Nikolai
“Are you even paying attention?”
I look at Rush, who’s been talking a mile and a half a minute ever since he got in. Of course I’m not listening.
Last night, Rose came three times. She came so hard she squirted and I almost came in my fucking pants.
Then I kissed her with… I don’t know what. It felt like I broke rules I didn’t know I had.
How could I resist? Her taste is still a revelation, and I want to do it all over again. Maybe I should kill her and be done with it. I should fuck her senseless and then slit her throat while she’s coming, then carve her up and send her to dear old daddy in pieces.
“Jesus, Niko, you look like you’re about to face a noose.”
I raise a brow. “Do I? I’m thinking your imagination’s gotten hold of you and not in a good way. Go away, Rush.”
I’m not killing her, at least not like that. That’s the problem here, I want her and I’m veering from doing something repulsive to… not keeping her but handing her over. Maybe that’s almost as horrible as my demented killing fantasy. Maybe it’s worse.
I don’t fucking know and it’s really not my fucking problem.
Fantasy is the wrong word.
Fuck. She’s under my goddamn skin. I don’t get how she could taste so good. It’s not just that, though, it’s-
“Nikolai.” Rush lets out a loud sigh. Grabbing the bottle of Macallan on my desk, he nabs a glass from the wet bar and pours himself a drink, refilling the glass already in front of me. “I came in here for a reason.”
I ignore him. We’ll get to that, whatever it is. “What do you think, Rush, of me asking for a big old chunk of Finnegan’s territory and businesses?”
He runs a hand over his face and swallows down half the drink, balancing a box on this lap. “I guess it depends on if he’s going to start that war?”
I snort. “If he starts one, then I’ll take it all. I’m just thinking about what
I want, apart from Finnegan to suffer.”
Rush shrugs. “We could just kill him.”
I shake my head. That isn’t an option, and Rush knows it. “No. I want him to fucking suffer. So do you.”
He nods. It isn’t a lie, but there’s something on his mind. There has been since I finger fucked Rose at the dining table at Dietrich’s. If he wants her, he’s out of luck. He might be my cousin, but Rose is all mine.
I shake my head slightly, refocusing on the important things: work. I’ve spent all afternoon working from home. It should be easy, if tedious, work, but Rose is there in my head, interrupting when I don’t need it at all.
Suddenly, I look at Rush. “What were you saying when you came in?
“Yeah? You finally decided to listen?”
“I’m not in the mood for games.”
He finishes his drink and I take a sip of mine. “Peterson said there was a delivery a little while back.”
Now that has my interest. “Special delivery, I’m assuming?” I eye the box. I’m not concerned about a bomb. It’s not the style of any of my enemies and certainly not Finnegan’s. No, he likes things very close, very personal, and very, very nasty.
Besides, it would have been swept, like every package that arrives at the front gate. There are also no markings on it, just my name. I smile.
“Jesus, du-ah, Nikolai, don’t smile like that.”
I wait because clearly, Rush knows what’s in it and he’s got a point to make. I want to remind him, my most trusted second hand, that he doesn’t get to spout off at me, even if he’s my cousin. Seriously, I preferred it when Rush was all content in his role with limited responsibility.
Rush is loyal beyond anything and he’s not cut out for my job, but he’d step in if he had to. I know that. I also know he doesn’t want it. He can be vicious, hard as nails, willing to kill and do all the dirty things he needs to get jobs done, but he likes his role. Mine? That’s a different level all together. He could do it, but as I said, he doesn’t want to.
No doubt it’d reduce his fucking women and hedonistic extracurricular activities. No, he’s got something brewing in his fucking head.
“Out with it. I’ve got a busy schedule.” I do and I don’t. I want to go see Rose, maybe taunt her, maybe punish her, maybe just amuse myself. I have work. I always have work and my plan with Finnegan is intricate. Rose being Rose doesn’t help at all. I take another sip of my drink and bring her bedroom up as the main screen on my computer.
Rose is just sitting there, painting her toes with the polish I gave her. She’s wearing my shirt and it’s open, falling from one shoulder, one tit temptingly on display.
Shit. Fuck. I look up because my fucking pants get tight. “Well?”
Rush sets down his empty glass and fists his hands on the open box. “You’re smiling like you want this war and you don’t give a fuck what’ll happen to you.” He pauses. “Or her.”
“You care about Rosalind?”
“No. Yes. No. I mean, Nikolai, I care that she’s an innocent, no matter who her father is. I care about you. I love you, man. You’re all the family I have.”
I rub the bridge of my nose before I set my gaze on him. Emotions make me uncomfortable. “Finnegan didn’t have one fuck to give when he killed your parents. Your father I could almost give him a pass over, if I was that type, but your mom? There are fucking rules, ones you don’t cross, and Derek Finnegan not only crossed about ten of them, he obliterated them.”
I worked my ass off to be in this position, to earn my place in this family. I wasn’t born into it, like Rush was. His parents took me in after my own died in a shootout. I was a child then, barely a teen, but they made me who I am today and gave me the name Wilder when I proved myself worthy.
I owe them everything, but in the end, I wasn’t able to protect them against Finnegan. Guilt claws through me, like it always does when I think about their deaths. It’s quickly followed by anger.
Fuck Finnegan. He’s going to pay, no matter what I have to do to make it happen.
“Finnegan thinks he got a pass, and he didn’t. Rosalind’s innocence doesn’t buy that, and it doesn’t give her a walk free card. Her innocence gives her nothing. I haven’t killed her yet, but many would have, carved her up after torturing her.” Raping her. Doing the things Finnegan did to my aunt. I know. I saw the fucking footage.
Footage that Rush will never in his life see. It’s bad enough I know the extent. He doesn’t need that shit show.
“When he did that shit, Rush, he forfeited his rights, and he forfeited the rights of his daughter.”
“But-”
“What?” My voice is low and dangerous; this conversation is over. “We weren’t in the position to do this before. Finding her was the bonus we needed. If he wants her, he’ll have to pay big or go to war. If he does the latter, he’ll lose everything. Between us? Rush, I want him to start something big. I want war. Now, what’s in the motherfucking box?”
Rush pulls out a burner and tosses the phone to me before he lays down the note. “From Finnegan.”
I cock my head. “You didn’t want to lead with that?”
“I did. Then you gave your death grin and I thought I’d check in with you first.”
“He’s going to call in…” I check my watch. “Now.”
The phone rings a minute after it says it will. As far as an opening game, it’s not Finnegan’s best. I pick it up, press answer, and put it on speaker.
“You fucker,” says Finnegan. “Spineless piece of shit.”
“Tell me how you really feel, Derek.” There’s heavy, short breathing from the other end and I know the man is pissed. He’s probably toying with a knife or a gun and picturing me dead. Fine by me. I’ve pictured him dead too many times to count.
“I should kill you.”
“And here I thought we were friends,” I say grandly. “You did send me a phone, after all.”
My cousin looks heavenward, grabs the bottle, refills his glass, then tops up mine.
Finnegan grunts. “What’s it going to take to get my daughter back?”
I lean back in my chair and laugh, picking up the drink and taking a long swallow. “Back? I’ve got it on very good authority you haven’t seen her since Steph ran. As for what my sweet, delicious Rose thinks? You’re
a… what did she call you? Oh, yes, a deadbeat.”
At least, I think that’s what she’d said at some point.
“She hasn’t laid eyes on you for years.” I lower my voice, feeling good, on top of the world, because if I close my eyes, I can picture him squirming at my words. “Was shocked you’re still around.”
“Cut the bullshit, Wilder. I want her back.”
I continue, as if he hasn’t spoken. “That’s when we find time to talk. I’m sure you know we’re usually occupied with… other things.”
Something on the other end shatters, and the sharp breaths continue. “You’re dead, Wilder. Fucking dead.”
I snort, ending with a sharp bark of a laugh. “If you dare try anything, you won’t have a daughter anymore. My men are on strict instructions that if anything happens to me, they’ll go to town on her, bring in some brutal, sick fucks to gangbang her, pass her around, use her and abuse her in every single fucking way. I’m gonna guess you’ll be hoping she’s dead.”
I eye Rush, a warning for him to keep his damn mouth shut. He’s a little paler. Rush has seen me kill, seen me give out orders, but I don’t think he’s ever heard me speak like that, with such conviction.
It’s a threat, and a good one at that. I’m not about to do that-I do have some limits-but since Finnegan doesn’t, I’m betting he thinks I’ll actually go through with it.
“I just want her back in one piece. What do you want? I know you want something, Wilder. Your fucking type always does. You’re nothing more than the gutter you came from.”
I laugh again. “Sticks and stones, Derek.”
“Fuck you. What is it you want?”
“Y’know,” I say, slurring some cockiness into my voice, just to really turn the screw. “Maybe I’ll keep her.”
“Keep your filthy, repulsive hands off her.”
“Not what she says to me when she’s moaning and begging for my cock.” I grin, taking another sip of my drink. “Of course, you’ve seen the video, haven’t you?”
Finnegan snarls, and then there’s a pause. “What do you want from me?” he asks, a sullen note sliding into his voice.
“I had a list, but now that I’ve had her, now that she begs for me, calls herself mine, I’m really thinking of keeping her. She’s a sweet little piece of ass. I’m assuming she takes after Steph?”
“Fuck-”
“Back in the day, Steph used to give me these looks, and I could have had her.” She didn’t. “Bet she was good in the sack, like your daughter. I gotta say, it’s a sweet, tight little cunt she has.”
Finnegan is practically wheezing at this point. “I’m going to-”
“Tell you what, while I like the theatrics of the burner, I’m tossing it. I have your number. Since you’re being so nice and accommodating, I just might give her back to you.”
I can tell I’ve peaked Finnegan’s interest, his hope. “I want her outside, now.”
Laughter erupts from me. “You have no idea how this works, do you?
You don’t get her for free. Still, I’m willing to work in with you, Derek. When I get every single thing I decide I want from you, and I mean every fucking thing, I might give her back. You know, once I’ve gotten my fill.
Talk soon.” I pull the phone apart, tossing the pieces to Rush.
He’s staring at me like he doesn’t know who I am.
“Fuck, Rush,” I say. “You have to play the game if you want to win. If you believe me, so does he.”
“So, you’re not giving her to him, or doing all that-”
I give him an exasperated look, like I can’t believe he doesn’t know me better by now. “I’m not that sick. I’m not keeping her, but no one’s raping her, running a train, or gangbanging her, okay? Not unless she asks for it, really nicely.”
Rush half laughs and finishes his second drink. “I fucking hate him. I still say we just finish him now and let the girl go.” He pauses, then adds a little uncertainly, “I think she’s been punished enough.”
“Know what I think? Rose loves it.” She might hate me, but she loves what I do to her.
“Or you’re deluded.”
I shrug. “That, too.”
He shakes his head, takes me in. “Niko, I’m worried.”
“Don’t call me Niko.”
“C’mon.” His mind is ticking. It’s so loud, it takes up space. “Man, he was beyond pissed, and yeah, I’m worried he won’t wait. I’m worried that he’s going to retaliate big.”
I smile slow. “I’m counting on it.”