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“The orders came from someone in your family.”
His eyes narrowed. “You kidnapped one of my men and held him for questioning.”
I almost laughed. Fucking Jake Worthing. “That’s right. He probably went to the hospital and got treated, for the very minimal rough handling that might’ve been done to him?”
“He got checked out, yes.” Nicolai wasn’t amused. He wasn’t showing any emotion, but I knew him. Could read him.
He was so pissed.
He thought he could control Trace. He knew he couldn’t with me.
“You’re saying because I questioned one of yours, it’s okay that you sent three men to kill me?” I stepped right into his face, leaning in, purposely making him uncomfortable. “After you killed three of my uncles, my grandfather, and Trace’s uncle? Eye for an eye, right? That means we’re due for way more than just three of your men.”
I wanted to flick him in the forehead. I wanted to, so badly. It would’ve been a humiliating insult, but I couldn’t. However he got where he was, Nicolai held too much power.
He was holding firm, staring right back at me, seething but holding his ground.
I narrowed my eyes, cocking my head to the side. What the hell? Let’s go with my theory here. “How’d you get where you are today?”
“What do you mean?”
“You. I mean, you.” I sneered at him. “I know you were a nothing in your family’s business, and now look at you. Head of the family, or is it someone else?”
He tensed, his face schooling in concrete. “Tread carefully, Ashton. I also know you.”
He knew nothing that I was scared of him knowing about me. I liked fucking people up. I liked being cruel. I was also smarter than people thought, and I loved that people didn’t know how to read me.
Except Molly. She could read me.
“You got someone else behind you? Pulling the strings? Or is it really you? You this hard-ass Mafia head? Did you really order those hits on us? Or was it someone else?”
A new shift came over. I felt it, felt his true weasel self showing, but he laughed at me. His tone was hard, his eyes rageful. “I ordered the hits against your family, and I loved it.”
I reacted swiftly, bringing my gun up and putting it against his temple.
He froze.
I didn’t. I moved in even closer, staring down at him.
There was a burst of activity behind us. Shouts. Threats.
“Say it again.” I said it softly. Taunting. I took the safety off. “Say it again, how much you enjoyed issuing the order to kill my family.”
He looked away, staring beyond me.
Fucking coward.
I pressed my gun harder, clenching my teeth. “Say it again, dipshit. Say. It. Again.”
A presence moved up behind us. I knew it was Trace before he spoke.
“I’m not here for Ashton,” he said.
Nicolai sucked in a breath, just slightly, but I heard it. I felt it.
I started laughing. “He’s here to double down.”
“You called this meeting for what purpose?”
Nicolai swallowed. “I told you—”
“He didn’t give the latest order, Trace. The one that sent those three men after me. That’s what he’s going to say. But dumbass.” I angled my head over his so I could look him in the eyes, moving the gun to the side, but still right against his head. “We already knew that. It’s why we came here.”
Nicolai’s eyes were chilled.
I grinned. “You wish you could redo that order, don’t you? But send a special team after me. Right?”
He didn’t answer that, looking at Trace. “Can you get your psychopathic pet off me? A man can only stand so long with a gun to his head before he makes an order that’s going to involve a bloodbath.”
Trace was quiet.
So was I.
Then, a gunshot rang out not far from us.
Nicolai cursed, jerking before looking at me.
I held still. My phone buzzed. “Something tells me that wasn’t my man going down.”
Nicolai exploded with curses, but he couldn’t shake me. I was on him, my gun against his head. He tried moving left; I was there, blocking him.
“Get off me!” He shoved me back.
I went, but my gun remained up, pointing at him. I took a shooting stance. “Tell me how much you enjoyed giving the orders against my family again. Do it. Forget the last three men. I want to hear about the first orders you made.”
Nicolai’s eyes were wild. He had shifted. He couldn’t hide any longer, and that’s what I wanted. I wanted in there. I wanted to be so far in his head that I would haunt his every thought.
Trace was lapping up this opportunity too. He was better at the psychological stuff.
Me, I just saw a weasel killer and wanted to snuff him out.
“I want the ceasefire to continue.” Nicolai was making a concerted effort to keep in control, but he was sweating. The restraint was costing him. “Until we know who killed my cousin.”
