43
Matchstick and bonfire
I came home with the intention of killing her, of shattering her heart, of destroying her as she had done to me, and yet there she was, glowing like a fucking crown jewel and tied to my bed.
She attracted and repulsed me in equal measure, because Nikita was designed to ruin the life of any fool who dared to desire her, like a curse.
Nikita Koroleva didn’t belong to anyone. Lesson learned. Her "I love you's" had the same value as a sugar diamond, inflating your ego only to dissolve in your mouth and disappear.
I didn’t know who deserved death more, her for being a traitor or me for being an idiot.
I thought about the affiliation ritual to the 'Ndrangheta with my cousin Salvatore.
My uncle, my father, and all those present watched us solemnly.
Don Giuliano had just proclaimed the oath to join " La Santa " as the new " santistis ."
"In this holy night, in the silence of the night under the light of the stars and the glow of the moon, I form the holy chain, in the name of Garibaldi, Mazzini, and Lamarmora, with words of humility, I form the holy society. Say it all with me: I swear to repudiate, up to the seventh generation, any criminal society I have recognized until now to defend the honor of my wise brothers." His voice fell silent to hear our response.
"I swear to repudiate, up to the seventh generation, any criminal society I have recognized until now to defend the honor of my wise brothers."
My cousin and I looked at each other. I tried to set aside the resentment I felt for him and kept silent about what I had promised never to say.
We were offered a revolver and a cyanide pill to culminate the so-called "poison oath," or in other words, the punishment to be applied in the event of a "grave mistake."
Though I knew the law, it was at that moment that I truly understood what I was taking on.
My uncle's words echoed in the room.
"From this moment, you will not be judged by men, you will judge yourselves. If you have committed a grave mistake, you judge which path to take: either commit suicide with cyanide or shoot yourself with the revolver. You must always keep one bullet in the chamber. That last bullet is for you."
The ceremony ended with the congratulations and pride of the other members. We were both key pieces within the organization, and much was expected of us.
There was a feast; oaths always came with good food and wine, and in the end, my father took me aside to remind me how happy he was.
And now... Now I was surely shaming him.
"Hey, do you really think you’re going to keep me tied up the whole time?" I turned my head and looked at the traitor. Her arm was still bleeding, and she raised her eyebrows.
"No, of course not. Maybe I should bring you a glass of Mo?t while you bring your brother over to screw me over?"
"No, I’d rather you go down on me, since you do it so well, and worship this dress I put on to wait for you." She spread her legs to reveal her tempting sex, like a carnivorous plant with a mosquito.
"Sorry, this fool doesn't stumble twice on the same stone. Once was enough." Her knees closed.
"You could at least treat my wound since you're the one who tried to kill me. It’s to keep from staining the mattress with poison, I'm sure you wouldn’t want to lie on my spilled blood."
"Don’t worry, I have no intention of lying with you. When you die, I’ll burn you on the bed; there won’t be a damn trace of you in this house. And no, I won’t treat you; if it gets infected, tough luck, you should have thought of that before trying to destroy me and my family." She let out a sigh.
"Romeo, you have to listen to me. You’re making a mistake."
"I sure did make a mistake, but don’t worry, I won’t make it again."
"You have to let me tell you everything I know!"
"Save your breath and efforts. You don’t need to speak to me anymore. Consider yourself a prisoner in my house. You have no voice and no vote. I could let you die of thirst and hunger, so be thankful if I allow someone to bring you food and water."
"Oh, please!" she protested.
"Neither please nor any bullshit! You've treated me like a puppet, but it's over. There's nothing left of the man you married, you've wanted to see the bastard I can be, well, you're in luck. Get used to the idea that I won’t have any mercy on you, you don’t deserve it. And if you scream, annoy me, or try any nonsense, I’ll put a dog muzzle on you and lock you in Brutus’s kennel, so you understand your place." Nikita waved her arms, giving me a withering look. "Have a good night, Koroleva."
I heard her calling me as I closed the door, but I wasn’t going to give in. I’d be a fool if I did.
I could have left her in her room, but I preferred her in mine because I could tie her to the headboard. I went to her room to look for her phone; I wanted to find out everything I could that didn’t come from her lying mouth.
I knew her unlock pattern, I had seen her use it hundreds of times.
Why wasn't I surprised that she had a missed call from someone named YK and a WhatsApp message?
She hadn’t read it; if she had, I might not be alive right now.
Kalinka, be careful, the rat Aleksa followed me home, snuck in, and killed Basile.
We chased him and riddled him with bullets, but we lost him at an intersection because of a trailer. I don't know if he's alive or dead, so make sure you're safe and that he hasn’t told your husband anything. I'm continuing with our plans.
I ask for one last effort, soon you'll be rid of your pig of a husband. Everything will be ours. I'll be back in St. Petersburg soon and you’ll be the new V vor zakone of the Costa del Sol. Don’t falter, we're going to make history.
I grabbed the phone and tossed it onto the bed, not wanting to destroy the evidence.
Didn’t she want proof of her guilt? Well, there it was, fresh out of the oven and provided by the one I thought was my best friend.
And here I was crucifying myself for letting him die. I should have listened to my father and put a bullet between his eyes the moment I met him. Because before dealing with Yuri and Nikita, I would have taken the revolver and blown my brains out for being such an idiot.
I would never trust anyone again, never again.
I took a quick shower, wanting to get back to the hospital to check on Aleksa's surgery.
I called Piero before getting in the shower and asked him to come to the house to guard my wife. I left very clear instructions. It didn’t matter if Nikita screamed, kicked, or begged. He couldn’t open the door for her.
As soon as he arrived, I asked about Andrey. He told me he hadn’t shown up at my men's house. I asked him to call and give the order to subdue him and take him to one of our hideouts as soon as he appeared.
If Piero had questions, he didn’t ask them, just nodded and carried out the order.
I couldn’t allow the Russian to get near my wife, no one would except me or Ana María, whom I would instruct in the morning.
I needed to talk to my father; that was going to be the hardest part. No one likes to admit their mistakes, especially when they’re so monumental and have jeopardized your entire family.
I burned with the pain of betrayal, feeling empty, like a forest deforested and ravaged by the fiercest fire. When I thought my wife wasn’t born to be a matchstick but a bonfire, I hadn’t measured the consequences.
The only thing I could do now was think about how to end all the damned Korolevs.