Chapter 20 – Nik
I waltzed through the small crowd of powerful men and women, dressed to impress—Mafia leaders, dirty politicians, and businessmen who preferred blood to contracts.
This was a gathering of wolves, apex predators looking to close one shady deal or another. Nobody here was innocent—nobody. To the rest of the world, some of the people in this room were regarded as heroes. But in reality, they were the true villains.
Every man in the hall wore power like a second skin, from the gleaming watches on their wrists to the veiled threats on their lips. No two people in this gathering were friends—we were all liars, cheaters, and fucking manipulators. Everyone was out for their own personal gain, no more, no less.
A good number of us hated each other, yet these fucking hypocrites moved about wearing plastic smiles like they gave a shit about their neighbor. They collectively hated me around here because I didn’t indulge them. I refused to fake a smile or entertain meaningless conversations.
Why smile with someone who loathed me enough to put a bullet in my head if they got the chance? We were rivals from different organizations, fighting for different reasons.
I could’ve brought my Dikaya along to keep me company. But this was a dangerous place where words could buy loyalty or start a fuckin’ war. The men in this room were some of the world’s most ruthless beings.
One wrong move, and this whole place would go up in flames. It was to be expected, considering the number of deadly gangs present here tonight—Russian Bratva, Chinese Triad, Irish syndicate, Italian Mob, et cetera.
There was no way I was going to bring her, especially since she could’ve declined my invitation anyway, given all the drama between us lately.
I helped myself with a glass of champagne from a waiter’s tray, and while taking a sip, my lips curled into a faint grin. Images from last night flooded my mind, reminding me of our time together in the library.
The sound of her sweet moans echoed in my head—a welcome distraction from this boring event. I glanced at my watch, counting the hours until the meeting was over.
There was still a lot to be addressed at home—words unspoken, feelings unshared. I had no idea what was happening to me or why I couldn’t seem to concentrate on anything other than her.
She had slithered her way into my heart, my mind, and my soul. Now, it was next to impossible to get her out. Dikaya had tattooed her face on my heart and was living rent-free in my head.
After our second night together, I began entertaining some crazy thoughts about starting a family with her. Why not? She already belonged to me and was carrying my child. So, why not make it official?
I brushed it off as nothing serious, even though deep down, I knew it was my heart’s desire.
She was everything I wanted and more—gorgeous, smart, resilient, stubborn, and fuckin’ determined.
Perhaps the sex played a bigger role in fusing us together because I was more drawn to her after both times.
For some reason, I felt complete around her, and now that she wasn’t with me, it was like a piece of me was missing. Did I really allow myself to get so attached to a woman whose real name I didn’t even know?
Roman was right. I should do my homework on her; I should find out who she was and why she was so fierce. According to her, she was chasing down a lead on her friend who had gone missing, and then she went missing herself.
But why would an ordinary girl embark on such a dangerous journey? I didn’t want to believe that if I dug deeper, I might not like what I’d find. Was I even ready for the truth, or was I just stalling because I was afraid of facing it?
“Well, well, would you look at that?” a familiar voice cut through my thoughts. “If it isn’t Nikolai Tarasov himself?”
I turned toward the speaker, and there he was, approaching me with a smug smirk on his face. It was him, the bastard behind the attack on my nightclub weeks ago, Richard Kane.
He was dressed in a white tux, his gray hair slicked back, and his trimmed beard gleaming in the warm glow of the chandelier. Next to him stood a young girl, no older than my Dikaya. She wore a fine white gown, with her red hair spilling in soft curls over one shoulder.
She looked poised, polished, and well-put-together at first glance. However, when I took a closer look, I couldn’t help seeing the truth hidden in plain sight—the cracks beneath the varnish. I spotted a faint bruise along her jaw, barely concealed by makeup.
The hollow gleam in her eyes told a story she dared not speak about. Despite her polished exterior, she was just a scared little girl doing her master’s bidding. She wasn’t Richard’s date; she was his property.
This bastard was behind all the major human trafficking across the city and beyond.
He halted before me with a quiet chuckle. “You know, you’re the last person I thought I’d run into tonight.”
“That makes the two of us,” I answered, my voice flat, expression blank.
“Come on, why the cold shoulder?” he teased, that pesky smirk still playing on his lips. “Surely, you’re not still mad because of that…incident.”
The bastard was referring to the attack on my nightclub.
I raised my brows. “Incident. Is that what you call it?” My expression darkened, my voice dropping to a deadly whisper. “You should be grateful I haven’t put you down where you stand.”
“Is that a threat, Nik?” His brows furrowed. “Because I don’t like threats.” He drew closer, his eyes pinned on me.
I took a casual sip from my glass. “Unlike you, Kane, I don’t make threats. I act without warning.”
A flicker of irritation and unease passed through his eyes, and he locked his jaw.
As the words hung in the air, eyes turned toward us, the tension between us growing by the second.
I could feel my blood boiling, and if Kane didn’t take caution, he might force my hand.
One wrong move, and things could quickly escalate, especially now that my men were already reaching for their weapons.
Kane looked around. Our little confrontation had drawn unnecessary attention to us.
He knew it was useless to start a fight right here, right now.
He’d lose and would most likely not make it out of this building alive.
A few of his guards stood gallantly behind him, ready to defend their boss. Idiots.
“You can tell your men to stand down, Nik,” he said, his expression softening. “I’m not looking for trouble. Just stopped by to say hello.”
I didn’t respond, but my eyes never left his face.
He nodded once, tugging on the girl’s arm. “Come on, Maria.” And with that, he walked away with her by his side.
Kane hadn’t gone far when he turned back and added, “Oh, I almost forgot.” His eyes locked with mine. “Congratulations.”
I squinted, unsure of what that meant until he clarified.
“I have no doubt you’ll make a good father.” He winked at me, then proceeded to mingle with the crowd.
My heart skipped a beat.
He knew. He knew about the pregnancy.
It wasn’t public knowledge yet, but he somehow got the information. My jaw tightened as I realized how much I’d underestimated this bastard. Now that he’d found out that Dikaya was carrying my child, there was no telling what he’d do with that piece of information.
However, I wasn’t going to make the mistake of underestimating him again. This wouldn’t be like the attack on my nightclub; if he tried anything funny, I would come for him with everything I had.
Just the mere thought of my Dikaya and our unborn baby being in danger fueled my rage. My fingers curled into a fist, and my brows furrowed, accentuating the frown on my face.
If Kane wanted war, then I’d be damned if I didn’t give him one.