Page 76 of Ferocious Nightmare

Twenty-Two

Two hours later,the elevator door opened, and in walked Nero. His suit coat was gone, his once pressed button up shirt wrinkled. Gone were the gold cuffs he liked to wear, his sleeves folded midway up his arm.

His face was a mask of barely restrained rage, and his shirt was splattered with a dark red.

Blood.

I stiffened as he entered, my back straightening against the back of the sofa.

Nero stopped once he saw me, briefly blinking with a blank look on his face. As if he'd forgotten that I would be here.

In our search, I’d found extra dress shirts for Nero. I’d also found a heavy pain killer, and gratefully swallowed it down.

Using the bathroom, I’d showered and dressed in one of his shirts, and was now nervously waiting for what came next.

We still hadn’t heard from Coulter, and I’d spent the last hour pacing and worrying.

Nero took me in, his eyes tracking down my bare legs.

I dug my nails into the palms of my hands, fortifying myself. This part of the plan was a huge risk, but Dante’s presence gave me strength.

Dante shifted behind me, and Nero’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What are you doing here?"

"Coulter sent me to watch over the girl. Make sure she didn't escape."

"I have my boys for that," his eyes were hot coals as he stared Dante down, "your presence here isn't necessary."

"With all due respect, sir, I would rather stay. The Bratvas will always be more loyal to Nicholi. And, as you well know, this slut is known to seduce men into getting what she wants. I don't trust those men," he jerked his head towards the door, "to keep both you safe, and to keep her from escaping."

“He’s right," I smiled, standing up to walk towards him. My heart hammered at the sight of the dark stain on his shirt. Whose blood was that? I hoped to God it was cartel blood.

Nero's eyes tracked me as I brushed by him, circling around his back. I lay my chin on Nero's shoulder. “You never know who you can trust in this world.”

Growling out, Nero grabbed my wrist, pulling me with him as he went to sit in his desk chair. Then he tugged me to sit in his lap. A shiver of disgust rolled through me, being so near Nero, but I suppressed it, a smile frozen on my face as Nero settled, his arm around my waist.

"Tell me, Dante," Nero pulled out his buzzing phone, and I glanced down, noticing it was a Russian phone number. Nero didn’t answer, but ignored the caller and tossed his phone on the desk. “Did you have anything to do with the fact that the Whitney warehouse was blown to bits this afternoon?"

"No," Dante's voice was a deep growl, "of course not."

"Funny," Nero's voice was cold, his fingers tight on my side, "because Coulter admitted to me that he'd betrayed me, and you usually know everything that Coulter is up to."

My heart slammed in my chest at his words, and the blood on his shirt took on a whole new meaning. My lips parted in shock, my face snapping to his.

"Coulter wouldn't do that." Dante said.

"Where is he?" I asked, unable to stop myself.

"That is no longer your concern."

Suddenly the door slammed open. In walked Darth, with Rubber Lips and Crooked Nose.

At the sight of me, cleaned and sitting in Nero’s lap, they faltered. Then, when they realized Dante was in the room, their eyes widened in surprise.

They recovered quickly, and Darth held out a phone towards Nero. “It’s for you.”

Scowling, Nero grabbed it and pressed it to his ear, snapping, "What?"

"My men tell me you are no longer in possession of the ozone your sons stole from me." Nicholi’s voice crackled over the phone.

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