18. NIKOLAI #3
I nodded once. “Delgado’s watching her too. Plans to sell her to the highest bidder. But not before he has his own fun with her.” I leaned back, resting my forearms on the chair. “I can’t let that happen.”
Lucian smirked. “So the soulless hacker might actually have a heart.”
I hurled an icy glare at him. He lifted both palms slightly. “Just saying.”
“She’s nothing to me,” I said sharply. “But…she reminds me of Ana. Innocent. Too trusting. She’s got no clue the hell she’s in.”
Lachlan scoffed. “Yeah, well, Ana didn’t turn out so innocent. And this girl’s a stripper in an MS-13 club. She doesn’t sound so innocent to me.”
I was across the room in a heartbeat, grabbing him by the throat. My hand wrapped around his neck, crushing his windpipe as I hauled him up off the edge of the table.
“Don’t ever disrespect my sister,” I growled. “Or that girl.”
Lachlan’s eyes went wide. He raised his hands in surrender. “All right. Fuck. It was a joke. Ease up,” he choked out.
I dropped my hand and stepped back.
“She deserves better,” I muttered, turning away.
Julian finally spoke, his voice low. “You said Delgado’s people have been following her?”
“Yeah. One of his men even showed up at Carmine’s coffee shop to rattle her.” I looked around the room. “I told her to leave town. She won’t.”
Luca grunted. “That could explain the mayor’s brother showing up here with one of Delgado’s men. He figured out who she’s tied to—and sent you a message.”
“Yeah, and today I sent him a message of my own,” I said, glancing around the room. “I marked her as mine. Now they know she belongs to me—and by extension, to you. All of you.”
Luca let out a slow, frustrated breath. “Delgado’s been itching for a reason to come at us. Whether it’s over a stripper or something else, it was bound to happen.”
“I’ve got my guys watching her,” I added. “If she needs help while I’m out of town, they’ll step in.”
“That’s a ticking time bomb,” Luca muttered. “If Delgado knows you want her, it gives him leverage.” Then, in that cool, confident way of his, he said, “Maybe I make her disappear. For her own good.”
A slow chill crawled down my spine.
Lyla was mine.
No one made her disappear except me.
Before I could respond, Lucian cleared his throat and cut through the unease. “I’ve been hearing other things too—about Delgado, that is. Word is, the mayor’s planning a citywide crackdown on clubs like this one. Places with illegal gambling. Escort services. It’s all about to get targeted.”
Gabriel scoffed. “Let me guess. The Sacrifice will be left untouched?”
“Of course,” Lucian said. “The mayor’s already bought.”
“By Delgado?” Lachlan asked.
I met their eyes one by one. “Delgado and the Salvadoran dictator have money, influence, and reach, and they’re making deals with the current bunch in the White House.
You’ve seen what’s been happening—people snatched off the streets, sent to Salvadoran prisons.
No charges. No lawyers. It’s straight out of the Kremlin’s playbook, dressed up in the Stars and Stripes. The rules have changed, my friends.”
Julian’s gaze darkened. “The underworld just got a lot bigger.”
The room went quiet once more.
Luca exhaled. “You want this girl to survive this, Nikolai?”
I nodded once.
He stood, brushing invisible lint from his sleeve. “Then you’d better start building your brigade, Nikolai. Fast. Pull together men you trust. A proper chain of power. No more lone-wolf bullshit. You want to help me hold this city? You’d better have the muscle to match the choices you’re making.”
Luca looked around the room. “It’s time we brought the men of Xyst into the fold.”
The guys looked at one another.
Tension spiked.
“I’ll expect all of you for dinner at my place out on Long Island when Nikolai gets back from Boston tomorrow night,” he said smoothly.
It wasn’t a request.
Luca then looked at me. “Take care of your business. When you get back, we settle what’s on the table.”
With that, he turned and walked out, Vinny trailing behind him like a shadow.
The door shut.
The silence he left behind was deafening.
I pulled a chair from the conference room table and sat down, facing the guys.
Julian looked at me. “Well,” he said. “That escalated quickly.”
Lucian let out a long breath and muttered, “At least Luca’s pit bull didn’t rearrange my nose this time.”
Gabriel turned to me, a deep furrow carving between his eyes. “What the hell is all this about? None of us signed up for this mafia bullshit.”
I leaned forward, elbows on my knees, hands clasped between them. “You did, the second you started running illegal gambling under a liquor license and selling privacy to politicians with kinks and blood money.”
Gabriel opened his mouth to argue, then shut it.
“You think the darkness has boundaries?” I continued harshly. “Once you cross into it, there’s no climbing back into the light.”
Lachlan scratched his jaw. “So, dinner…” he said slowly. “What exactly are we walking into tomorrow night? I mean, are we eating steak—or getting our asses busted?”
A dark smile tugged at my lips. “Depends on what you bring to the table.”
Lucian swore under his breath. “So that’s what this is,” he said to the others. “Indoctrination into the brotherhood.” He regarded me with disgust. “We never had a choice, did we?”
“No,” I said. “You didn’t.”
He let out a bitter laugh and dragged a hand through his hair. “Welcome to the dark side, boys.”
I stood, straightening my coat. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
They didn’t argue.
Because they knew I wasn’t asking.
I stepped out into the cool air, making my way to the curb where my SUV idled.
When I tugged the door open, Rory gave me a once-over. “Meeting must’ve gone well,” he said. “You look like you’re about to murder someone again.”
I slid into the seat. “I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
“You want to head straight to Teterboro?”
“Yes,” I said. “Let’s get to Boston and back fast. The Delgado situation’s heating up.”
“Figured,” he muttered. “The air’s been changing.” He glanced at me. “And the Xyst boys?”
I exhaled harshly through my nose. “Luca’s roped them in.”
Rory gave a short laugh. “Took him long enough.”
We drove in silence after that, cruising out of Manhattan and up the turnpike toward the airport. Jet Aviation was already prepping for our arrival—I’d texted ahead.
The private terminal was quiet as we pulled in. My plane, sleek and silver beneath the afternoon sky, waited next to the FBO.
First Officer Jensen met us on the ramp. “Mr. Volkov,” he greeted with a nod. “Flight plan’s filed and cleared. Just under an hour to Boston with current winds. We’ll hit some light turbulence over Connecticut, but nothing to worry about.”
“Appreciate the update,” I said. “Sorry for the short notice.”
He shook his head. “It’s what I’m here for.”
“How’s the family?” I asked.
He smiled, then pulled out his phone. “You remember my daughter, Cassie?” He held up a photo of a toddler in a pink dress, who was standing with her arms flailing. She had a large grin on her face, revealing her tiny new teeth.
“She started walking?”
“Running,” he said proudly. “She’s gonna be hell on wheels one day.”
I looked at the picture a second longer. “Family’s everything,” I said.
He nodded and stepped away to continue prepping for takeoff.
Rory raised a brow as we climbed the steps. “You getting soft on me?”
“Don’t push it.”
Inside, we took our seats. The flight attendant brought us vodka, neat. I nodded my thanks and took a slow sip, then pulled out my phone, typing a message to Henri.
Situation with Delgado is escalating. Add two more men to the girl. I want a full contingent round the clock. Stay diligent.
I hit send and stared out the window.
The jet engines whirred to life, and we began to taxi.
All I could see was her face.
She was tempting fate. Dancing on the edge of a turf war she didn’t understand.
And I wasn’t going to let Delgado have her.
No matter what it cost me.