It was sick. It was twisted! And yet my stupidheart soared.
“You can walk with me to the garage,” he offered.
Join this monster for part of his unholy job requirement? I must have been more messed up than I thought, because I nodded.
Nico returned to his quarry, bent, and hefted the body over his shoulder. I fell in step beside him, not looking over as we strode through the rain.
“What happened?” I asked softly, curiosity getting the better of me.
Nico huffed. “You’re something else, you know that?”
“Yeah, I do. Now answer the question.”
I needed to hear him say it. I had to know this wasn’t a random act. That it was calculated and prompted by extreme measures. That knowledge would go a long way to calming my twisted morals.
“How much do you know about the mob?” Nico slowed to let me walk ahead on the narrow curve.
“Not much. Those movies bored me.” I stepped carefully so as not to slip.
“Movies,” Nico muttered. “It’s not the movies, Rae. This is real life.”
“I know that,” I snapped. “There’s a boss, and he makes deals, and he has underlings to do his bidding.”
“There’s a whole structure,” Nico explained. “Boss, underboss, advisor, captains, and soldiers.”
My foot sank in a puddle. The shock of cold water made me shiver as I squelched long. “Okay. So who is this?”
“The underboss.”
The name they’d spoken at dinner. Enzo something. “Why would you kill your grandpa’s underboss?”
“He’s one of several on my list,” Nico spoke slowly, as we approached the garage. I shot him a look, and he met my gaze with a hard one of his own.
This man had a list.
“Why?” I breathed.
Nico dropped his load before a car bay. “He’s corrupt. A lot of them are. My grandfather has made them very rich men, but they’ve taken advantage of his age. They won’t like what changes I bring to the table, so it’s easier this way.”
“Oh.” I faltered. “Judge, jury, and executioner.”
“It’s not a glamorous world, Rae. Gunfights in the street, assassinations, and violence behind closed doors.” Nico just stood there, admitting his sins, and letting me see the brutal side of him.
I pulled out my phone and turned on the flashlight. “Better get this opened quick before someone sees you.”
His voice was gravel. “Your hand is shaking.”
“Yeah, well, I’m freezing,” I huffed.
It was partially true. I was also trying to grapple with this new piece of information. The severity of this moment squashed my libido.
“In the world of law and order, I’m the villain, Rae. I won’t apologize for the things I do.”
“So you just, what, kill people who stand against you?” I rubbed my shoulders.
Nico slid the door up and turned. In the harsh glare of the phone, he looked like some fiend caught on camera. “I won’t apologize for ending the lives of those who threaten my family.”
My insides clenched tight. The air left my lungs in a whoosh. I was standing in front of a protector. The stakes might be different, but what would it have been like to have someone with morals like that around? Nico would do whatever was necessary to keep his family safe.
