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I give Luca one last silent plea as I slowly peel my eyes from his to his brother’s.
Nodding his head, he lowers his leg, leaning forward but remains calm. “You realize that you have caused a lot of problems for this family in the last twelve months. That is something I don’t look lightly on.”
I suck in a breath at his words, willing myself to hold it together. I internally beg myself not to react, but it’s hopeless and not who I am. My back straightens, and even though my hands still shake uncontrollably, I fix a hard stare at Nicolai.
“I am sure all the families of the men you have killed do not look lightly upon their deaths either. Do you realize what problems you have caused their mothers, fathers, wives, and children? There is no fairness in any of it!”
“Red!” Luca says with agitation under his breath. I don’t look at him, though. I hold my stare with Nicolai, who has had no reaction to my outburst. One minute, Luca is standing in front of me. The next, he has me by the neck, pinning me to the back of the sofa. I gasp for air, but his hands tighten further. His eyes are full of fire and temper as they bore into me. The weight of him against me is too much.
“Let her go, Luca,” Nicolai says impatiently. Luca’s hand drops instantly, but the warning in his eyes is still there. Standing again, he folds his arms over his chest, not shifting his attention.
“So, it wasn’t the money that motivated you then?” Nicolai concludes.
I frown, trying to catch my breath, and choose not to answer. It was more of a statement than a question.
“Luca mentioned you have information that could further damage my family. What do you plan on doing with this information?” he asks very calmly. His non-reactive manner feeds my unease further. He has a clever way of intimidating a person. His bully tactics are practiced and perfected.
“That all depends on today's outcome.”
Nicolai grins. “I am not a man that negotiates, Miss Reed.” He rubs his hand under his chin like he is thinking about his next move, which surprises me. I would think a man in his position would know his every move. I outsmarted his brother. Could I outsmart the King Pin too?
I know that Nicolai is the head honcho, and everyone fears him, but I find him less intimidating to look at than Luca. While Nicolai is still strong, he is tall and lean muscles, wears suits, and appears to be a serious businessman. Luca has broad shoulders, thick arms, and fierceness about him that screams danger. Jeans, a black t-shirt, and army-grade black lace-up boots add edginess to him. If he were on some smutty women's calendar, I’d keep that month up all year round. He is hotness personified, and if I am honest, the danger aura he carries around him just adds to his appeal. The only problem is, he wants to kill me, and that tends to kill the hot thoughts. Well, most of the time anyway.
There is a different kind of fear I feel when I look at Luca. A confusing battle between hatred and intrigue, lust and loathing. I fear how he makes me feel. Yet, with Nicolai, his eyes deliver a strong message that disturbs me right to the bone. The fear he evokes inside me is one of death and deliverance. There are no grey areas with him. The danger is black and white.
“Enlighten us. How were you able to breach our security measures at Alessio and Eden’s wedding?” he says after some deliberation.
“You should really tighten up your security team,” I answer, shooting Luca a glare. He looks back at me, unamused.
“You see, the problem I have is, I now have a leak in my pipe, so to speak. Each and every one of my men, and let’s not forget all those innocent catering staff members at the wedding, will have to be further questioned on their involvement. There are certain tools I find useful for mending such leaks.” He moves forward in his seat, leaning to place his elbows on his knees. “I wonder if that is necessary, though, Miss Reed. Are you comfortable being responsible for that?”
Game, set, match. He knows I would not be able to live with that. Anyone with a conscience wouldn’t. I look away because I can’t bear the look of victory in his eyes. It physically sickens me.
“Thought so,” he comments. “Now, I will ask you again.” He leans forward a little. This time, his tone is demanding and harsh. “How did you breach our security?”
My eyes fixate on the ground. Whether I tell him a lie or the truth, either way, someone will die. How can I be the one that delivers that fate? I choose not to speak. I can’t.
“Can we just get this over with!” I snap. “You and I both know I will not be leaving this room alive, so save your riddles and threats and just kill me already!” This time the words, although come out confident and brave, cause a tear to spill onto my cheek, showing my weakness.
Nicolai laughs. He fucking laughs at me. Luca shifts uncomfortably before walking over to his whiskey bottle and grabs some glasses, returning to the table and pouring us each one. Nicolai takes his in his hand but doesn’t drink it straight away. He leans back into the sofa and stares at me with considering eyes. Luca hands me a glass of the amber liquid, and without question, I take it and drink the contents. I savor the heat as it burns all the way down my throat.
“Killing you right now is not going to solve my leak, Miss Reed. So…” He pauses. “We both seem to have a problem.” He takes a sip of the whiskey while Luca pours more into my glass.
“Do you think by getting me drunk you will get your answers?” I mutter, taking another large mouthful.
“You and I,” Nicolai points between us with his glass still in hand, “we are not so different. We both want to protect someone.”
I mock a laugh. “We are nothing alike. You are a killer.”
“No, he is.” He looks over to Luca, who, as usual, stands unaffected and emotionless by the accusation.
“You deliver the order.”
“Isn’t that what you are doing now,” Nicolai is quick to remark.
I swallow down his bitter and revolting words with another mouthful of whiskey, holding my glass out for Luca to refill it again. My head spins a little from movement, but I steady myself to look back at Nicolai.
“You don’t have a leak. I falsified documents to get on the catering team. That is all there is to it. No one let me in the backdoor. No one gave me any information. I am an investigative reporter. We push boundaries every day, finding ways to get to people and into places all the time. It’s how we get our stories. It’s not rocket science!”
