kill me.
The look on her face said it all. She was fuming. Enraged.
Actually, if there was an emotion worse than enraged, she was about three levels above that.
Outwardly, though, she showed no reaction to my sudden arrival. She was very good at only letting you see what she wanted you to. But I knew her better than anyone. I knew what that crinkle at the edge of her lips meant, what the slight crease in her brows represented. It meant she was focusing all her strength on not cussing me out in front of everyone. It meant violence, pain—mine, specifically.
She was dressed impeccably, as Tatiana always was. Her hair was straight instead of her usual curls, flowing down her back in a beautiful, golden waterfall. Her posture was perfect, strong. She vibrated complete and total confidence. She didn’t give a shit what anyone else thought of her, because she believed in herself and what she was capable of. That was all she needed. Even though she’d chosen not to be involved in the life, she was completely in her element. Like she was made for this. Made for me.
I’d been standing outside of Arturo’s office from the moment she walked in. I’d overheard everything that had been said between them. Pride filled my chest at how amazing she was, at how easily she passed those ridiculous tests Arturo was insistent on putting her through. I’d told him it would be a waste of time. That Tatiana was better than any of his soldiers, and there was no way he’d best her or catch her off guard.
She was just too good.
Tatiana’s angry eyes tracked me as I made my way to her side, like a predator watching its prey. My heart was racing, pounding in my ears. How was it that, after all those years, after everything that happened between us, my insides still turned to mush around her?
I was a thirty-two year old man, but around her I felt like a sixteen year old boy trying to find the confidence to speak to his crush.
“Nikolai, welcome,” Arturo greeted, getting to his feet. He moved out from behind his desk and offered me his hand.
I shook it. “Thank you for allowing me to be here.” As much as it annoyed me, we had to run it by Arturo first. I couldn’t guard Tatiana while she was conducting Cosa Nostra business without asking for his permission.
He’d then told me he was planning to put two guards on her while she was here, so I simply suggested that I take one of their places.
“Of course. Illayana’s family is always welcome. Well, except for one.”
It wasn’t hard to guess which one he was referring to. There was only one person who had the power to piss someone off that much.
“Right. Lukyan has that effect on people.”
“Understatement of the century. Aleksandr mentioned that you’ll be checking out some prospective clients while you’re here?”
“Yes.”
“If you need any further information on them, let me know. I can have our tech guy, Renzo, help you.”
I nodded once. “Appreciate it.”
He looked at Tatiana. “Your apartment is ready. I’ll have a car made available for you to use while you’re here. There is a slight issue that I feel I should mention.”
“Issue?” Tatiana frowned.
“Your apartment was the last one available in the building, so it means the two of you will have to share. It’s a two-bedroom, so there’s plenty of space. Will that be a problem?”
Tatiana said “Yes” at the same time that I said “No.”
Arturo’s gaze darted between the two of us. “Right. Well, I’ll let you two sort it out then. Here are the keys.” He pulled out a set of keys and handed them to Tatiana. “The car is waiting out front for you and I’ve had your luggage loaded inside. You can spend the day getting situated and we can reconvene tomorrow to figure out the first step.”
“There’s no need. I’m ready to go now. I’ll just drop off my stuff and come right back,” Tatiana said, pocketing the keys. She was always one to get right to the point. “I need a list of anyone who was at the cash and distribution houses that Franco raided and torched, as well as a list of anyone who had access to them. Is there any video surveillance?”
“No. Cameras and drug houses don’t really mix.”
“Fair point. The fact that Franco keeps finding out the locations of your houses does suggest a leak within your organisation. If you’re sure it’s not coming from one of your men, it could be as simple as someone tagging one of your vehicles.”
“Tagging?”
“With a tracker. It’s what I’d do. What better way to find out the coming and going of my enemy’s business than to track the vehicles their soldiers use? It would tell me everything I need to know: where they go, how long they were there for, if they stick to a schedule. I suggest doing a sweep of all your cars. Possibly all your belongings too—yours and your men. It’s possible to place a tracking device in anything these days.”
She had no idea how right she was on that one.
“That is actually a very good point.” He glanced at his brother. “Make it happen. Have all the men report to the house for a screening.”
“Aye, aye boss man.” Vincenzo pushed off the desk, sauntering towards Tatiana with a hungry look in his eyes that pissed me the fuck off. “Just one question, Pretty. How did you know that gun wasn’t loaded?”
“The weight was off,” Tatiana shrugged, like it was the simplest of answers. “A standard Glock 19 weighs roughly 1.7 pounds, fully loaded. It was too light.”
That hungry look grew, swallowing his eyes whole. “You. Me. A bottle of scotch and a can of whipped cream. Need I say more?”
I growled, stepping forward to place myself between them. It forced Vincenzo back a step, that stupid boyish smirk on his lips that he was well known for still on his face.
“So you are seeing someone. That’s cool. I can take a hint.”
“No, you can’t,” Arturo scoffed.
“You’re right,” Vincenzo snickered. His head darted around me to look at Tatiana. “What’d ya say, Pretty? You ever had someone lick whipped cream off your entire body?”
Before I knew what I was doing, my hand was around his throat and I was forcing him back, his body bending over the desk. I growled again, this time right in his face, my teeth bared like a fucking animal.
At that point, I felt like one. My emotions were running high. I hated it when anyone flirted with Tatiana. Even more so when I could see it with my own fucking eyes.
Vincenzo was everything I wasn’t: fun, light-hearted, charming. He could make Tatiana smile. I wanted to kill him.
There was a click and then I felt the barrel of a gun pressing against my temple.
“I kindly ask that you release my brother.” Arturo spoke calmly, rationally. Yet I could still hear the underlying threat in his tone.
Movement in my peripheral vision caught my attention. I glimpsed Tatiana, her own gun pointed directly at Arturo’s head, a dark look in her eyes that said she was willing to blow his head off to protect me.
I ignored Arturo, focusing entirely on Vincenzo, staring deeply into his eyes so he could see how serious I was.
“You make one more inappropriate comment or suggestion towards her again, and I’ll kill you.”
A tiny bit of the humor vanished from his eyes, replaced by fear. He had more than enough air to breathe. I wasn’t completely cutting off circulation. But he was definitely struggling, gasping for breath. It would be so very easy for me to snap his neck and be done with it.
Arturo cocked his gun. “I will not ask again.”
“It makes no difference to me how many times you ask it. I’m not letting him go until he understands,” I replied coldly, my gaze still locked on Vincenzo’s. “Do you? Understand?”
He wheezed. “Got it.”
I leant forward, lowering my voice to barely above a whisper so only he could hear me. “She’s mine. You hear me? You hit on her again and I’ll cut you up into a thousand tiny pieces and spread them across New York, so you can never be buried whole. So your soul can never find peace. Have I made myself clear?”
“Crystal,” he gasped.
“Good.” I released him, taking three steps back.
Arturo tucked his gun away and ran to his brother’s side, helping him back to his feet. His gaze snapped to Tatiana, who was still pointing her weapon at him.
She chuckled awkwardly, a tense smile on her face as she lowered her gun. “Well, that escalated quickly.” She aimed an accusatory glare my way. It was the first time she’d really acknowledged my presence since I’d entered the room. The moment we were alone, though, that would change. She was going to let me have it. I was sure of it.
Vincenzo had one hand to his throat, breathing heavily as Arturo whispered harshly in his ear. Hand to his shoulder, he guided Vincenzo out of the room and then turned to face me.
“You do something like that again and I’ll kill you. I don’t care if you’re Illayana’s brother. Now get the fuck out of my office.” He held the door open, the message clear.
I arched an eyebrow. He sounded completely sincere but I highly doubted he’d go through with it. Illayana would never forgive him for killing one of her brothers.
Family was something we’d grown up valuing over anything else. Sure, we loved to beat on each other sometimes (okay, most of the time). But there was also nothing we wouldn’t do to protect one another. It was one of the reasons why, no matter what Arturo said or did, he was safe from me. Harming him meant harming Illayana. For as long as my sister loved him, I wouldn’t hurt him.
The same couldn’t be said for his annoying little brother though.
“I’d apologise for his behaviour,” Tatiana began, walking towards the door. “But it’s your own fault for bringing him here.”
“Hardly. He’s not here for me. I’ll have those lists you asked for emailed to you soon.”
“Perfect. Thank you.” She walked out, me close on her heels. She didn’t say a word, not that I really expected her to. At least, not yet. I knew she had a lot to say though.
When we got outside, there was a car waiting in front of the house, one of Arturo’s soldiers standing next to it. He handed the keys to Tatiana and then walked back into the house. There were two guards stationed at the front door. More patrolling the grounds. We weren’t entirely alone, so it surprised the fuck out of me when she spun and punched me right in the face.
A Russian curse flew from my mouth as I stumbled back. “Blyad, fuck, Tatiana! What the fu—”
She swung again and I reared back, just managing to avoid her fist. Pain flared across my jaw from her first strike. She kept on swinging, forcing me to block as I retreated.
“You self-centered”—strike—“egotistical”—strike—“big-boned jackass.”
Strike.
Strike.
Strike.
“Damn it, Tatiana. Enough!” She aimed a kick to my side and I grunted at the impact, my arm curling around her leg to hold her still. Her balance was perfect, despite the fact that she was standing on one leg and wearing six-inch heels.
“What the fuck are you doing here, Nikolai?” she growled, her fists up, guarding her face.
“You really need to ask?” She tried to yank her leg out of my grasp but I held on tight, refusing to let go.
She wanted a confrontation? Well, she was fucking getting one.
“The second you agreed to do this, you should have known I’d be here. You seriously think I’d let you walk into a potentially dangerous situation without me?”
“Let me?”
Fuck. Wrong words to say to Tatiana.
The thunderstorm of anger that rolled over her was enough to scare even me.
“Now, wait a second. Just calm—”
She twisted, placing her hands on the ground to stabalise herself as she swung her free leg around to kick me right in the fucking face. The force of the blow rocked me, making me lose my grip on her and tumble to the ground. The taste of blood filled my mouth.
Goddamn it. I forgot how hard she kicked when she was pissed off.
Tatiana pounced on me, the sharp edge of a blade pressing to my throat, making me stiffen.
Okay, she’s moved past the stage of “pissed off” and entered right into “totally bat-shit fucking crazy” territory.
Her legs were either side of my body, her soft curves moulding against me like she was made for me, fit me perfectly. It wasn’t the first time Tatiana had held a knife to my throat, and I highly doubted it would be the last, either.
“You think I need your protection, Nicky?”
I narrowed my eyes and she glared back.
“Need? No.” I grabbed her wrist, twisting the blade away from my neck and rolling us so I was now on top, the blade pressing against her throat instead.
Her breath hitched, eyes dilating.
“But I want to be there in case you do. You expect me to eat, sleep, do anything knowing you could be in danger?”
“I expect you to trust that I can handle myself,” she hissed. Her elbow swung up, clocking me in the nose. My head snapped back and she throat punched me.
I choked, the knife slipping through my fingers as my hands collared my throat. Tatiana was skilled enough to make sure her strike wouldn’t cause damage, but it still hurt. A lot.
She shoved me hard in the chest and I fell back. We scrambled, Tatiana getting to her feet and me only just managing to make it to one knee before she swung a powerful roundhouse kick to my face.
I blocked, my arm coming up to protect the side of my head. Then I went on the offensive, leaping to my feet to attack. Back and forth, back and forth, we traded blows, moving inch by inch across the gravel driveway. Arturo’s guards watched us with bewildered expressions, not quite sure what to make of the whole thing.
“I don’t see what the big deal is,” I grunted, rearing back to avoid her strike and then throwing a punch.
“The big deal is—” she deflected my punch, guiding my fist past her body as she twisted away. Then she kneed me in the stomach, making me groan. “—that I came here to get away from you.”
I rammed into her with my shoulder and she lost her balance, falling ass-first into a giant, muddy puddle.
“Ugh, Nikolai!” she screeched in horror. “Do you have any idea how expensive this fabric is?”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed. She just looked so adorable with that pouty look on her face, her arms stretched out in disgust and dirty, brown water dripping from her hands.
“Are you…are you seriously laughing at me right now?” she brimmed with outrage.
“I can’t help it,” I chuckled, watching her slowly get to her feet.
She shook the water off and brushed a strand of hair out of her face, blowing out a breath. “I meant what I said earlier, you know. I told you I needed space. Why would you follow me here?”
“I already told you why. Just the thought of something happening to you makes it impossible for me to breathe. I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. Involving yourself in Cosa Nostra business is dangerous. Franco is dangerous. I wasn’t there for you the last time you needed me. I refuse to make that same mistake again. Please don’t ask me to.”
Her eyes bored into mine, silence grating between us. A silence that spoke volumes. It was very rare to render Tatiana speechless. Indecision flashed across her face and suddenly I felt guilty for putting her in this position.
Finally, she exhaled. “Fine,” she all but groaned. “But let’s get something clear right now. You’re here purely as an observer. And the muscle. I don’t want you to interfere or try to take over.”
“I would never.”
She gave me a deadpanned look. “Yes, you would.”
“Okay, I would. But I swear I won’t.”
“You better not. This is my time to have some fun. I don’t need you ruining it with your Alpha male, ‘Look, my dick’s bigger’ attitude.” She flicked her hands to get rid of any access water and stepped out of the puddle. Her lips pursed in obvious disgust, looking at the mud on the bottom of her heels. “These were brand new,” she whined, plucking them off her feet.
“I’ll buy you a new pair.”
Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, then narrowed suspiciously. “I know what you’re doing. You’re trying to butter me up by buying me shit.”
She had me there. Tatiana had a long list of hobbies. Running. Reading. Binging ridiculous television shows. And shopping. Buying new clothes, shoes, accessories. I knew I had to make it up to her somehow. By being there, I’d thrown her off balance. The least I could do was replace her ruined shoes.
“Lucky for me, I don’t care,” Tatiana continued. “Louboutins. Spring Fall Collection. Size ten.” She handed them to me as she walked past, heading for the car.
I turned and followed, her heels dangling from my fingers at my side. Arturo’s guards were still staring at us strangely, a mix of bewilderment and shock on their faces. Not that I cared. They could think whatever they wanted about the situation. Their views on women were offensive and outdated, to say the least. It was 2023. How they could still think the way they did was beyond me. The more they saw Illayana and Tatiana in action, the more likely they’d be to change their opinions and ways.
So, yeah, I didn’t really mind that she’d just kicked my ass all over Arturo’s front yard. It might make them think twice before imposing their sexiest ways on her and my sister in the future.
Tatiana unlocked the car and opened the door, throwing her wet coat into the backseat. A red lace corset clung to her body like a second skin, her luscious curves on full display. Memories of me gripping those curves…her thighs, tits, hips… soared through my mind, heating my blood. My cock throbbed when she bent over, ass in the air as she leant into the car. Fuck. The amount of times I’d had her in that exact same position. On my bed. The hood of my car. Over the dining room table—
“Get those thoughts out of your head, Nicky,” she said, not even looking back, her voice muffled inside the car.
“What thoughts?” I smirked, stepping closer. I rested my forearm on the roof and leant forward, crowding her. “You’re not even looking at me. How do you know what I’m thinking?” I was careful not to actually touch her, keeping my lower half a hair’s breadth away from hers.
Sexual energy snapped between us. She knew how close I was, even though we weren’t touching. She could feel it.
So could I. Our bodies literally craved each other’s, and when you were standing this close to something you craved, you were hyper aware of it.
She glanced over her shoulder at me. Her hands were plastered firmly to the back seat, supporting her weight. “You think I need to look at you to know what you’re thinking?” she asked, voice low.
My eyes ran down her slender back before returning to her face. “Was there a point to this?” I waved a hand at her body. “Or was it just to torture me?”
She stepped back, finally getting out of the car. “A little bit of both.” She held up her phone, shaking it lightly in the air. It must have been in her coat.
“Don’t act like you don’t enjoy being tortured, Nicky.” She went to walk away but I blocked her path, my arm shooting out to grip the roof of the car right next to her head, caging her in.
“The name, Nicky…retire it.”
“What do I get if I do?”
“I can tell you what you won’t get. You won’t get an apartment full of spiders and roaches and every other creepy crawly creature I can think of.”
She gasped. “You wouldn’t.”
“You really want to test how much I despise that fucking nickname, Tati?” I threatened.
Her outrage turned to an angry glare. “Fine. Consider it…‘retired’,” she mocked, using air quotes.
I smiled brightly, flashing my teeth. I’d won. For the moment, anyway. Knowing Tatiana, though, she was already in the middle of planning my death. Specifically, how to make it look like an accident. She despised insects of any kind. Especially if they were the type that had one too many legs. Illayana and Lukyan used to tease her all the time about how she’d be able to handle torture and never break, but if someone brought a spider into the room, she’d crumble.
Tatiana climbed into the driver’s seat and I followed, getting into the passenger side.
“Maybe I should drive,” I said nervously, watching her put her seat belt on.
“You swore you wouldn’t try to take over.”
“I’m not. I’m just offering to drive.”
“And I’m just offering to punch you in the throat. Again.”
I slammed the door shut and quickly put my belt on as she started the car. Her hands ran over the steering wheel admiringly, an eager look on her face.
Back home, there was a kind of unspoken rule between all of us that Tatiana wasn’t allowed to drive. Ever.
She knew how to, of course. That wasn’t the issue. The problem was that she had a slight road rage issue, and by slight I mean severe.
I wasn’t the praying type, not by a long shot. But fuck, I prayed. I prayed to whatever deity there was in the sky that we made it to our destination in one piece.
