Three Hours. Thirty-Six Minutes. Ten Seconds.
I’ve been watching the way she moves around the room with ease. Putting shit away, all while kicking everyone that is still left out of the bar. My men are still sitting at the table in the back of the bar, talking quietly amongst themselves.
The sound of her soft humming while wiping down the bar relaxes me in a way that no one has ever done before. Her hips move to whatever beat is currently in her head and I’m mesmerized. Getting up from my bar stool, I walk up behind her and put my hands on her hips.
Her head turns to look at me and a smirk pulls at her lips. “I was wondering how much ass shaking it would take to get you to notice.”
“Trust me ,doll, I noticed the minute you started shaking this sexy ass for me. I’m just trying to let you finish cleaning up before I drag you back to my place.” I kiss right below her ear and a small moan falls from her mouth.
“I’m almost done,” is the only thing she can say as my hand slides down her stomach and towards the top of her low-rise jeans she has on tonight. My hand slips between them and her skin and I slowly move my fingers towards her pussy. She’s already wet and as much as I want to go and join Ilias on the questioning of the bastard from earlier, being buried deep inside her sounds ten times better.
“I need to make a call. Can I use the office for a second?” She turns in my arms, forcing me to pull my hand from the front of her jeans. I frown, but she hits me with a questioning look. Kissing her forehead, I don’t give her an answer. She doesn’t need to know this side of me. I want her to only know the good side of me.
“You’re not going to tell me?”
I shake my head no and she frowns, pulling away from me.
“Trust me, you don’t want to know. I’m trying to find out who your brother really is and I don’t know what the guy from earlier wants. He might be part of whatever shit I’m trying to figure out.”
Her eyebrows scrunch together and I reach out to run my hand along her cheek. “Trust me, doll. I won’t put you in harm’s way. The less you know the better.” She doesn’t look happy at that, but she needs to trust that I won’t let anything happen to her.
She huffs out and walks back over to the bar. Sighing, I rub my hand over my day-old stubble before making my way to the back towards the office. Closing the door behind me, I pull out my phone and dial Ilias’ number.
Just before it’s about to go to voicemail, he answers. “Yeah, boss?” he greets quickly and sounds out of breath.
“What have you gotten from him?” I demand. I want answers and I want them now. If someone sent this fucker after me, I need to know why.
“Nothing yet. He won’t talk even after the shit I’ve done to him. Do you think this is an inside hire?” My mind runs through a few possible scenarios and I can’t think of one person in the family who would want me dead.
“No. I don’t think so. Keep at it. I’ll try and get away in a few hours.” He doesn’t say anything, but he does grunt in response. Ending the call, I dial Stavros. He answers on the first ring and I bet he’s been waiting for me to call him.
“What did you find out?” he growls into the phone.
“That her parents have nothing to do with the Italian Mob. I don’t know what the fuck is going on but I need to find out why there is no record of this guy. If he finds out who I am at the wedding and knows that his father is the one who killed ours, shit will go sideways and fast.” I look around the office and notice a picture hanging on the wall as Stavros is talking in my ear.
I miss everything he says as I stare at the person dead center in the photo. “Hold on,” I say quickly. Turning the camera on, I snap a photo and text it over to him. “Check your messages. I just sent you a photo.”
I hear him mutter something under his breath, but I ignore it. It’s natural nowadays. It’s the same thing with us pretty much every time he needs my help finding out something for him.
“Ah fuck,” he groans.
“Who is in that photo?” I ask, impatiently. I’m tired of him knowing shit that I don’t know.
“That’s our old man in the background, but the fucker dead center is Petrus and next to him is the head of the Abelli Family, Giovanni Abelli.”
“Fuck me,” I groan. “Why the hell would pops be in the background of this photo?”
“No fucking clue. Can you find out everything you can on Giovanni Abelli and Petrus Salvi?” His voice is terse and I know he’s wondering the same shit I am.
Maybe our old man died for a different reason. But why would he cross the family?
The door to the office opens and I see Ivelisse’s face peek in. “Nikolai?” Her voice hits me like a ton of bricks. “Are you…” I hold up my finger cutting her off.
“Who are you with? The bitch you’re falling for?” I can hear the amusement in his voice.
“I told you not to call her that,” I grit out. “I’ll call you when I get the information.” I hang up when I hear his laughter ring out over the line.
Pocketing my phone, I motion for her to come to me. Her steps are hesitant and I can only assume that she was listening in on the conversation. I didn’t say anything to incriminate myself, but I know she wouldn’t say anything to anyone either.
“Who were you guys talking about?” My eyes move over to the photo then back to her. She eyes the photo for a few minutes before she turns towards me. “That’s my boss. He owns the bar.” My body goes taut and I try to get my breathing under control.
“Who is your boss, doll?” I ask calmly.
“Giovanni Abelli.” She frowns as she says the name and I freeze. Does she know who he is?
“You know who he is?” I ask carefully. She shakes her head no and then gives me a strange expression.
“Is he the one who sent that guy in here tonight?” She looks nervous and I don’t know if it’s because she’s lying or she’s afraid that someone will come after me again.
“Don’t know,” I answer.
“I’ve only met my boss three times. Typically the other bartender is the one to pass along information.” This peaks my attention.
“Who is the other bartender?” Her eyes cast towards the ground and I raise an eyebrow at her. “Who is he?” I demand this time. She shakes her head no and I have to walk away from her. If she’s trying to protect this fucker then we are going to have problems.
“I can’t tell you,” she whispers into the now silent room. The only sounds that I can hear are our breathing and the racing of my own heart. She is going to protect some guy she barely knows unless she knows this asshole better than I’m assuming.
Instead of even reacting to her, I turn and walk out of the office. “Nikolai!” she yells behind me. I hear her shoes slapping against the ground behind me as I make my way through the bar. I don’t bother slowing down even when she grabs my hand and pulls it behind me. “Please Nikolai, don’t walk away.” I don’t listen to her pleas as I pull my hand from her grip and walk out the door of the bar towards my car.
As I pass Christov on my way out, he says my name, causing me to stop to turn towards him. “You want me to keep an eye on her?”
“Yeah, make sure she’s safe. Have a better security system put in at her place and I’ll wire you the money for the costs and a little something for you.” He nods sharply before going back to his post. The door opens and I see her tear-streaked face standing there.
“Nikolai.” Her voice breaks and as much as I want to go to her, I get in my car and drive away, her face the last thing I see in the rearview mirror.
The drive home is the longest fucking thing I’ve done in a long time. The silence is deafening, and I can’t shake the sound of her voice yelling out my name, and telling me not to walk away. She doesn’t understand the type of business I’m in. She doesn’t know the man I am down to my core.
Her naivety is adorable, but there is no way I can protect myself and her if she refuses to give me the information I need. Pulling into my garage, I hit the door opener and watch as it shuts, blanketing the garage in complete darkness.
A few weeks shouldn’t fucking feel like this. I shouldn’t care that she chose to protect someone else already. Part of me knew that she would walk away from me, but I had no idea it would come to this. The life I lead is dangerous and I have blood spilled on my hands from many men. I’m not ashamed of that. My feelings for her are already making me question a lot of my actions, but I can’t just give up the life.
Once you’re in, death is the only way out.
The pounding on my bedroom door is getting a little out of hand. I swear to God if they don’t have a good reason, I’ll be putting a bullet in their head. I don’t even care who the fuck it is.
Throwing the covers off me, I stalk towards the door and pull it open. I see Harlyn standing there in a tattered Draconic Crimson MC tee and Ruslan on her hip. She looks like she’s finally slept and showered. “What?” I bite out. I know she doesn’t deserve my shit, but there is nothing that can keep me from giving her attitude.
“Get your panties out of your damn ass,” she sneers. I get that she’s mad at me for what I did, but she needed that shit, so I don’t regret it. “Your girlfriend is at the door.” I roll my eyes and lean against the doorway.
“Tell her to leave. I don’t care what you have to say to her, just get her the fuck out of here.” Her eyes narrow at me, but she turns and walks away. I hear her voice again when she gets to the door.
“Sorry sweetheart, he isn’t here. I checked his room and couldn’t find him. He might be with his brother,” Harlyn says with a hint of disgust in her voice. I still don’t know why she’s so damn pissed at Stavros, but it’s about time I figure it the fuck out.
“Do you know when he’ll be back?” Her voice breaks through. She sounds upset and as much as I want to do something, I don’t move from my spot.
“No, I’m not his keeper.” Her voice is snotty and right now I’m kind of glad Harlyn is here. It’s a dick move I know, but she owes me this much. “If I were you, I’d stay as fucking far from the Levin boys as you could. All they do is fuck up your life, not caring how you feel.”
The front door slams closed and she puts the lock in place. I look over the banister and she looks up at me. “You fucking owe me.” I roll my eyes at her. She’s the one who owes me. She’s goddamn delusional.
“I don’t owe you shit. I let you live in my house for free. I keep your damn secrets for you as well. Don’t start that shit with me.” She flips me the bird and starts up the stairs towards me.
“You and your brother are the same damn person. I hope you lose that girl. She deserves a little more compassion than that. You could have at least been a man and told her yourself. You and Stavros are both cowards.” She goes to walk by me, but I grab her arm and stop her in front of me.
“Just remember you’re the one that still hasn’t told my brother that he’s a father. Don’t fucking test me. You say you hate him, but you’ll find out how much we are alike.” She pulls her arm out of my grip and walks into her room, slamming the door behind her.