Six minutes. They’ll be here in six minutes.
“The suits. How many others are there?” He talks to his men.
“Max has hearts, and Marco has diamonds,” one of the men says.
“No one wants the lowest?” He laughs again. His back turns to me as he walks toward his men. Never in my life have I ever felt so unprepared. I want to blame Nina, but I can’t. Mikhail carries the same energy I used to have. Not giving a shit about what happens, just making sure you are the strongest in the room.
That used to be me before Nina. In a way, I still am that person, but it’s only for her. I’d do anything to protect her.
She is my life.
I snap out of my thoughts as I shake my head. I look up at him, trying to figure out what his game is. “No.”
“I’ll take clubs then.” A smug smile forms on his lips. “I’ll show you just how fucking brutal the bottom of the chain can be.” He circles around me. “You killed my brother.”
“I did.” I’m not going to deny it.
“I’ll think about making this a quick death for you.” He kicks my legs in, forcing me to the ground. “But that’s only because I knew my brother was working against you. That shit really pissed me off. I looked up to him in a way. But I don’t believe in working against families you want to be a part of, you know?” His eyebrows raise as he looks to the ceiling.
“Just leave Nina out of this,” I finally get out.
“Oh, for sure. This doesn’t have much to do with her.” He crouches down to the ground, just as I did with him before. “I get why everyone wants her. Hell, maybe I’ll take her once you’re gone.” A small smirk creases his face.
I clench my jaw, my anger getting the better of me. I bring my head back and slam it into his.
He doesn’t make a single noise to the hit he just took. He almost looks even more interested. He’s a fucking brick wall, mentally and physically.
“Boss!” Enzo makes his way toward me from the opposite side of the parking garage. He takes out his handgun and fires it aimlessly.
He crouches behind a car as Mikhail and his men draw their weapons. I get up from the ground and take Mikhail’s spare gun from his holster.
Before I can think, I shoot right at him. The bullet goes through his right shoulder.
“Enzo!” I shout. “Where the fuck are the others?” I continue to shoot his other men, as does Enzo.
“He had more men outside. Julio is gone, and so is Remo.”
I shoot a few more times before the rest of Mikhail’s men rush to leave the building. They will be right back to get him, so I have to hurry.
“Fuck.” I shake my head.How the hell did all this happen?
I walk back to Mikhail. He’s struggling to get up. “You were wrong.” I kneel to his level, pressing down into the wound.
He doesn’t release a single sound. How much fucking pain do I need to inflict on this man before he shows me he’s hurt?
“She makes me strong.” I shoot him once more in the leg.
I don’t know how I missed it before, but it’s true. I have someone to protect now, and that makes me strong. The love I have for her is something I’d start a war for.
32NINA
My mouth feels like I swallowed a ball of cotton.
I open my eyes slowly, throwing my arm over to the other side of the bed and landing on his warm chest.
My hands fall down on my face as I realize what happened last night. I was with Gio.
Iamwith Gio.