TWO

SHRUGGING OFF HIS trench coat,Nikolai flung it towards the armchair in the corner of his room before threading his hands through his hair frustratedly.

That image of his brother proposing to Camilla flashed across his mind and his nostrils flared. In a swift motion,Nikolai stretched his hand out and grabbed the nearest thing to him, then slammed it against the wall, breaking it into pieces.

His brother fucking proposed to her. His brother proposed to the Camilla and she fucking said yes.

"No," He breathed out. "No, no,"

He couldn't get the image out of his mind. It was fucking him up and he couldn't help it.

"Control,Nick,control,"He breathed out,reaching for the side drawer.

He opened the drawer and took out a bottle of his pills, then pulled out two of the pills in his palms. Grabbing the jug of water on the drawer, he fetched a favourable amount in the glass next to it and took it to his lips along with the pills, swallowing it down.

Dropping back the glass cup on the drawer, he palmed his head. "control. You need to control yourself, Nick,"

In a few minutes, the pills began to have their desired effect, and Nikolai felt his anxiety calming down.

His mind began to go back down the lane of what he saw in the restaurant.

They looked in love. His brother and Camilla looked hopelessly in love, but would that be for too long?

He held the key to their happiness.

But he loved Camilla. He loved her so much he couldn't bear to see her in pain. He loved her so much he couldn't bear to spoil the little happiness she had even though it was based on a lie.

He was well aware of the way she hated him. He knew she despised him so much, and it broke his heart into several pieces the day he saw it in her eyes when he was found on the scene of her father and brother's murder.

But their deaths had been his fault.

If he hadn't-

"Fuck,"He cursed out loud and stood up.

He shouldn't be thinking about the things that happened. He shouldn't be thinking of how the deaths of his family and Camilla's father and brother were his fault.

He needed to stop.

But how could he possibly stop when the look in Camilla's eyes back then haunted him every single day of his life after that day? How could he stop knowing fully well he couldn't even bring justice to everyone he loved that were murdered ruthlessly, including Camilla's father and brother? Just...how could he stop thinking it was his fault?

"Fucking hell," He mumbled.

A knock on his bedroom door caught his attention, and he turned towards it.No one other than his underboss and consigliere had the audacity to go to his room.

In long strides,Nikolai was already at the door. Opening it, he locked eyes with his underboss, Stefano.

He scowled. "Che cazzo vuoi?"

{"What the fuck do you want?"}

Stefano ignored the scowl on Nikolai's face and stared at him dead in the eye; something no one other than him and the consigliere had the audacity to do."Hai avuto quel maledetto attacco d'ansia,"

{"You had the fucking anxiety attack,"}

Nikolai weighed the possibilities of Stefano finding out if what next he would say was a lie,before opening his mouth to talk."Non è così brutto come lo fai sembrare,"

{"It's not as bad as you make it sound,"}

Stefano and Marco,his consigliere were like brothers to him.They filled the void in him that even his own twin brother couldn't fill and it didn't matter to Nikolai because they both hated each other.

Stefano snorted. "Hai sempre attacchi di ansia ogni volta che pensi che quella ragazza sta con quel codardo di tuo fratello. Ti ha fregato,"

{"You always have anxiety attacks anytime you think of that girl being with that coward of a brother you have.She's fucked you up,"}

"Non me ne frega un cazzo di quello che mi fa, Stefano,"Nikolai gritted out. "Dimmi cosa ti ha portato qui e vattene"

{"I don't give a flying fuck what she does to me, Stefano"} {"Tell me what brought you here and fuck out"}

Stefano's lips curved upwards into a sly smile. "Fidati di me, Don Nico, è una buona notizia"

{"Trust me, Don Nico, its good news"}

Nikolai's eyes narrowed into slits."Allora dimmi un cazzo,"

{"Then ,tell me shit,"}

"Tuo fratello ha mandato una spia per tenerci d'occhio,"Stefano replied. "Per fortuna, quello stronzo è stato catturato,"

{"Your brother sent a spy to keep an eye on us,".} {"Luckily, the fucker has been caught,"}

"Come cazzo ha fatto una spia a trovare un membro del nostro impero?"Nikolai asked.

{"How the fuck did a spy even get to find a member of our empire?"}

Stefano tilted his head to the side."Scoprirlo da quello stronzo non sarà difficile. È nel seminterrato,"

{"Finding out from the fucker isn't going to be hard. He's in the basement,"}

♤♤♤

Nikolai walked down the thin hallway of the basement with Stefano beside him.

Stefano motioned towards a wooden door."Qui,"

{"Here"}

Nikolai stopped and turned to Stefano. "C'è Marco lì?"

{"Is Marco in there?"}

Stefano replied."Non sono sicuro che sia lì in questo momento, ma quando me ne sono andato, ti stava preparando gli strumenti di tortura," He chuckled."Se non è lì adesso, sono sicuro che sarà andato a bagnarsi il cazzo,"

{"I'm not sure he's in there right now, but when I left, he was setting the torture tools for you,"} {"If he's not in there now, I'm sure he must've gone to get his fucking dick wet,"}

Nikolai cringed before shaking his head. He placed his hand on the door knob and turned it, then walked into the dimly lit room as his eyes fell on the figure tied to the wooden chair in the middle of the room, under the small bulb hanging on the ceiling.

He was fucking unconscious. That was the first thing Nikolai realised and a low sneer left his lips as he stared at the man.

Was that the type of person his brother had sent to spy on him?

Once again, he had proven how much of a coward he was by not doing the work himself.

Grabbing the bottle on the table beside him, he uncapped it and poured the contents above the man's head, making him jerk up into consciousness immediately.

When Nikolai was aware that he was fully awake, he flung the bottle across the room and stepped closer, giving the man access to see his face.

The man's eyes widened like saucers, and Nikolai bit the insides of his cheeks to stop the chuckle that threatened to leave his lips.

The man stuttered. "You-you-,"

Nikolai tilted his head to the side, and his lips curled up into an evil smirk. "Who were you expecting to see?"

"What do-what do you want from me?"

"How was my brother doing when you last saw him after agreeing to his fucking assignment?"Nikolai asked."Bastard would have done the spy work himself,"

"What-,"The man cried. "What are you-ahh!,"He screamed when a dagger was pierced through the skin of his thigh.

His screams turned into low howls when Nikolai plunged out the sharp object and flung it away.

"Next time you fucking try to lie to me, I'll do worse,"Nikolai said. "I'll pull out your tongue and feed it to you, do you want that?"

The man didn't answer. His head was bowed as he howled in pain.

Impatiently,Nikolai gripped the back of the man's hair and whipped his head up, making him look at him as he sneered on his face. "When I ask you something, you fucking answer me immediately. Do you want me to cut off your tongue and feed it to you the next time you try to lie to me?"

The man's eyes widened in horror and he shook his head vigorously.

"My brother didn't tell you the type of man I am, did he?"Nikolai smiled. "I asked you a question before, and you lied. Considering the fact that you don't know how viscous I can be, I'll ask again and you'll tell me the fucking truth, mm?"

The man nodded.

Still not releasing his hair,Nikolai asked. "How was my brother doing when you last saw him after agreeing to his fucking assignment?"

"He-,"The spy howled in pain as he felt Nikolai's gloved fingers plunging themselves into the injury on his thigh. "He-he was-ahhhhh!"

Nikolai dug his fingers deeper, expanding the injury. "How was my brother? Tell me,"

The man didn't reply and that was when Nikolai lost the last string of his patience. He stroke the man across the face with the back of his hand with such a force that sent him and the chair he was tied to ,falling sideways on the ground.

The spy whimpered.

Nikolai paced back and forth in the room, trying to labour his breathing.

Walking back to the injured man on the ground,Nikolai went on his knees and gripped the man's hair tighter than before. "How did you find my men? How were you able to spy on my men?"

The spy breathed out."I-I-,"

Nikolai maintained his hold on the man's hair and raised his head up, then hit it harshly on the ground in a way that would make him bleed."Fucking answer me!"

The spy closed his eyes shut in pain and cried out. "Detective Roberto and I had seen one of your men days ago in a supermarket. We planned to tail him till I'd be able to locate your hideout. The plan was to burn down everything to ashes once you were found. I promise, that's all. Don't kill me,please.I have a family to take care of.Please,spare me,"

"Fucking bastards,"Nikolai stood up and reached out for his gun from his trouser holster.

He wanted the man lying on the ground to go through more torture but he was livid and not in the right frame of mind to do all that.

His mind was solely fixed on one thing at that moment and he wouldn't rest until he did it that night.

Aiming the gun at the spy, he pulled the trigger, emptying all the bullets in the middle of his eyes.

He watched as the man went limp and life left his eyes.

That was what Nikolai did for a living. He ended those who tried to cause harm to his territory.

His brother was next. He may not end Roberto Moretti that night, but he would make sure to snatch every last string of happiness the bastard had.

Roberto had bitten more than he can chew and it was time to pay.

Walking away from the ground,Nikolai stared at Stefano. "Dove sono andati Roberto e Camilla dal ristorante?"

{"Where did Roberto and Camilla go to from the restaurant?"}

Seeing the serious look on his boss' face, Stefano didn't make a move to talk him out of it.Whatever happened in the torture room with the spy must've triggered Nikolai and there was no going back.

He knew it was finally time for Nikolai to cross the boundaries he had drawn by himself.

Stefano maintained a stoic expression as he replied."Casa sua, Don Nico,"

{"His place, Don Nico,"}

Nikolai barked out his orders."Dai il corpo lì agli avvoltoi e prepara una macchina. Andremo a far visita a Roberto Moretti a tarda notte,"

{"Feed the body in there to the vultures and prepare a car.We're paying Roberto Moretti a late night visit,"}

Without letting Stefano reply hair,Nikolai walked away from there, thinking of how things would work out.

He sure as hell was upset with his brother, but no matter what; no matter the extent of his anger, he wouldn't kill Roberto. Not yet.

Not until the real truth came out to light.

All he was going to do at the moment was snatch his brother's happiness.

Nikolai was going to bring the Queen of his empire where she belonged.