Unspoken Betrayal (Casino King)

8. Nicola

Luca's tight grip on my hand takes me by surprise. He is furious, as he drags me right up against him and I turn my face away in disgust with a heavy flood of fear running through me.

"Little girl, our deal is off. Your family is going to pay for what happened tonight. I know you and my brother were up to something. I'm not an idiot and I won't be played like that."

He spits the whispered words against my ear and my insides churn in horror.

He can't do that. He can't change the deal like that.

Then he shoves me backward and I lose my footing. I am about to fall on my ass when I feel strong arms wrap around me and I land safely in Vitorio's embrace.

Embarrassed, and enraged, I push myself away from him, muttering a quick thank you.

I can feel the tears threatening to spill from my eyes, so I quickly turn away.

I have to get out of here and get some fresh air again.

I walk briskly towards the balcony and slip away from the watchful eyes of everyone in the room.

I need a moment alone. I need to calm this pulsing anger and figure out what the hell all of this means.

Out on the balcony, I pace up and down. My head is thick with panic.

Yes, Vitorio won, and that should be a good thing. But is it? Because now Luca is so angry he is making worse threats than before, and he has called off our entire deal.

Did I make one bad situation into a worse one?

I have a feeling that I have made a really big mistake.

I was 'won' by a mafia boss, obviously, Vitorio is also a dangerous man.

And I was 'taken' from another dangerous man, his brother, and now Luca seems hellbent on getting revenge and making me pay for the fact that he lost.

I have no idea what to do. I came here to make things better and to try and investigate my father's death, but I think I have just caused more issues.

I sigh, and press my fingers against my eyes, trying to force my thoughts to calm down.

You can fix this, Nicki. You will find a way to fix this for your family.

When I take my hands away from my face I jump in fright.

There is a figure standing right in front of me.

A woman, with a black veil over her face, hiding her features.

I peer through the veil trying to figure out if I know her or recognize her.

"Nicki, why have you been looking so comfortable around the family who murdered your father?" She says in whispered tones.

"You know me?" I ask in shock.

"The Vitali family is not a family you want to be snuggling up to, Nicki."

"Who are you?" I demand.

The woman shakes her head. "It doesn't matter who I am. You just need to listen to what I am saying."

"How can I trust what you are saying if I don't know who you are?"

"You are just going to have to."

I glare at her. Trying to decide what to do.

"I have been watching you all night. You seem very close with one of those brothers and somehow tied up with the other. I listened to you as you roamed through the guests, and heard you mentioning your father's name on more than one occasion. You should not be so forward in your approach. You have put yourself in a lot of danger by doing that. If you were smart, and I hope you are, you would leave the city. You would get as far away from these people as possible. Do you want to disappear like your father did? Do you want the same thing to happen to you?"

"What do you know about my father?"

The woman glances towards the doorway, heading back into the casino. She looks nervous and uncomfortable.

"I know he was tied up with the Vitali family business, and it cost him his life. Human trafficking is a lucrative business, and if you get in the way of those profits, I promise you the Vitalis won't take it lightly. Your father made bad choices, chasing money, and look what happened."

"Are you saying my father was working with them?" shock runs through me. My father was a good man, an incredible detective, he would never dream of working with the mafia.

"Everyone makes mistakes, Nicki. Money turns people against their best friends, their families, their children."

"My father wasn't like that. If you knew anything about him you would know that. Who the fuck are you?"

She laughs softly. A sound filled with pity.

"If you don't want to listen to my warnings, then you are just going to have to find out for yourself. And I will visit your mother and your sister at your funeral, and watch the tears fall down their faces as they mourn for you."

My nose scrunches in agitation. She sounds so sincere, so sure of what she is saying, and it is terrifying me. But I can't just fall into the trap of believing the words of a stranger who won't even show her face.

"Why are you hiding your identity from me? If you really wanted to help me, why not show me who you are? Again, I have to ask, why should I trust you?"

"I am not hiding from you, Nicki. I am hiding from them. Just by being here, and I only came here to warn you, I am risking my life. I am not as stupid as you are girl. I value my life, and even though I want you to be safe as well, I am not going to let them see my face and then come after me for sharing information." She snaps, annoyed that I am still challenging her.

I shake my head.

"I can't stop looking until I know what actually happened to him."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I thought you were smarter than that."

The woman steps away from me, glancing at the door again. "I have already been here too long." She says, nervously. "Think about what I said, Nicki. Get out of the city."

Then she turns back towards the door, just as Vitorio walks through it. She freezes for a moment, like a deer caught in the bright headlights of an oncoming car. Her entire body is tense, and fight or flight has kicked in.

Vitorio walks around her, towards me, glancing over his shoulder at her with his eyebrows knotted.

The woman rushes away, taking her chance to run, escaping what she obviously thought was a near-dangerous situation.

"Who was that?" Vitorio asks, looking back towards me.

"I don't know," I say, still trying to figure out what just happened.

I stare from the empty doorway to Vitorio. Is she right about him?

Did he have something to do with my father's death? Does he know what happened?

Have I been stupid enough to place my trust right into the hands of the man whose family took my father's life?

I bite my lower lip and feel a cold shiver run down my spine.

How much danger am I actually in, by being here, and saying my father's name out loud?

"Nicki, what is going on? You look like you saw a ghost." Vitorio asks, reaching his hand out towards me.

I step away from it, just slightly, unsure of him and what he is hiding.

I want to trust him. My intuition told me I could trust him. But with everything that woman said, I am questioning myself.

I am questioning everything.

Who are these people? And is Vitorio also involved in the human trafficking? He doesn't seem like the type of man who would do that - but what do I know about him – I've only just met him.

"Nicki?" he says my name gently, noticing how closed off I have become. I can't help it. I am so scared right now. My heart is racing, and my skin is burning.

My body is pumping so much adrenalin, that I might also start looking like a deer in the headlights.

"I can't help you if you don't tell me what is going on," Vitorio says, his tone even and soothing.