Chapter 30
Nicole
I listen to Raffaele go over his plan again, searching for any gaps, any opportunity to turn the tables. I’ve played along, nodding and pretending to understand. I’ve promised him I’ll do whatever it takes to free Gio, and I will—even if it means killing Raffaele myself.
Tommaso, one of Raffaele’s most loyal men, enters the room. “He’s here,” Tom says, his voice clipped.
Raffaele straightens, a smirk playing on his lips. “Alright.” He turns to me. “Come on, Nicola. There’s someone you need to meet.”
“What’s going on?” I ask, keeping my voice even.
“Dino. My connection in Le Ombre. He wants a sit-down,” Raffaele explains, eyeing me carefully.
“Why does he need to meet me?”
Raffaele exhales, clearly annoyed by the question. “He’s betraying his own people to put me on top. Dino’s got a lot on the line, and he wants to be sure about who he’s working with.” His tone suggests I shouldn’t even be asking.
Traitors working together to climb to the top—how fitting , I think. Raffaele and Dino are cut from the same cloth, both men willing to betray anyone to serve their own ambitions.
“Come on,” Raffaele demands.
I take a deep breath and follow him into the front sitting room. It’s a small, worn space, with furniture facing a large window overlooking the front yard. Three men in suits stand inside. One is near the door, arms crossed, while the other two are searching the room, checking under cushions and rifling through drawers.
“What’s this, Dino?” Raffaele asks, irritation clear in his voice.
Dino, the man near the door, doesn’t even glance over. “Just a precaution.”
“No trust?” Raffaele asks.
Dino finally turns, locking eyes with Raffaele. “I’m putting my ass on the line here, Raf. Trust comes with precautions. You understand that.” He gestures to his men as they continue their search. “We aren’t exactly swapping cookie recipes, are we?”
I can feel the tension in Raffaele. Being forced to wait in his own home while Dino’s men search is clearly getting under his skin. Dino holds the power here, and it shows.
After a few more moments, one of Dino’s men nods. “It’s clean.”
Dino pulls out his phone and starts playing soft music. Raffaele gives him a confused look.
“It’s just a precaution,” Dino explains casually. “Don’t want any ears outside this room hearing what we’re talking about.”
The music is subtle, just loud enough to muffle our voices but dull enough that we can talk over it comfortably. Clearly, Dino’s no amateur.
Raffaele nods, though it’s clear he doesn’t like it.
“Let’s sit,” Dino says, gesturing to the couch.
Raffaele and I sit side by side, while Dino takes the armchair across from us. His body language is relaxed, but his eyes are sharp, taking in every detail. Tom stands off to the side, while Dino’s man posts up near the door, arms crossed, watching us closely.
“So it’s the three of you?” Dino asks, leaning back in his chair.
“Yeah. This is Nicola,” Raffaele says, nodding toward me. “And that’s Tom.”
Dino’s gaze narrows as it lands on me. “They know the plan?”
“They know what they need to know,” Raffaele replies, his voice tight.
“Alright,” Dino says, his attention still fixed on me. “I want to hear it from them.”
Raffaele shoots me a sharp look. “Nicola, tell him the plan.”
My throat tightens, and panic rises. I wasn’t expecting this. My mind races as I try to piece together everything Raffaele has told me.
“Nicola,” Raffaele growls, frustration seeping through.
I take a breath, my hands gripping the edge of the couch. “We’ll go—”
Dino raises a hand, cutting me off. He turns to Raffaele. “You’re scaring her. Give us the room.”
Raffaele blinks, caught off guard. “What?”
“I need the room,” Dino repeats firmly. “I want to go over the plan with her and make sure she knows it.”
Raffaele’s jaw tightens. “This is my house.”
“And this is my plan,” Dino snaps, his voice cold. “My ass is on the line if things go wrong. I need to be sure she knows what she’s doing, and I don’t need her freezing up because you’re breathing down her neck. We do this my way, or we end it here.”
Raffaele clenches his fists, but doesn’t argue. “Fine,” he mutters.
“Johnny, go with them,” Dino orders.
Johnny silently follows Raffaele and Tom into the kitchen. The door clicks shut behind them, leaving Dino and me alone.
Dino studies me for a moment, saying nothing. His eyes are sharp, his expression unreadable.
“Do you want to go over the plan?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.
He ignores my question. “Are you loyal to Raffaele?” he asks instead, his voice calm but cutting.
I freeze, unsure of how to respond. Dino’s stare is unnerving, like he’s done this a thousand times and knows every lie before it’s spoken. The lie I’m about to tell gets caught in my throat. I know he’ll see right through it.
“Yeah,” I say finally, though my voice wavers.
“Why?” he presses.
Another question I wasn’t prepared for. I hesitate again, and the look on Dino’s face tells me he notices. His eyes narrow, and I can feel my heart start to race. I’m not good at this.
“He can’t hear you,” Dino assures me. His tone is casual, almost comforting, but it doesn’t calm the storm inside me.
I swallow hard. “Because... he’s helped me before,” I say, choosing my words carefully. “I owe him.”
Dino raises an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “A lot of people helped Raffaele, and he ain’t exactly loyal to any of them,” he says, leaning in slightly. “But you… I hear good things about you.” His voice drops, and his gaze pierces mine. “You’ve got some friends, Nicole. More than you know.”
My curiosity spikes. “I do?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper.
“Yeah,” Dino says, leaning back. “Pietro tells me you’re a good kid. Owed a bit of debt, but you’ve been paying it off.”
“Pietro?” I repeat, confused. The name is familiar, but hearing it come out of Dino’s mouth sends a shiver down my spine.
“Yeah,” he confirms. “Pietro. Head of the Avvoltoi. He says you’ve got his protection and that this clown Raffaele is just using you.”
I blink, trying to process what I’m hearing. Raffaele always spoke as if he was now on top, but here’s Dino calmly explaining that the real power still lies with Pietro.
“Look,” Dino continues, his voice steady, “I’m still loyal to Pietro. No way in hell am I letting Raffaele take him down. And if this idiot thinks I’m gonna betray my own people for him, he’s more delusional than I thought. We’ve got his little scheme all set up. When the time comes, Raffaele won’t be leaving that party at The Velvet Mirage.”
I stare at him, overwhelmed by this revelation. Everything I thought I knew about this situation shifts. Raffaele isn’t in control—he’s a pawn, just like me.
“So,” Dino says, fixing me with that same sharp gaze, “I’m gonna ask you again. Are you loyal to Raffaele?”
My heart pounds. This could be a trap. What if Raffaele put Dino up to this, just to test me? But the look in Dino’s eyes… I know he’s telling the truth. I’m tired of Raffaele’s games. Tired of being scared.
“No,” I say firmly, my voice steady this time. “And I’d rather die than spend another minute with him.”
Dino gives a satisfied nod. “Good,” he says. “Now listen, I can’t give you all the details, but I can tell you this: When things go down, it’s gonna get messy. There’ll be carnage. When that happens, you run. Get out of there, don’t look back. My people know your situation—they won’t target you.”
Relief washes over me, but I know better than to let my guard down completely. This isn’t over yet.
“And one more thing,” Dino adds. “I can’t confirm it, but I’ve heard the cops might be getting involved. And your billionaire—he’s been hanging around that club a lot lately.”
The mention of Shane sends a shock through my system. Shane… how did he get mixed up in this? It’s my fault. He’s in danger because of me.
“I don’t know how he got wind of this,” Dino continues. “Maybe he’s working with the cops, maybe he’s not. Either way, don’t freak out if you see him. We’re trying to keep him out of the club when things go down, but… it’s not a guarantee.”
I swallow hard. Shane, tangled up in this mess, risking his life because of me. I have to protect him, somehow. But how?
“Do you understand?” Dino asks, pulling me back to reality.
“Yes,” I nod, trying to keep my voice from shaking.
“Good,” Dino says. “This stays between you and me. Got it?”
“Got it,” I reply, and for the first time since this nightmare began, I feel a flicker of hope. For all his rough edges, Dino seems like someone I can trust.
“So you’ve seen Shane?” I ask cautiously, my heart picking up speed at the thought of him.
Dino nods, leaning back in his chair with a slight smirk. “Yeah, guy’s a mess. Mopes around the club all day by himself, watching the faces of every woman who walks by.” He glances at me, his eyes locking onto mine. “Guess he hasn’t seen the one he’s looking for yet. Bit of a downer, really, but he spends a lot of money and tips nice, so the bosses keep him around.” He lets out a low chuckle. “Rents the SKY VIP lounge every day so he can look over the club for you. Even on days when he’s the only one up there. Boss fucking loves that shit.”
A wave of guilt hits me hard, twisting in my gut. Shane’s out there, looking for me, putting himself at risk, all because of the mess I dragged him into.
“Thanks,” I mutter, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Don’t thank me yet,” Dino says, rising from his chair. “Now, let’s go over that plan.”