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I shook my head at the way he addressed me. “Nope, none of that signora bullshit. Just call me Havoc.”
He chuckled and agreed. We spent the next few hours combing through Nico’s place. It was probably rude, but the dickhadkidnapped me. I wanted to find out what I could about him. I was desperate to try and catch up with his game of chess. It felt like I’d started playing halfway through the match. I hated that he had the upper hand.
“What do you want to do now?” Paolo asked in amusement when we’d gone through all the rooms we were allowed in. I hadn’t learned a damn thing except that Nico didn’t leave stuff lying around and was a secretive bastard.
We settled in the room I’d dubbed the game room. “Do you know how to play Halo?”
Paolo’s face screwed up in confusion. I laughed and set up the Xbox for two players. If I was going to be stuck here, a day of killing space aliens wasn’t a bad way to waste some time.
It worked as a distraction for a while, but the closer we got toward dinner time the heavier the decision I needed to make weighed on my mind.
When my eyes slid to the large grandfather clock in the corner for the hundredth time in less than an hour, Paolo paused our game.
“What’s wrong?”
“Why do you think there’s anything wrong?” I asked innocently.
“We’re being slaughtered by the Flood,” his tone was dry, but mild. He was only playing the game because I wanted to, so he wasn’t upset that we were losing. We’d been playing off and on all day long, and he’d gotten pretty good.
Sighing, I tossed my controller down on the ottoman in front of me. I debated on whether I should tell Paolo. He technically worked for Nico now, so that meant he owed his loyalty to the man. I didn’t have anyone else I could talk to, though, and this decision was eating at me. I gave him a speculative look.
“Can I ask you something?” His face was solemn, but he nodded. “You can’t tell anyone I told you about this,” I demanded.
“Okay.”
Taking a deep breath, I told him everything, starting with killing the cartel members and ending with Nico’s deal. The only thing I left out was that I used to be a cop. No need to spread that piece of information around since I doubt these guys would be impressed with it. After I finished I watched as he nodded his head slowly, letting everything I told him absorb. “Well? What should I do?”
He gave me a surprised look. “You’re asking me?”
My face scrunched up. “I’m a little low on friends who are willing and able to listen. I guess you get to step into that role.”
A beaming smile broke out on his face and I couldn’t help but return it.
“It seems to me you don’t have much of a choice,” he said. It was a reasonable observation and a conclusion I’d come to on my own.
“I know, but it grates at me to just give in,” I told him. “I feel like I should fight him on it, you know?”
“I get it, but what would that really accomplish?” His eyes were sympathetic, but his tone was realistic. “I know you don’t know Nico Romano very well, yet, but if he says he’s not letting you go,” his face screwed up in a grimace, “there’s nowhere on this planet you could run from him. Which means, if you decline his offer you’ll only be hurting yourself.”
Making a sound of derision, I plucked at my jeans. I needed something to do with my hands.
“Look…you’ve made some drastic changes already, right?”
I peeked over at him and there was a smirk on his face. It made me wonder how much he knew about me. Gathering intel was his job, so it would make sense if he checked me out before he’d taken me on as a client.
“Yes.”
“Embrace it.”
Now we were staring at each other. I couldn’t keep the surprise off my face.
“You’ve done things in the last month that you probably never would have dreamed of doing before the bombing happened. You’ve made your decision and this is your path. Nico is where that path has led. It doesn’t mean it has to be a bad thing.”
I opened my mouth, then snapped it shut again. What he was saying made perfect sense to my head, but it was harder to convince my heart. “I feel like I’m betraying Tony.” My voice was husky with tears that were right on the edge of falling. This was the first time I’d said it out loud. “How can I let him go and move on with someone else?” It felt like a crack split down the middle of my heart.
That’s what it would be. I knew in my gut that if I took Nico’s deal and I stayed here I’d eventually fall in love with him. I felt too much of a pull to him for that not to happen. It wasn’t right, though. I wasn’t supposed to ever love anyone else.
Paolo’s thin hand gripped my shoulder and he squeezed. I wasn’t sure if it was to comfort me or to get my attention since I’d retreated into my own misery filled thoughts.
