Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
“I know.” I’m getting better at telling him how I feel. I laugh now when I think back to our fight in the kitchen. He couldn't understand why I was so upset. The elevator dings, the doors sliding open right into an entryway.
Sal steps off first before giving a nod that we can follow. “Wow,” Riley says. I can hear her audibly swallow.
“Can we close those curtains?” I ask. The whole left wall that opens into a giant living room has glass windows that stretch from floor to ceiling. It’s an incredible view, but Riley is terrified of heights. Sal grabs a remote, closing them for us.
“What fucking time is it?" We all turn at the sound of a deep, gruff voice coming down the hallway. It has a hint of a Russian accent, I think.
“It’s noon. Were you out again all night?” Matteo asks.
As the figure draws closer, I can see how tall he is. Tattoos run up and down his arms. His hair is black as night and tousled, but when his eyes finally meet mine, they’re striking. They’re a bright ice blue.
“You!” Nikolai stands up straighter, his attention directed at my sister. Riley lets out a small squeak, and her eyes widen. Sal shifts to stand in front of her. How the hell would they know each other?
“Nikolai.” Matteo steps forward.
“Sal, move,” Nikolai orders him, drawing closer to him.
“Can’t do that.” Sal doesn’t budge. His job is already to keep an eye on Riley and me.
“What is wrong with you?” Matteo places his hand on Nikolai’s shoulder to stop him from doing anything.
“That's her. She was the one who triggered the fire alarm.” Oh crap. Nikolai must have been there that night at the club.
Riley had pulled the fire alarm after she witnessed me go into Matteo’s office and not come back out. She got worried that something bad was happening to me. She tried to go in, but no one would let her close to his door. In a panic, she pulled the fire alarm. It worked. We both got away.
Matteo leans into Nikolai. “I don’t give a shit.”
“Tell Sal to fucking move.” Nikolai’s whole body is rigid. Any sleep that had lingered is gone. I step back to be closer to my sister, taking her hand. She leans into me, a petrified look on her face.
“Nikolai,” Matteo half-growls.
“Tell him.” Nikolai isn’t backing down. The two of them are standing toe to toe.
“It’s his job to keep her safe.”
“I want to see her.” It’s quiet for a long moment.
“Sal,” Matteo says. He steps to the side revealing my sister. “She is Mona’s sister. That puts her under my protection. Are we understood?”
“She’s staying here?” he asks Matteo, but he’s staring at my sister, who is looking anywhere but at him.
“While we’re in the city. But yes, she stays where Mona is.”
“Fine,” Nikolai grunts.
“Go to my office.” Matteo drops his hand from off his shoulder. Nikolai looks like he wants to say more but turns and leaves.
“The fuck, boss?” Sal speaks first.
“I don’t know, but I’ll talk to him.”
“I’m sorry I pulled the fire alarm in your club,” Riley adds.
“No, you’re not.” Matteo responds to my sister. “You did what you thought you needed to in order to protect your sister. Never apologize for that.”
Riley gives him a soft smile. At least the two of them are coming around to each other. I have no clue what Nikolai’s deal is, but I’m guessing my sister might.
15
MATTEO
“Talk,” I order, walking into my office. Nikolai looks like shit. I feel partly responsible. In the last few weeks, all my attention has been on Mona. I’ve let Nikolai run loose. He’s gone out on some small jobs and collections. Nothing I didn’t think he couldn’t handle, but everyone has been staying close because of the O’Haires.
“Nothing, it’s just the girl from that night.”
“And what were you going to do?” I lean up against my desk, kicking my feet out.
“I don’t know.” Nikolai runs his hands through his hair. He does that when he’s unsure or frustrated.
“So she pulled the fucking fire alarm.” I watch him, but I am unable to get a read on him. “Are you sure you don’t need to tell me anything?” I ask again. “Look at me,” I bark, wanting his eyes to meet mine. I stare at him for a long moment.
“I don’t do drugs,” he bites out. I hadn’t said that, but I thought it might be a possibility. He’s edgy and unlike himself. He also hasn’t been all over me about being more into jobs. Nikolai jumped at any opportunity to go to meet-ups with me. He was eager to prove himself.
“All right.” I believe him. I didn’t think he would, given his upbringing. But sometimes we do things we never thought we would. "Nikolai, if you so much as touch that girl—” His fingers tighten around the leather chair's arms. Interesting. "If you so much as hurt that girl," I rephrase, his fingers relaxing, “you will deal with me, and it won’t be like before. You’ll go to the basement like everyone else.”