37. Sienna
SIENNA
“ J esus, that man does not go down easily, does he?” the green-gemmed hound says, sounding impressed, as Nikolai walks ahead of me with my hand wrapped in his. He limps slightly but makes it look like nothing, which only worries me more.
He didn’t pass out, despite the craziness of three gunshots and two snake bites, and I’m starting to believe Udav has a personal agreement with the grim reaper. All I want him to do is rest, but my heart spreads with warmth to know he’s okay. He’s alive.
I’d barely been able to see through the smoke to make out Nikolai and The Wolf fighting. And my heart stopped when I saw The Wolf pointing a gun him. That’s when I threw the knife.
My hand tightens around Nikolai’s. I killed a man today, or maybe I didn’t.
Maybe I just slowed him down a little, and Nikolai finished the job.
But now I’m an accomplice, my hands marred with blood.
I also threw another three knives, though I’m certain none of them finished the job.
But I found a killer within myself, if only one who protects those I love the most.
Yet I don’t feel any disgust with myself. Nikolai didn’t want me dirtying my hands, but he wouldn’t let me be defenseless either. It was my choice to fight by his side. But even then, it didn’t feel like enough. Especially considering how battered he came out.
We’re now at the Armani family mansion. Not Ara and Luca’s personal property, and I imagine it’s intentional in order to keep their baby safe. I notice the brown-gemmed hound is nowhere to be seen, most likely looking after her.
But I’m surprised to see Luca’s younger brother, Dario, who hasn’t been seen much since his rehabilitation. I wonder if he has just as much power as his brother. He seems quiet as he stands to the side as we’re escorted by Luca and Dante.
Dmitri left shortly after we arrived here, and when I notice Nikolai scanning our surroundings, I wonder if he’s looking for him. I’m curious as to what he felt in that moment, seeing his half-brother for the first time. But there are other more pressing matters to attend to.
Dante and Luca lead us to a room where Lily, Romi, and Ara spill from the doorway before we can enter.
“Oh, thank God,” Lily says as she runs over to me, but Romi stalks toward Nikolai, pinning him with a lethal glare.
“How could you take her into such a dangerous situation?” Romi seethes.
Dante grabs her by the shoulders. “Now, now, let’s not forget how you were once in danger as well. Risks of the job,” he says somewhat dismissively. She’s furious, and I pull her into a hug, knowing it’s for both of our sakes.
The moment my arms wrap around her, a whoosh of air escapes her, and she holds me tightly. “I’m okay,” I say, then meet Ara’s gaze, seeing hesitance and nervousness in her eyes.
“Come here,” Lily says, pulling her in.
“You can’t do reckless things like that,” Ara lectures, but it’s half-hearted as she slowly accepts the embrace, never having been an affectionate person. I can only imagine what situations she’s put herself in.
“Elanee wanted to be here,” Ara says, looking at Nikolai and holding his gaze. “But that’s for another day.”
It goes without saying that until Dmitri and Nikolai have figured out where they stand in all of this, that Dmitri will protect his wife no matter what. Though, I do miss her, considering all of us used to meet regularly. But I squeeze my friends extra tight, grateful to be here.
“Come along, my little viper,” Luca calls out over Ara’s shoulder. I swear he gets irritated every time someone else touches her. I’m certain if we were male, we’d be dead.
We’re led into a grand room with tall wooden bookshelves lining the walls and an ornately carved desk situated at the far end. But it’s the four people tied to chairs that my gaze is drawn to.
Two of them each have a loose bag covering their head. The other two, however, I run to right away.
“Agata.” I’m quick to drop to my knees in front of her and then look over at Andrei, whose gaze softens around the edges. “Thank you,” I whisper to them both. I’ll be forever deeply indebted to them.
It’s been a day since we escaped The Wolf’s murder mansion, and I’ve been by Nikolai’s side the entire time as Dante attended to him. They shouldn’t be here, tied up like this, but I was so preoccupied with making sure Nikolai was okay, I hadn’t been able to check on them.
“They protected me!” I yell at Luca, who seems irritated when I speak. I imagine that, much like Nikolai, he’s in the business of killing first and asking questions later.
I look at Ara pleadingly, but I can sense by the way she’s observing from her spot tucked under Luca’s arm, that she’s just as shrewd as he is. There’s no cruelty there, and I know everyone is uncertain.
“Release them,” Nikolai grits out, coming to stand behind me. He pulls out a knife, and to my surprise, Luca doesn’t try to stop him as he cuts them free. Though the way the hounds stand at attention, they’re waiting for what might happen next.
The closest hound, the one with the light-blue eyes and matching gem, stands behind the other two who are chained to their chairs. They don’t seem to move much, and I wonder if they’re unconscious. I briefly glance at their build, noting they’re both women. I wonder who else they captured.
When Agata is free, I hug her. I can tell she’s surprised by it, but her arms slowly close around me. I’m so glad she’s okay. Andrei rubs his wrists, acting as if it’s business as usual.
“What do you plan on doing about this mess now?” Luca asks Nikolai, flicking his gaze to Andrei in particular.
Nikolai turns to Andrei. “Why did you risk betraying The Wolf?”
Andrei shrugs. “I have a wife and daughter. The only way to protect them has been to turn a blind eye to The Wolf’s actions.” He pauses for a moment. “I thought if anyone were able to take him down, it would be you, Udav .”
Nikolai nods, as if he suspected as much, and a sense of appreciation hangs between them. Perhaps Nikolai always wanted to trust him.
“You will return to Russia and tell them that The Wolf killed Udav but was caught in the fire,” Nikolai instructs, and Andrei’s eyebrows pinch together. “I don’t care for ego,” Nikolai quickly clarifies. “Besides, now it’s time for me to hunt. It’s better to do so as a dead man.”
“Who will you hunt?” Luca asks.
“There are a few members of The Wolf’s family who might seek vengeance. There are others who personally pissed me off as well. I’ll take them out one by one.”
Luca’s jaw clenches as he thoughtfully looks at one of the women, who begins to mumble under the bag, clearly coming to consciousness. He gestures for the blue-gemmed hound to remove the bag.
The moment he does, my jaw drops with recognition.
“Why are they here?” Nikolai grits out.
The second woman is also revealed, but I don’t recognize her.
“Diablo,” Tiarna, the daughter of The Wolf, seethes, then spits in Luca’s direction.
And for the first time, I see Ara not as my friend, but the Italian mafia boss’s wife, as her expression goes murderous.
“You didn’t expect me to fully depend on you, did you?” Luca says to Nikolai. “I had to have my own plan in case The Wolf walked out and you didn’t.”
“He barely walked out,” Dante interjects. “If it weren’t for my incredible skills of keeping assholes like him alive, he’d be a dead man.”
My heart sinks as I look at the two women. Tiarna turns her head toward the woman beside her, pleading for her to wake up. I surmise it might be her sister, as they have similar facial features.
The way she tries to wake her stirs something within me.
No more blood, not of the innocent anyway.
“They have nothing to do with this,” I find myself saying, and everyone turns to me. How often does this happen, that the women are simply used as pawns?
When I saw Tiarna for the first time, I remember being impressed by the savage rage in her gaze, despite my jealousy.
She has so much fight, and I couldn’t imagine being raised in this world.
I look at her younger sister, whom I can’t clearly see, as her long black hair covers her face.
They don’t deserve to pay for their father’s crimes.
Tiarna turns her focus on Nicolai, hissing, “You fucking traitor.”
“Your father is dead,” Nikolai tells her, and her body noticeably stiffens.
He continues, “You were too slow.” As in too slow to kill him herself?
“I’m about to kill everyone in your family who poses as a threat to my woman.
” Her gaze slides to me with interest. There’s something animalistic in that gaze I can’t read.
“I don’t want to kill you or your sister, but if it’s revenge you want, I’ll end you right here and now. ”
She barks out a half-crazed laugh, then says, “I don’t give two shits about that fucker’s death.
You should watch your back, though, Udav .
My brother will come for you. But he won’t be tipped off by me.
If anything, I’d like to join you on this little hunt.
” I’m shocked by the pure loathing in her eyes when she mentions her brother.
“You know I don’t work well with others,” Nikolai states. “Find a new life for you and your sister, Tiarna.”
She tsks under her breath and then glares at Luca. “And who’s dick do I have to suck around here to make sure my sister and I get out safely?”
“Well, if you’re offering,” the blue-gemmed hound says, but he immediately falls silent under Luca’s hard stare.
Luca appraises Nikolai again, then those around him. “You’ll meet with Dmitri first. We’ll let these four go, under one condition. You, Udav , will be loyal to the Armani name. You will be our ghost.”
Nikolai scoffs, until he realizes Luca is serious. “I won’t be bought.”
“No, you won’t. You will have a reason to stay,” Luca says, looking at me. That’s when I realize it. I’m Nikolai’s ball and chain.
When my gaze snaps to Nikolai’s, I expect to see anger there, but to my surprise it’s gentle, knocking the breath out of me. There are so many unsaid things in that loaded gaze.
I wonder if he suspected by doing this that he’d be forcing his own hand and loyalty because of me.
How else would the others accept him as mine, if not by him pledging loyalty ?
But I don’t want to be the one to take his freedom. I don’t want him to agree because of me.
His hand comes up to my cheek, and the touch warms my heart as he gently strokes, as if I’m the air he breathes. With his gaze alone, he’s telling me it will all be okay.
My jaw hardens with resolve. I understand that Nikolai is a decisive man, always two steps ahead. I will never hinder him, the same way he would never hinder me.
“I agree to your terms, Diablo,” Nikolai says, his striking green eyes slicing to Luca, and the tension in the room seems to lighten.
Or perhaps that’s the grim reaper taking his leave.