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I honestly don’t know.
“Whatever.” He turns away. “I’m going upstairs to clean up. We meet in my office in fifteen, then we go end that motherfucker and burn his business down.”
Niko turns to leave, and as he does, the door opens and two men enter, dragging a moaning Donovan inside. Blood seeps through his shirt over his chest. Oh, God.
“Get him to a room now. Where’s Doc?” Niko's command slices through the tension, and yet, I can hear the crack of fear in his voice. His friend, his brother in arms, is injured.
Lucia gasps and rushes to him.
“Hey!” One of the men carrying Donovan grabs her and pushes her back.
Donovan grips the man’s arm. “If you ever put your hands on her again, I’ll rip your throat out!” Then he passes out.
I don’t have time to process the moment as Niko again tells them to minister to Donovan while he goes upstairs.
My feet move before I even decide to follow him. Up the stairs, his stride is long and determined, his shoulders bearing the weight of impending war.
"Niko." My voice is steady, stronger than I feel.
He pauses at the top of the staircase, his hand on the rail, turning his head slightly. "Didn't Liam give you what youneed?" His words cut, an insinuation that I should be ready to disappear.
"I'm not leaving until we talk because you clearly weren’t listening to me earlier."
“You seem to be under the impression that you have any sort of power here.”
I stand up to him. “I do. You gave it to me when you gave me a choice to stay or go.”
His jaw tightens.
“I get that you don’t want me or the babies, but I won’t leave until you hear what I have to say.”
“I never said I didn’t?—”
“No. It’s my turn to talk.”
He jerks back in surprise. His eyes narrow again. “Fine.” But there's no sign of concession. He turns and retreats to his room. "Talk, then.”
“I was coming to the city because I chose this—I chose you. I was under the mistaken impression that you wanted me to stay. Now that I know differently, I’ll go.”
He stares at me like he’s trying to process what I’m saying. I give him a minute just in case he changes his mind and wants us to stay. But he’s still staring at me with those intense, dark eyes.
“I’ve said what I needed to say. Now I’ll go.” I turn to leave. I see the door, and through it is freedom. No more gilded cage. I should be excited, but I’m angry and sad. Because when I look into Niko’s eyes, past his anger and vengeance, I see the man Rosa was talking about. The one capable of love.
But his need for revenge is too entrenched. His hate for my father is more powerful than any caring he might have for me and the babies.
33
NIKO
Her words ricochet around my brain, not making sense. The foremost thoughts in my mind are how twice tonight, I’ve been ambushed. Once by Giovanni and now by Elena.
Maybe it’s the bump on my head from falling tonight that is keeping me from making sense of my world at the moment. Maybe it’s the anger. Anger at myself for not seeing sooner that tonight was a setup. For all intents and purposes, I should be dead. Giovanni pulled the trigger, and Donovan put himself between me and that bullet, knocking me down. I hit my head, and for a few minutes, I was out. Thank fuck my men showed up. By the time I came to, the fight was over and Giovanni was gone. But I’m determined to hunt him down.
Tonight’s goals were to get the women to safety, get Donovan medical help and hope his injury isn’t life threatening, and then go back out and not come home until I watch Giovanni take his last breath.
But the order of things is out of whack at home, too. Elena not only refused to leave, but she was also ordering the men around. Liam was allowing it. God, seeing her when I walked inwas like a stab to the heart. It hurt like hell that she’d kept the pregnancy a secret even as I know why. I can’t blame her. In fact, I agree with her. She and the babies are safer without me.
I was coming to the city because I chose this—I chose you. I was under the mistaken impression that you wanted me to stay. Now that I know differently, I’ll go.
