Page 87 of His Prize

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Lorenzo nods to Nikita’s gun at his feet. I walk the few feet and bend to pick up the gun.

Alex tugs on my arm. “Settimo, please.”

I grip the gun and turn to her, standing straight. I cup her face, Nikita’s blood streaking her cheeks. “It’s all right.” I kiss her forehead. “Everything’s gonna be okay.”

“You need to leave, Alex,” Lorenzo says.

Alex shakes her head, but Paolo is already there, grabbing her shoulders and forcing her away.

“No!” she yells, shaking her head. “Settimo!”

It pains me to look away, but I do. I walk to Nikita and stand over him. I point the gun at his head.

Sophie wails. “Settimo please, he’s the only family I have left.”

I turn my head her way, and it’s the biggest mistake I’ve made today. There’s so much pain in her eyes, so much fear. I’ve seen that look before. About twenty years ago.

I never want to see that look again.

Could she forgive me?

Could Alex?

“Just fucking do it,” Nikita seethes. He’s breathing heavily like he’s in pain. “You know you want to.”

I look down at him, the gun steady in my hand. His back is flat on the floor, and all the fight is gone from him. He’s defeated and he knows it.

“You have no idea what I want,” I say, my face hard. “What Iwantis peace, Nikita. If I kill you, the Bratva will avenge you. This will never stop until you’re all dead.”

“Well,” he says, turning his head and spitting blood. “I guess that’s less competition for you then.”

I try to think of what my father would do, how easy it would be if he was still here. But he’s not. And it doesn’t matter what he would do. He isn’t the don.

I don’t respond to Nikita, and I don’t lower the gun. He spits more blood, then wheezes as he looks back at me. I catch a flash of fear in his eyes.

“I’ll pull my men back,” Nikita says, the first hint of fear in his tone. I would never expect him to outright plead. This is as close as he’ll get. “Any and all offenses on the Italians will be punishable by death.”

He coughs and I wait for more.

“We’ll renegotiate our business in your favor.”

“Good. Because our prices have doubled.”

He cringes like that’s the worst pain he’s felt today, but he nods. “Okay.”

I look at Lorenzo, and he nods. Sophie no longer struggles in his hold.

“It’ll prevent the most casualties,” Lorenzo says. “But this can’t go unpunished.”

Nikita laughs. “You killed my right-hand man. We’re going to pay you double what we did before, and we’ve lost half our men. What more do you want?”

“You’ll make things right with the Irish. And after today, there will be no more grudges. We’ll move forward with our families, and we will deal with mutualrespect.”

Nikita coughs again. I’m starting to think something happened to his lung. I know I must’ve broken at least a rib when I tackled him. He needs to get to a hospital.

“Of course,” he says, nodding.

I give a curt nod, then aim the gun at his knee. “Good.” I pull the trigger, and he howls in pain, thrashing on the ground.


Tags: Nicole Cypher Crime