“Of course,” Nikita says with contempt. “He’s a vulgar man.” Nikita sighs and brushes a hand from my shoulder to my cleavage. My disgust morphs from fake to real.
“You deserve so much better.”
Like you?
He dips his hand into my dress and finds my nipple, grazing his palm against it. I stare straight at his chest with my jaw clenched tight.
I tell myself he isn’t serious, that he wouldn’t actually rape me in a room reeking with blood of a man clinging to his life. But I’m lying to myself.
Settimo’s image comes into my mind, and I picture it’s last night and it’s Settimo’s hands on me now instead of Nikita’s.
“There’s something else I thought you would want to know,” I say, my voice croaking.
“What’s that?” he asks, moving on to my other breast.
“At some point during… you know… Mr. Gruco’s phone rang. I thought it was weird that he took the call, but when he answered, it sounded important. He mentioned someone named Cormac. I didn’t know if that meant something to you, but I remember you saying—”
Nikita rips his hand from my shirt and grabs my jaw roughly. I gasp and stare at his hard face, hoping to find some kind of humanity. I find nothing.
“What did Settimo say, and who was he talking to? Think hard, Alexa. I want to hear everything word-for-word.”
I look at the man hunched over and held up by chains, and I start to hyperventilate.
Nikita’s grip on my jaw tightens, and I grimace.
“He answered the phone without a greeting and said ‘have you spoken to him yet?’. I don’t know what the response was, but then Mr. Gruco told them he’d take care of it and that progress with the Irish was being made.” I close my eyes and pretend to think hard about what happened next. It isn’t hard to remember something when you’re making it up as you go. “Then he said ‘Cormac is cooperating. We’ll talk about this later.’ and then he hung up.”
Nikita leans in close to me, his teeth barred. “You thought to mention Cormac, but notthe Irish? Which piece of information sounds more important to you?”
“I’m sorry, sir… I-I wasn’t thinking straight. I should’ve led with Settimo mentioning the Irish.”
Nikita’s eyes darken, and I recoil. I don’t realize what I’ve done for a few moments, and when I do, the blood drains from my face. I referred to him as Settimo instead of Mr. Gruco. Again.
“Are yousureMr. Gruco’s interest is in fucking with Paulo? Or have thebothof you developed some sort of fascination with each other?”
“Trust me, sir. There’s nothing between Mr. Gruco and me. He’s only—”
“What else did he say?” Nikita asks. He’s searching my eyes and leaning toward me, giving me his full attention. He believes this. If he believes I’m telling the truth about a phone call I overheard, then he must believe I don’t like Settimo. Why would I come to Nikita willingly with this information otherwise?
I keep telling myself this. But the truth is, Nikita is fucking crazy, and I have no idea how he thinks. I can feel my loyalty slipping like it’s a physical force. I’ve never cared about the Bratva, but I’m beginning to hate them. To hate Nikita and the people who do his bidding.
The familia doesn’t look so bad right now.
“Nothing,” I say, praying Nikita accepts that answer. “He hung up the phone and didn’t say a word about it.”
“You didn’t ask him?” he growls.
“No, I… I’m sorry if I should have. I’ve been taught not to ask questions, and I thought that extended to the familia.”
Nikita lets go of my jaw and breathes deeply, his nostrils flaring. He averts his gaze and stares off like he’s thinking, and I back into the wall and hope I disappear. He looks like he doesn’t remember I’m here.
He moves his eyes back to me. “Leave. Now.” He walks to the door and pulls it open. “If he sees you again, find out what he’s planning with the Irish. I don’t care what you have to do to get him to open up, do you understand me?”
I nod. “Yes, sir.”
I rush out of the room and stride past Pretty Eyes.
Nikita’s angry voice echoes in the hallway. “Get Leo Romano here now.” He practically screams it at Pretty Eyes. I throw a glance over my shoulder and walk as quickly as I can up the stairs and out of the warehouse.