Chapter Seven
One Week Later
Jane had to wear a wig, along with some glasses and a large trench coat. Her whole appearance needed to be changed to get her into the hospital.
Alexey refused to allow her to go, but when he came back to the apartment a week ago, covered in blood and looking like something out of a horror movie, she knew she had to help. This was all her fault.
She stepped into the private room where Nikolai was recovering from the attack. She couldn’t believe he had taken not one but six bullets before Alexey had been able to push him out of the way.
Alexey was ... quiet. He had dropped her off at the hospital, and she had offered to stay with his friend and keep an eye on him. Several of his men were at the door, outside and inside.
The threat from Vincent Morello was real.
She made her way toward the counter and placed the flowers she had gotten for Nikolai on the way over, as well as the card she made by hand.
Another of those little crafts she was attempting to fill her time with.
Or at least, what Alexey was determined to get her to do, so she was distracted from her imprisoned life.
She took a seat and looked at Nikolai. It was horrible to see him in the hospital bed, hooked up to different machines and tubes.
This was not the man she had seen so many times.
According to Alexey, he had died twice on the operating table, and right now it was still touch-and-go.
He was tired a lot and came in and out of sleep regularly. Jane didn’t mind sitting with him.
Alexey, Makar, and Igor had taken turns staying with him. Jane had wanted to do more. She had no words to say. Nikolai was not a close friend.
“Morning,” Nikolai said.
Jane lifted her head, a little taken aback as she wasn’t expecting him to speak.
“Nikolai,” she said, getting to her feet. “What do you need? Do you need me to call a nurse?”
He shook his head. “No nurse. They poke and prod and ask a lot of questions. Also, stop asking me fucking questions. Can you reach that water?”
She grabbed the small cup with a straw inside it and presented it to his lips.
After a few seconds, he let it go and raised his hand. “Please, tell me you’ve brought me some brownies, or something fucking better than hospital food.”
She smiled. “Of course I came bearing gifts.” She moved back to her bag and pulled out the box of sweet treats. “There’s caramel brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and a few cinnamon rolls for you.”
“You’re a star,” he said.
Jane noticed he struggled to take the lid off the box, so she reached out and did it for him. “There you go.”
“Thanks.”
He went for a caramel brownie, and he clicked the button on the bed that helped lift himself up.
“You shouldn’t be overdoing it.”
“I don’t give a fuck what the doctors or nurses say. I want to eat something more than the shit they give me.” He wrinkled his nose. “Besides, I’m fine.”
“Nikolai, you nearly died on the operating table.”
He shrugged. “I’ve nearly died many times in real life as well. Trust me, this is not my first rodeo on the death train.”
She opened her eyes. “Wow, okay.”
He laughed. “You never heard anyone be quite so flippant about dying?”
“Pretty much. Most people are afraid of it. Are you trying to tell me you’re not?”
“It’s not that I’m afraid of dying or not afraid of dying. When my time is up, it’s up. It’s not like any of us are getting out of this world alive, is it?” He winked at her.
Jane thought about it. “I guess you’re right.”
“We all end up dead.” He shrugged. “I just don’t choose to dwell on it. I’ve been gunned down. Stabbed. I’ve even had the crap beaten out of me.” He let out a laugh. “Trust me, there is a high probability I’m going to die.”
Jane took her seat and looked toward him. He wasn’t being philosophical. He was just stating facts, and from the way he talked, he truly didn’t care.
“Dying doesn’t bother you?”
“I don’t think about it,” Nikolai said. “Don’t get me wrong, all of this hurts like a fucking bitch, but I’ll get through it.” He took a bite of a brownie and moaned. “Perfection.”
She smiled, but she couldn’t help thinking about who was responsible for the damage caused.
Alexey was going crazy. He came home every night, but there was something different in his eyes.
She knew he worried about Nikolai. She had overheard a conversation he was having with the other friends about them being extra cautious, because Vincent was going to attempt to take all of them out.
“This is because of Vincent Morello, isn’t it? It’s because of me.”
Nikolai said, “Do you want me to lie to you?”
“No, I don’t want you to lie.”
He took another bite of brownie and made her wait until he had finished.
“Yes, and no, this is about you. Yes, because you did kill his son, and you know, you don’t see any of us mourning that piece of shit.
He was going to kill Alexey, you made a good call.
Now, even if you had driven away and not killed his son, you’d still be a loose end.
The only difference is, we wouldn’t be attempting to keep you alive.
We would be opting to kill you as well, for letting our boy die.
You didn’t. Vincent Morello is always going to be a problem. That’s not going to change.”
“You got hurt,” she said.
“Sweetheart, no offense, but I get hurt a lot. Do you want to take responsibility for every single time I’ve been shot or stabbed?
Be my guest, but trust me, that is a lot of guilt you don’t need.
You need to stop blaming yourself. You’re supposed to be keeping me company.
So do that, sweetheart. I don’t need to see you miserable, because if that happens, Alexey is going to be pissed at me. I don’t want him to be pissed at me.”
“Alexey won’t be pissed at you,” she said. “He’ll be annoyed with me for upsetting you.”
Nikolai frowned. “You really don’t see it, do you?”
“See what?”
He shook his head. “That is not for me to say, but for you to find out.”
“Do you think I should hand myself over to Vincent Morello? Do you think that would help?”
The machines beeped.
Nikolai shook his head and scrunched up his face. “Don’t say that kind of shit.”
“But it could stop what is happening now.”
“No, it’s not going to stop. If you hand yourself over to Vincent, he is going to torture you.
Trust me, the shit they do. I know we can’t talk, because we’re just as bad, but you killed his son to protect Alexey Baranov.
To Morello, that is the worst kind of traitor.
It wouldn’t be good for you. You don’t hand yourself over.
You don’t do any stupid shit. You got it?
You’d make it worse. Once he was done with you—and trust me, he would make sure Alexey knew about it and make him watch—then he’d come after all of us.
He’d make war. There’s a chance Alexey, Makar, Igor, and I would be able to win, but losing you would make Alexey crazy.
You don’t want to see that man lose his shit.
It would be a bloodbath, and anyone who stood in his way would likely get killed. ”
****
“I want to take you out to celebrate,” Alexey said, coming into the bedroom to see Jane putting away some laundry.
It had been two weeks since Nikolai’s life hung in the balance, and today, he, Makar, and Igor were able to take him home. They were going to take turns watching him. Right now, he was staying with Makar. They were going to alternate where they were letting him stay.
Alexey was happy to take him, but Nikolai said there would be time to have Jane waiting on him hand and foot.
Nikolai had also warned him he was going to have to get used to Jane coming to his beck and call.
He didn’t like to admit it, but it pissed him off.
He didn’t like the thought of his woman going to any other man.
“You want to go out?” Jane asked. “Do you think that is safe?”
“Yeah, I do.”
Vincent had a few other problems to deal with.
Not only had Vincent come and attacked a few more of his casinos, he had also taken out one of his launderettes.
Alexey was not letting the attacks slide.
He knew of Vincent’s drug operation, and he had sent a nice little package in the mail that had resulted in the lab exploding.
It was on a Sunday, so he made sure the package was delivered on Saturday, giving it enough time to sit, and then, boom.
Like clockwork, several other explosives had been sent. Vincent had started this war, or at least Frank had started this, and he was just going to end it.
Alexey had killed several of Vincent’s top allies as well. The Morello mafia was looking weak.
There was not a better time to take Jane out. He also understood what his friends were saying, and he didn’t want to keep Jane locked up in this apartment with no chance of ever getting out. She deserved better than that.
“Would you like to go out?” he asked.
She offered him a big smile, and he was addicted to the dimples in her cheeks. “Yeah, I do.”
“So, would you like to go to a nice, fancy restaurant, or would you like to go dancing?”
“I have options?”
“Those two,” he said. “Dancing or dinner.”
“I’d like to go dancing. I’ve never been, and I can make dinner anytime.”
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “Then, I’ll take you dancing.”
She looked so happy. She wound her arms around the back of his neck. “This is exciting.”
“I got you a dress outside for you to wear.”
“You don’t think jeans and sneakers are going to cut it?” she asked.
“Not for this nightclub, trust me, you’re going to want to wear the dress.”
She kissed him on the lips and rushed outside to go to the dress he had left. It was hung from one of the pictures in the center. It was a red dress he just knew was going to look stunning on her.
“I’ll be waiting for you,” he said, kissing her cheek. “Don’t make me wait too long.”