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Sergey cocked his brows. “Why aren’t you with her instead?”
I tucked my hands in my boxing gloves and strapped them extra tight. “Because I fucking have things to take care of.” The Italian bastard was still tucked away in my basement, along with her ex, Aemon or Almond. Whatever the fuck his name was.
He’d made a grave mistake trying to touch what was mine.
I was meant to get some information out of the Italian today and torture Giselle’s ex until his arrogance faded away. Still, I couldn’t with the adrenaline coursing through my veins. I would only end up killing them. Not that I minded, but I didn’t kill until I got what I wanted.
Maxim shook his head as he climbed the ring. “You’re an asshole, brother. No offense.”
I followed him and ducked between the ring ropes as I entered. “Call me an asshole one more time.”
Maxim curled his fists, ready to fight. “Asshole.”
“Apologize!”
“Make me!”
We both lunged at each other, throwing punches and evading them equally. Maxim had gotten good at dodging my punches, but he wouldn’t be able to keep up for long. I intended to not my blows directly at him until he was exhausted.
“You’re an idiot trusting your pregnant wife to Vlad,” he panted, his arm shielding his face as he bounced on his toes. “He’s a madman. There’s no way she won’t die of a heart attack while he drives.”
“He’s right, you know?” Sergey said from outside the rings, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched us fight. “It doesn’t matter that Vlad is unhinged. You should have gone with her.”
I aimed for Maxim’s stomach with my right fist. He took the bait and removed his arm from his face to shield his stomach, leaving his face defenseless.
My fists clashed with his chin, and he staggered backward, clutching his face. “Fuck.”
I smiled at him. “Still think you’re strong enough to fight me?”
He groaned and bared his teeth. “Let’s find out!” He flexed his shoulders and took a defensive position. “Come at me, man.”
I liked to be on the defensive so I could read my opponent better, but Maxim was still no match for me either way. I lunged at him, and by the time the first round was over, he’d not managed to steal a punch at me.
Sitting on the bench outside the ring, I dabbed my face with a towel before snatching the bottle of water from Sergey’s hand and emptying it down my throat.
“Something’s bothering you, Nik.” Sergey’s eyes were narrowed on me, and concern marred his face. “Care to share what it is.”
Maxim joined us, sitting on the bench beside me, his sweaty arms rubbing against mine. “I bet he’s really cunt-whipped.” He chuckled and glanced between me and Sergey. He stopped laughing when he noticed neither of us shared in his amusement.
I considered confiding in Sergey. Given his history with Lilianna, he was the only one who could have a clue as to what I was feeling. “It’s just—” I trailed off, bit my lips, and decided against it.
Sergey wouldn’t understand me. He and Lilianna loved each other, but it wasn’t the same as me and Giselle.
She hated me, and I didn’t want to feel anything for her. “It’s nothing.”
“You sure?” Sergey didn’t believe me.
“We had a fight this morning. She doesn’t want the bodyguards around her.” It was half the truth, but that was all I was willing to share and to be honest, Giselle refusing to have bodyguards bothered me.
It wasn’t her fault, she didn’t understand how dark and dangerous our world was yet. She didn’t understand there was a war between the Bratva and Cosa Nostra yet.
I’d told her, but either she didn’t understand, or she was downplaying how deadly it could be. My parents died because my father underestimated Giovanni, I wasn’t going to allow the same thing to happen twice.
Sergey clapped my shoulder. “Be good to her, man. That’s all I’ve got to tell you.”
We finished at the gym hours later and when I returned home that evening, I instructed Akin to make sure Giselle didn’t leave our bedroom before I went down to the basement with Mikhail and a few of my other men.
Sauntering through the soundproof door, I stepped into the lightless basement. My nose tingled from the smell of urine, and I wrinkled my face when the stench of blood and the musty sweat seeped into my nostrils.
