Chapter 10
SETH
“Vince Pennington didn’t waste any time tucking tail and running, did he?” Benny said as he drove us out of my newly owned hotel parking lot.
When I got word Vince was gone for good, I went straight to the hotel. I’d already met with the staff this morning and told them they were all getting raises.
“Vince may be a fucking moron when it comes to gambling,” I replied, “but I knew he’d be smart enough not to procrastinate.”
“How long do you think we’ll be staying in Vegas?”
I met Benny’s gaze through the rearview mirror. “A few more weeks. Once everything is settled at the hotel, I need to spend some time in New York.”
Benny nodded in agreement. I’d been gone from New York for far too long. My phone rang once we arrived at my house and Benny pulled into the garage. It was Valentin.
“Hey,” I answered as I stepped out of the car.
“Have you seen the local news?” he asked, his voice tired.
It just so happened that I had. Knowing Vegas, there would always be robberies, murders, prostitution, and more in the news.
“Yeah, why?” I wondered.
A heavy sigh echoed through the phone. “Did you see the story about the hotel murder?”
“I did,” I answered, curiosity bubbling in my chest as to why he was asking. “But there wasn’t much information on what happened or who the victim was.” If he’s mentioning it, though, it means it had to be linked to someone we knew. “What’s going on, Rossi?”
Valentin cleared his throat and a cacophony of voices murmured in the background. “I’m putting this call on speaker so everyone knows what’s happening.”
“And who is everyone?” I asked as I opened the door to my home.
He blew out a sigh. “It’s just me, Kali, Wren, and Ripp.”
My stomach dropped—this was obviously a serious situation. “What happened?”
“Wren’s brother, Parker, was murdered in her hotel room last night. We think it was Nikolai and he was coming after her. Do you know where he is?”
Dread made my pulse race. The thought of Nikolai starting his revenge vendetta again infuriated me greatly. I strode over to the wall of windows in my living room and gazed out at the glimmering skyline far in the distance.
“I haven’t talked to Nikolai in months,” I said truthfully.
“So, he could easily be in Vegas?”
“He could,” I agreed.
Valentin huffed with frustration. “He’s probably going to go after Wren again soon. She needs your help, brother; you’re the only one she’ll be safe around.”
I didn’t know Wren like her other friends, but I couldn’t stomach the thought of Nikolai harming her nonetheless—yet being around me would put her in even more danger.
“Not exactly,” I claimed. I moved away from the windows and poured myself a glass of whiskey from the bar, filling it to the brim. “Nik’s going to come after me, too. My father told me yesterday that he wants to step down and hand everything over to me.”
The line went silent as I downed the whole glass, loving the burn that followed. Finally, Valentin came back on the line.
“He will come after you. He won’t sit back and let you take over the family without a fight.”
I stared into the empty bottom of my glass, wishing I could drink more. “I know. I’m prepared for that. So, with that being said, if you want Wren safe, having her here with me might not be the best choice. She’ll be in more danger.”
The silence on the phone was heavy before Wren spoke up, her voice angry and full of fire.
“I would rather be in danger around you than with my friends and family.”
“I see,” I said, wanting to hear her speak again. “So, you don’t care what happens to me?”
“I don’t know you,” she fired back. “But I do know that I don’t want anything happening to those I love. If being around you draws Nikolai out, it gives me a chance to make him pay for taking my brother from me. I want him to suffer like he’s never suffered before.”
I could hear the truth in her voice.
“Are you sure you’re ready for that?”
Wren scoffed. “I’ve killed before, Michelson. I can sure as hell do it again.”
The sound of rustling echoed through the phone and then I heard a door slam in the background.
“Okay, we’re off speaker now,” Valentin said.
“Where are you right now?”
His voice lowered. “We’re still at the hotel. I have two guys with me inside and two more out in the parking lot. And it was my idea for Wren to come to you.”
“Do you really think Nikolai wants to kill her?”
Valentin blew out a huff. “I do. Three girls she fought with when he recruited her for the movie have turned up dead. And now, this happened to her brother. It can’t be a coincidence.
We both know Nikolai doesn’t like to leave any witnesses to anything.
I’m honestly surprised he waited this long to go after Wren. ”
Wren was a spitfire, and she’s fascinated the hell out of me ever since that night I watched her fight at the Labyrinth.
“There’s some pretty heavy shit going down with your brother, Seth. The FBI are all over him. He could easily take you down with him if you’re not careful.”
“That’s not going to happen,” I promised. “Besides, the feds aren’t going to get their hands on him. He’ll be dealt with before they even get close to him.”
If Nikolai went to prison, he’d still be able to wreak havoc on the outside. To stop him, he had to be put down.
“Do you want me to bring Wren to you?” Valentin asked.
I glanced up at the top of the staircase that led to three guest bedrooms. “Yes. I’ll have a room ready for her.”
Valentin cleared his throat. “What about Ripp Jameson? I’m getting the impression he doesn’t want to leave Wren alone with you.”
I didn’t expect anything less from him. He was loyal to his friends, and I admired that about him . . . even if he was a dick at times.
“It’s fine,” I said. “He can stay in the guest house.”
“All right. We’ll head over soon.”
“What about Kali?” I asked before he could hang up. “Are you worried about her? She’s on my brother’s radar, just like Wren and Ripp are.”
A low growl reverberated through the phone. “More than you know. If your brother even gets within fifty feet of her, I’ll put a bullet in his head.”
“The problem with Nikolai is that if he knows you’re with her, it’ll only make it more exciting for him.”
“That’s what scares me,” he replied angrily. “I’m going to try to get Kali to stay with me, but you know how she is. I’m warning you, though, Wren is much more stubborn than her.”
I don’t know why, but that made me smile. “I look forward to meeting her.”
We hung up and my pulse raced as I called Nikolai, but I wasn’t surprised when it went straight to voicemail. If anyone had heard from him, it would be our father. I called him next, and he answered on the second ring.
“Son,” he greeted. “I was just about to call you. Your mother wanted me to remind you that she’d like to have dinner with you one day this week.”
“I haven’t forgotten,” I said. “I promise to let her know the exact date and time. It’s just something’s come up that I wasn’t expecting.”
“What is it?” he asked.
I took in a breath and exhaled it sharply. “Have you spoken to Nikolai recently?” I half expected him to say no, but my adrenaline started to spike when he said yes. “Where is he?”
My father cleared his throat. “He’s in Vegas. I’m going to tell him about my plans for the family when I see him this week. I would have waited to tell him when we were in New York, but he’s been too busy in California. Something tells me I’ll never have my sons back together at home.”
“That time is long gone, Father. And it’s probably best you don’t say anything just yet. I need to find out some information from Nikolai first.”
“What kind of information?” he inquired.
I went back to the windows and peered out. “Someone close to my fighters was murdered last night, here in Vegas. They think Nikolai did it. With him being in the city, I’m also starting to believe he’s responsible. Ripp Jameson and Wren Langston are coming here for my protection.”
“Who did Nik supposedly kill last night?” my father asked.
“It was Wren’s brother, but it’s looking like Nikolai was targeting Wren. It all happened in her hotel room when she wasn’t there.”
He blew out a frustrated breath. “I see. Okay, I won’t say anything to him yet. It will only add fuel to the already raging fire.”
I scoffed. “Honestly, I don’t know if it’ll matter either way. But right now, I could use some time before all hell breaks loose.”
We hung up and I immediately called Nikolai again. He was never one to avoid a call; if anything, he loved to provoke me. After the fifth ring, I was about to hang up, but then his voice came over the line, sinister and full of malice.
“Hello, brother. To what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?”
“I want answers,” I demanded. “Did you kill Wren’s brother last night?”
The line went silent, but then he laughed and a burning sense of rage tore through me. “I did,” he answered. “It was supposed to be her, but I got him instead. Don’t worry. I plan on having fun with the fighter girl. She’s tough as balls; it makes for a better play time.”
“You’re not going to touch her, Nikolai,” I warned.
He burst out laughing again, which made me want to jump through the phone and break his neck. “You’re protecting that one now? She’s not even part of your group of fighters.”
“Still,” I growled. “Wren’s under my protection. If you come after her, you come after me.”
“Happy to,” he said, his laugh low and dark. “See you soon, brother.”
He hung up and I could sense Benny behind me.
“The time has come,” I said, staring out the windows.
Benny stood by my side. “Yes, it has. Do you need me to call in the rest of our guys?”
Nodding, I turned to him. “Call them now. We’re going to need them.”
I knew without a doubt that Nikolai wouldn’t come after me alone. He played dirty and I had to play it back.