooses the wrong times to be dramatic."

Giselle's father was a handful. I could go hundreds of years without hearing that annoying voice of his while he bitched like a little boy during the meetings among the heads of the Five Families. 

"Giselle is going to lose her mind if the news gets to her. She and the girl are tight, and there's news flying around that Eduardo is about to make her a fifth wife."

Figlio di puttana! The fucking rat bastard. The news was unsettling, but at the same time, there was nothing I could do. She wasn't a member of my family and making a move could start a war no one needed. 

"What she doesn't know won't kill her." I knew she'd react just as Matteo said, but since nothing happened, she didn't have to find out. Plus, it could all just be rumors. "It's not Rossi's business."

"Fine. Need me to do anything else?"

"Switch locations, and I'll talk to you tomorrow."

The location of the current warehouse was compromised, and I suspected Vlad wasn't in on this alone.

I'd just hung up when Giselle walked into the bathroom. Just when I thought I'd get a break from the long day, she had to be nosy.

Right now, her eyes held a challenge as I took off my briefs. Desire sparked in her eyes when they landed on my cock that was slowly rising to full mast, but it was gone shortly after.

"I'm still waiting," she stammered.

I had to give it to her. She stood her ground even though her face was turning the color of her hair. I expected her to be out of here the moment I took off my pants. 

"Come here," I commanded, my voice calm.

She walked over to me without objection, pausing when she was barely three inches away from me.

I took her arm, dragging her between me and the bathroom sink.

She slowly raised her eyes, looking at herself in the mirror.

"What did I say when you walked in here?" I asked, caging her in with my hands on either side of her.

"Could you… move back a bit?" She squeaked, her eyes refusing to meet mine in the mirror.

My cock had risen to its full length, pressing against her ass in her tiny shorts.

"Why?" I asked, pressing harder against her. "I warned you, didn't I?"

"Why do you do that?" She asked.

"Do what?"

"Sniff my hair or my neck whenever we're this close to each other."

She was right to ask that question. I didn't even realize I was doing that right now until she pointed it out. Why was I always sniffing her like some dog trying to find its owner?

Why was I addicted to her smell? 

Why did my dick get hard for her? 

Why wasn't I acting according to the plan I laid out in the beginning?

Why wasn't I acting like myself?

I had a lot of questions that needed answers, and they revolved around her. Her. A woman I told myself I hated after what she did.

My eyes caught sight of the tattoo I'd gotten for Gianna because she wanted me to, and I immediately felt disgusted with myself.

I took a step away from Giselle. "You should leave, Giselle."

Thankfully, she didn't put up a fuss or demand to know why I was asking her to leave. She just walked out, closing the door behind her.

What type of man was I? Why was I turned on by Gianna's murderer? Forget the fact that she murdered Gianna. Why was I turned on by Giselle at all? 

She was Gianna's little sister, a woman I never saw myself marrying in this lifetime or an alternate one. My thirst for revenge forced us together, not because I wanted to.

I looked at the tattoo on my hand fingers once more. Hope. Because she hoped our relationship would last forever against all odds. It was uncommon for relationships to happen in our world.

The made men saw it as a weakness. You were supposed to be devoted to the Family, and the Family alone. 

"Son, we only procreate to continue their family lineage," Father replied when a ten-year-old me asked him why he always cheated on my mother. "Upholding the Omertà and honoring the Family should be your only goal." He pointed at his chest where I knew the Family crest was tattooed. "This is all that should matter to you."

For a while, I followed that rule. Women were at the bottom of my list of priorities, and relationships weren't even on the list.

Until Gianna.

She'd been the only girl brave enough at school to walk up to me and ask for a date. I agreed because I was amused, and I wanted to see where the entire thing would lead to. It was supposed to be something to keep me amused for a few days.

Days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to months. I began to care for her, and before I knew it, we were dating. The rest, as they said, was history.

My attraction to her sister was a betrayal to her, even if the said sister was the most beautiful woman I'd seen in a long while.

Her mesmerizing, expressive blue eyes reminded me of the ocean, and when they came alive with whatever emotion she was feeling, you couldn't help but get sucked in.

"I'm letting you down," I said, like I was speaking to Gianna through the tattoo. "This isn't as easy as I thought it would be."

My plan was failing right in front of my eyes, and I had no idea how to regain that control I was slowly losing.