17. Nikolai
NIKOLAI
“ W hat?” she demands as she scoops up another handful of popcorn.
“For someone who doesn't seem to like eating, you can certainly put back a bag of popcorn with ease.”
She shrugs. “Well, I've been burning more calories than usual.” She gives me a pointed look. Those same eyes giving me a come-fuck-me look this morning were what had me bending her over the breakfast table, gagging her with my hand so when she screamed my name, my men wouldn't hear her.
A suggestive smile plays on her lips as she looks back to the television.
Much to my surprise, she didn't argue when I sat down beside her on the bed, even though it was a part of our pinkie promise. Though she still made it very clear I’m not welcome by creating a pillow wall between us.
Not that it bothers me in the least; my cock is still hard for her.
I scan my gaze along her bare legs, and the rest of her that's covered by an identical silk pajama set to the one I destroyed the other night.
I have every intention of ripping her clothes off, but for now, I'm willing to play her game.
Patience is not a virtue of mine; however, my denied pleasure does offer a bizarre thrill that I don't often get.
Maybe it's because I find amusement in the fact that this little doll thinks she's in control of the situation.
A woman on the television screams at another woman, accusing her of having an affair with her husband. I don't know why people watch this shit. It's clearly scripted, with terrible actors. But despite that, Sienna looks enthralled.
I study her as the scene unfolds, ensuring it doesn’t dig up unnecessary thoughts of her ex-fiancé. Because there is no room for him to come between us—not even as a ghost. It’s taking every ounce of my self-control to not go kill him after reading multiple public speculations around the matter.
I may be a killer, but what people are willing to publicly print and exploit in the name of entertainment is absolutely heinous.
If people stopped caring so much what others were doing in their lives, then perhaps they would sit with themselves long enough to realize how shitty their own lives actually are .
I then mentally curate a list of everyone who singled Sienna out and created some bullshit claim about her thoughts on the matter when I know for a fact nobody has spoken to her directly because she’s been under my supervision for weeks.
It might take me a few years to kill them all, but I consider myself a dedicated mercenary.
My phone rings, and when I look down, I see it's one of my men stationed in New York to keep an eye on the Armanis.
I rise from the bed and step out into the hall, so Sienna doesn't overhear. I've given Andrei and Sergey the evening off, so I’m alone at the moment.
“This better be good,” I say as I answer the phone.
“Depends what your objective is. I don’t know if your man is capable of speaking right now—not coherently anyway.
A broken jaw isn’t helpful when it comes to conversing,” a man with an Italian accent replies.
A wicked smile crosses my lips at the knowledge I’m speaking with Luca Armani.
I can feel his energy seep through the phone, rivaling my own inner beast. Finally.
“I must confess, I’m disappointed in how long it's taken you to track back to me.”
“I don’t play with small fish, especially a cheap sellout who has no loyalty to any particular family. However, it would appear you have something that my wife deeply wants returned. ”
I lean against the wall, still smiling, enjoying how antagonizing this situation is.
“I’m flattered you did research on me. It's not like I try to hide it.”
“Your actions would seem otherwise, Udav . What do you want?” This seems awfully diplomatic. I expected him to barge in raining fire, not engage in a simple ransom inquiry. Then again, maybe his wife won’t let him risk Sienna’s safety like that.
“It's not what I want. Your issue is with my boss. I'm just a pawn doing as he's told.”
Luca is silent for a moment, then calmly asks, “Is this revenge for The Lion’s fall?”
It’s easy to come to that conclusion, but the truth is that my new boss is as simple as he is egotistical. But the fact remains Luca Armani and Dmitri Volkov were involved in The Lion’s death, and he’s most likely been waiting for retaliation from the bratva.
“Something like that,” I lie.
“Tell your boss to stop hiding and make arrangements for a meeting. I'm sure you understand that it goes without saying that if Sienna Falcone has been harmed in any way, you will all fucking die. I demand to speak to her to ensure she’s safe and unharmed.”
Now I do bare my fangs. “She’s safe and well,” I growl, then I hang up.
I immediately call The Wolf.
“Little cub, I hope you bring me good news. Have the Armanis made progress on your whereabouts?” he asks in a flutter of Russian. In the background, I can hear music and cheers. He’s probably at one of his favorite clubs.
I hear his son, Mikhail, speaking, telling him to go into a private room.
Although Mikhail should eventually inherit his father’s power, they’re two completely different types of men.
The Wolf is eccentric, distasteful, and power hungry.
His son, however, seems more calculating and conservative when it comes to using force.
Though their dynamic feels obvious to me, I don’t think The Wolf realizes he’s being manipulated by his own son, and I wonder if some of this fascination with the Armanis is heeded by Mikhail’s advice.
The sound of the music is dampened, and I say, “Somewhat. They found one of your men in Manhattan. It's fair to say we won't be seeing him again.”
“The loss of one man is nothing in the grand scheme of things.”
If it’s not someone who’s a blood relative to The Wolf, they’re dispensable.
“He wants to set up a meeting.”
Hushed whispering commences on the other end of the line.
This wasn’t what we were planning for. We were expecting them to use force, but as of now, they remain in New York.
Unless, of course, it’s a decoy. But either way, I’m prepared.
This will definitely end in bloodshed, and I’ve built quite the appetite after four months of flying under the radar.
However, the thought of releasing Sienna has my knuckles turning white as I fist my hands. I know it’s what’s best for her, that she’s safer away from me, but it’s a bitter pill to swallow.
“Very well. I’ll have a private meeting with him. You’re to return to me so we can speak in person. I'll give you your next orders then. Bring the woman with you.”
I hold in a snarl. Taking her to Russia and putting her in front of The Wolf will create an unpredictable situation. But if I show reluctance, it will turn his attention further toward her. I don’t particularly like not knowing what’s waiting ahead.
“Another thing,” he says. “I find it suspicious that you went to one of my properties today to torture the American woman, and somehow on the same day there's a power outage that can't be tracked to its source.”
“Yes, it was unfortunate. I was hopeful the Armanis would make a move so we could be done with this cat and mouse game. But you have so many enemies, it could have been anyone. But let me assure you, her punishment was still paid in full,” I say dryly, the lie rolling easily off my tongue.
“You have men in place to work on these things. It’s your property.
You told me I can use any of the properties on this island as I please. I’m not a tech guy.”
A monstrous laugh booms in my ear, and I can imagine his stomach jiggling with the action. “You best watch your tone when speaking to me. Have you forgotten your place, little cub? Bring her to me.”
I bristle at the threat his tone implies. It was the same when I worked for The Lion. I've never been great with direct orders, unless they serve my interest. And I do tire of overfed men, comfortable in their status, thinking they own me in any way.
But the only way to pry his curiosity away from Sienna is to get her safely back behind the Armanis’ protection. She’s a trivial pawn to him now, and I want it to remain that way. There are plenty of men who can replace me in this role, none of which I will let even close to her.
“I’ll set out on the jet immediately, boss.”
The line goes dead.
I grapple with multiple ideas, but they all end in the same conclusion: she’s safest with me until she’s handed over to the Armanis. The Wolf sees her as a transactional tool right now. He’s probably thinking how he can benefit from Luca calling instead of forcing his way in.
When I return to the bedroom, Sienna looks up, and her expression immediately drops. “What is it?”
“I need to organize a few things. Pack up your belongings. We're going to Russia.”
“Russia?” she questions.
“Armani has made contact, and my boss has called for our return,” I say matter-of-factly.
Panic twists her features, and I force myself not to reassure her, because she should be frightened. “But Russia…”
“Is unsafe. And you will do everything I say in order to ensure your safety. Pack your belongings. I'll be back to get you soon,” I say. And then I leave the room, carefully rebuilding the wall between us that she so easily demolished over the past weeks.
She is my captive, and I have to remember that.
If anyone sees that she’s become more than that to me, it’ll be a death sentence for both of us.
But I can’t explain these things to her.
I don’t have time, and she doesn’t deserve that burden.
Because I will return her, as I promised from the start.
She’ll go back to her life, as if none of this ever happened.
So why does her pained expression before I closed the door haunt me?