Chapter 57 - Nick
NICK
The night stretched endlessly, the kind that made my eyelids heavy and my limbs ache.
I could have thrown a mattress in the back and moved in.
The scent of garlic and wine still clung to the walls of Villa Ravenna, a familiar comfort after hours of balancing books and wiping down tables.
The dishwashers hummed in the background, the only sound in the empty restaurant.
I let my sister and mom go home hours ago, but my wife and I stayed late, balancing the books and wiping down tables.
I cracked my neck, stretching my arms as Melanie pushed open my office door.
“Just took my insulin shot, so we’re good to go, Commando.”
The nickname hit me like a jolt. I hadn’t heard her call me that since the early days, when she could barely stand me. Or at least, that’s what I thought. Now I know better. Being a brat was just her way of keeping people at a distance.
“Thanks for actually listening to me.”
She dropped into the chair across from my desk, crossing her legs. “Ahh, love to take credit for everything, don’t you?”
“No, I am just more responsible than you. Not your fault. I had to be.”
She tapped a finger to her chin, mock thinking. “Wasn’t it you who said this has been the best month ever since opening? And you went on and on about how great the marketing has been?”
“Well, that—and Valentine’s Day. The profits soared that day, more than I ever expected. Funny how I used to hate that overly commercial holiday, but now, it’s starting to mean something to me. Maybe even becoming one of my favorites.”
“Just Valentine’s Day?” Her grin turned cocky, a flicker of challenge in her eyes.
I strode over, slow and deliberate, stopping between her legs. My breath hitched when she didn’t move; she just looked up at me with that knowing smirk.
“If I didn’t know any better Mrs Consele,” I murmured, my voice dropping lower, “I’d say you want your ass spanked tonight.”
“Oh no,” she teased, eyes flashing. “Anything but that.”
I didn’t hesitate. In one swift motion, I scooped her up and placed her on my desk, spreading her legs with my thighs. She gasped, but it melted into a laugh as I pressed my mouth to her neck, nibbling along the curve of her throat.
“We’ve been slacking on our baby-making practice,” I murmured against her skin.
Her fingers tangled in my hair. “We decided to wait to have a baby, remember?”
“Then that means you’ve been slacking on your wifely duties,” I whispered, trailing kisses up her neck.
She let out a soft laugh, the vibration humming against my lips. I loved it when she laughed; it was intoxicating, just like her sweet scent between her legs. “Excuse me? We have sex every day—sometimes twice.”
“Or more.” My dick twitched, aching at the memory of all the times we’ve had sex in these past few weeks.
I’ve never felt this way about anyone. I wanted to please Melanie, and I loved giving her orgasm after orgasm.
I reached her lips, about to claim them—when a sudden crash shattered the moment.
We both froze. My heart slammed against my ribs, every muscle going rigid.
Melanie inhaled sharply. “You hear that?”
I nodded, stepping back as she hopped off the desk. The air shifted, thick with tension.
“Did you lock the front door?” I asked.
Her face said it all.
Damn it, Melanie.
“See why I have to remind you to check your blood sugar? If it weren’t for me, you’d probably be passed out in a ditch somewhere.”
She rolled her eyes—dramatic as ever—but we both knew this wasn’t the time for jokes.
Another sound.
This one closer.
My instincts took over, and survival mode kicked in. “Wait here,” I whispered.
“What? No. I’m not going to stand in here like some idiot while someone slices your head off,” she whispered-shouted.
I grabbed her shoulders, my grip firm but steady. “I’m serious. Grab the gun from the top drawer if I’m not back in five minutes.”
“What?” Her face paled. “I’ve never shot a gun before.”
“You won’t have to. When I signal, you slide it to me. I’ll make sure I’m close.”
She pressed two fingers to her temple, exhaling hard. “I knew I should’ve gone shooting with you that day.”
“Focus. I’ll teach you later. Right now, let me do what I was trained to do.”
“Oh, great. So you are planning to kill someone tonight.”
I exhaled through my nose. “No. I’m protecting my wife. The woman I love. I’ve trained my whole life for this moment.”
Something in her gaze softened, but fear still flickered behind her eyes. She swallowed, nodding.
“Please come back to me,” she whispered.
I tilted her chin up, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. “I promise, Princess.”
Then, without another word, I slipped out of the room—into the darkness beyond.
I walked down the hallway towards the dining room area, my heart pounding a mile a minute.
Instinct kicked in before logic did- my hand went to my hip, but I wasn’t carrying.
I heard the creak of the floorboards, and I froze.
I knew someone was here. From how close they were, they had to be behind the bar area since that’s the only floor that was not redone and had the old original wood floors when the previous owner built the restaurant.
I rounded the corner, and the intruder’s back was turned to me, and immediately, I knew who it was.
Diablo.
What the hell was that sun of a bitch doing here? I gave him the rest of his money last week, so we were done. We didn’t have any more business to finish. It was over. I slowly turned around to grab my gun, but the asshole must have hearing like a tiger because as soon as I did, he spoke.
“Nick,” His voice was sandpaper against my skin, a slow, grating scrape that made my stomach turn.
“So nice of you to join me,” Diablo said, lounging against the bar as if he owned the place.
He lifted a bottle of Don Julio, pouring two shots like we were old friends instead of enemies.
“I was just about to take one myself. You want one?”
I didn’t move right away. I forced myself to breathe, to keep my hands loose at my sides even though every muscle screamed for action.
I turned my head, slow, controlled, followed by my body.
The urge to smash that smug grin off his ugly face was almost unbearable.
I kept my voice even. “What are you doing here? Our business is done. I paid you the thirty grand. So leave—before you end up right back where you came from.”
Diablo chuckled, swirling the liquor in his glass before downing it. I took a step closer. Then another. As I neared, his pupils swallowed the brown of his irises.
He was High.
“You see, Nick,” he drawled, his words slurring just slightly, “sometimes opportunities arise that we just can’t pass up. Once-in-a-lifetime kinda thing.” His movements were loose and lazy. He wasn’t entirely in control of himself.
Good. That gave me an edge..
“So you think breaking into my restaurant to rob me is the right opportunity?”
He slammed the empty shot glass down with a satisfied sigh. “Damn, that’s some good shit.” He poured another, lifting it in a mock salute. “Hey, don’t blame me. I’m not the one who left the door unlocked. You should be mad at your precious wife.”
The blood in my veins turned to ice. My stomach dropped.
His grin widened, revealing yellowed, crooked teeth. “A little troublemaker, isn’t she? You always loved saving those feisty ones. Let’s just hope she’s worth all the trouble this time.”
“Keep my wife’s name out of your filthy mouth.” My jaw clenches so hard I thought I heard one of my teeth crack.
His devilish grin appears, revealing his true colors and his well-deserved nickname. Devil. “I know she’s here, by the way.”
I forced my expression to stay neutral, but my heartbeat roared in my ears. The room felt smaller. Hotter.
“Yeah? And?” I said, keeping my voice flat. “She’s my wife. Why wouldn’t she be with me?”
Diablo smirked. His hand disappeared inside his jacket. I knew what was coming before I even saw it. The matte black Glock looked comfortable in his grip as if it belonged there. He held it casually, loose at his side like a goddamn beer bottle. But I wasn’t stupid.
“Now,” he said, rolling his shoulders, “let’s talk.”
The air thickened with something suffocating.
“You got a lot of people who’d rather see you gone, Nick, including myself.” he continued, tilting his head like a predator sizing up prey. “But one man in particular? He paid real good money to make sure that happens.”
I didn’t move. Couldn’t. If I so much as twitched, he’d know. Melanie was behind me.
“Who?” I asked, my voice low, rough.
Diablo’s smirk deepened. “I think you already know. Guess we can honestly say the bride's father isn’t a huge fan of you.” His teeth gleamed in the dim light. “Lucky me.”.
I clenched my fists, fury threatening to consume me. I should’ve grabbed my gun before stepping out here. A mistake I wouldn’t make twice.
“You and I both know, I never ratted on you, so whatever revenge this is a part of, you need to think twice about it.”
He took a step closer, his gaze fixed on me.
“I’ve thought about this day for 15 years, and how it would feel to shoot you straight in the head, dead within seconds, but now that I’m here, I think I like the idea of slow torture.
” He points the gun at my feet, and panic sets in, but I try to calm my mind, like I used to do when I was active duty. Keep them talking and distracted.
“Richard isn’t worth this,” I said, voice tight. “Whatever he paid you, it won’t be worth it when he goes down. And he will go down. Just a matter of time.”
Diablo shrugged, unconcerned. “Maybe. But me? I’m just the messenger. Here’s to you, you know—roughing you up a bit.” He swirls the gun in a circular motion, and it looks like he is about to drop it out of his hand.
My brain worked fast. No weapons. No exit without exposing Melanie. Seconds to act.