NALEDI’S POV
Draken looked extremely pleased, “Perfect job, Nico. How do I repay your unwavering loyalty?”
“You have done some, and I will be selfish to ask for more.” Nicolai kissed ass for a living.
“Nonsense! Name whatever you want and it’s granted.” He said and I didn’t miss the glint in Nicolai’s eyes.
“I want a percentage of every profit from the shipment.”
That struck a chord. The smile was wiped off Draken’s face in seconds. “You want a percentage?”
My lips tilted, good luck turning that around, Nico.
“I-I just thought if I got a little percentage from the shipment, maybe a five?”
It baffled me the fact that he still had the boldness to continue with his nonsense.
“You want a percentage of MY shipment?” Now things were about to go sore.
My knees ached but it was pure entertainment watching Nicolai struggle to say the right words, which was the farthest from everything that left his lips at the moment.
“I did the hard work.” He finally seethed, looking upset. “I did the work of finding Naledi, getting her to cooperate with me and getting hands on the shipment. I ought to get something from it. I even delivered her to you.”
Wait what?
“The shipment…” I found myself speaking, “You are not in any way referring to Caellum’s shipment are you?”
Nicolai scoffed, but Draken answered. “My shipment.” He hissed, sporting a cynical look.
I looked on to Nicolai for answers, hoping it was all a lie, hoping he didn’t take the shipment. There was no way he could have, I didn’t tell him, there’s got to be a mixup somewhere.
“I got that shipment of my own accord. Your precious Attai balled out of the game before we could get hold of information, If I hadn’t taken the lower route and placed a chip inside of her, we wouldn’t even have the shipment to begin with!”
“You what?!” My eyes were wide in disbelief.
There was no way in hell.
“You heard me!” Nico was out of it. “When you decided you were in love and unable to continue in our little deal, I had to take another way.”
“What did you do?” My knees shook as I listened to him,
“Nothing much. I just placed a chip on you the day you decided to be on my side.” He had the guts to look smug about it. “Seeing you already agreed to do the darned thing, I figured we could create a failsafe, just in case you decided to go rogue on me,” He gave me a pointed look. “And you did.”
“You mean-”
“Yes. All the while you attended meetings, fucked Caellum, dispatched goods that should have been brought to me and lied about it, I was right there, listening to it all happen.”
I couldn’t believe my ears.
“When the next shipment, which you were supposed to be handling came up, I went the extra mile and abdicated the goods as soon as they hit the borders.” He looked proud of himself for a second, then he turned grim as he looked at Draken, “It’s only normal that I have a percentage having gone through everything.”
Draken looked far from pleased, while I sat on the floor, understanding the implications of what he just said. He took the shipment. He took the shipment. My body threatened to shut down on me.
“Caellum would have your head. You know he wouldn’t stop until he has your head.”
Draken laughed. It was comic. Then Nicolai supplied a piece of information that wrecked the confidence within me. “He would have, but you see, it’s hard to do that when you don’t have as much money.”
I refused to believe it, despite every part of me alluding to the fact I might have just ruined Caellum and the Cosa Nostra.
“Don’t act like a saint,” Nico rolled his eyes, “You handed me those goods for free and made the stupid man get out of a deal that cost him twice as much as he made.” A smirk. “You should be happy. You might not know it but you got you got your revenge, alright? The Cosa Nostra is a sinking boat and with the current attacks facing them, it’s only a matter of time before we gather the spoils.”
Draken made it a point to add, “Without my precious, you will have achieved nothing.” He kicked my knee and I groaned in pain as my joint once again hit the floor. “Since her father sold her to us, what you said not only proves that I owe you nothing.”
“My father did what?” My voice shook.
There was no way in hell. This has got to be a terrible nightmare.
“I don’t like to repeat myself.” A cold shiver went down my spine at Draken’s words. He was tethering over the edge. I could sense it. “But since you are so stupid, I’ll lay it down for you, Attai.”
“Your father went into a deal with my papa. Years before you were even born.” He cupped my jaws lovingly, slowly tightening his grip until it felt like he wanted to break my jaws. “He started the human business and reached out to us for an expansion.” A wry smile. “Papa invested in his little business – gave him all the help he needed to stand and make returns to us, and you, my Attai, were collateral if he couldn’t pay back.”
“But you see, despite having everything he could have, his greed took hold of him and he went into a deal with the Cosa Nostra, expressly out of our agreement.” He clicked his tongue, “Papa watched him from afar, contemplating what to do about his little rebellious dog. When he started dealing with Arturo Morello, we knew it was only a matter of time before he rebelled, and Arturo was not a forgiving man.”
“Our wait paid off when he decided to take the Luna, Donna of the Cosa Nostra and killed her. Then came the unexpected twist – A young Caellum Morello, full of anger and pain.” Draken chuckled, “Arturo did create a monster. One that killed him according to news on the streets. Caellum eradicated the pack and in a fit of anger started his whole mission to eradicate any other pack who decided to cross him.”
“For the longest time, we have watched him grow his territory, influence and power, looking for a way to bring him down while you ran out of our hands.” I felt both their gazes on me. “The Roger blood must be strong. Born by a rebel, sold by a rebel, always a rebel. It was no surprise when I heard you were on a mission to destroy the Cosa Nostra.”
“And like my papa, I decided to let you do the job and self-destruct. Worked like magic.” Draken turned to Nicolai with that morbid look in his eyes, “And as for you, your mission is over.” The moment the words went out of his mouth, one of the guards who brought me raised a gun and pulled the trigger.
A shot between his eyes. Nicolai was no more.