Page 5 of Root

Tony nods. “He claims they’re dead, Boss.”

“I don’t give a fuck what that snake thinks. I know we’ve searched before, but this is not going to end. Set up a dedicated crew. Any and every lead.”

“She’s a little girl, Boss.”

Nikolai cuts his eyes to Tony. “He threatened mine, and I’m taking out his.”

“Innocent—”

“Fuck, Tony.” He rubs his eyes. “Not the fucking way to start out as my new number one. Any spawn of his is tainted. Just do it.” Nikolai drops his hand. “Get the cleaning crew in. I’m grabbing a shower. Oh, and Rush?”

I freeze in place. He’s known I’ve been here the entire time?

His dark eyes swing toward me as I step into the doorway. “Wait for me in your room.”

I turn and run.

Nikolai joins me twenty minutes later. His face is stubbled, and I run my fingertips over my hairless chin. A small smile appears as I do so, and it even makes his black eyes warm.

He smells clean, familiar, like home. Nikolai sits, looking cool in his jeans and T-shirt. He’s bad-ass, and I’m in my rocket pajamas. My neck burns with embarrassment.

“You shouldn’t have been there.” He taps the space on the bed between us. “You shouldn’t…fuck, I’m not good at this, but she was going to hand you over to that man.”

I nod and swallow down the ball of heat clogging my throat. “Are you sending me away?”

He frowns. “No.”

“Mia and Tony said something about boarding school, and safe, and—”

He groans. “I’ll fucking kill them.”

“No!” Panic wells.

He grabs my shoulders, his frown deepening. “Rush, shit. Mia and Tony are loyal. They’re family. Fuck me…”

“N-Nikolai.” I can’t think of how to put the tangle inside me into words.

“I’m a monster, but I’m going to do my best to raise you like your dad and mom would have wanted, like the good people they were. I’m going to teach you about trust and how it needs to be earned. Your dad gave it too easily, and in any other line of work, it would’ve been fine.”

“Don’t kill them…please?”

“Rush.” Nikolai stops, then brushes a hand through my hair. “I’m not killing Mia and Tony. They’ve earned my trust.”

“But you said—”

“Life’s fucking complicated. If I said that outside this place, in public, then take those words as law. They care for you. Tony and Mia came on when I received more responsibility, and Tony could have sold me out, tried to take my place. He could have turned on me by vowing to support you in a climb up the ladder when you’re old enough.

“But both those things are treason, and he’s loyal. He’d be the type to die before giving up a thing.” He looks at me. “You’re the heir, Rush, not me, but I’ll build you an empire.”

“And if I don’t want that life?”

He laughs. “Rush, you’re already in it. But there are levels. You don’t have to head anything if you don’t want to. I will in your stead, but it’s always going to be yours.”

I smile. “So I can have ice cream every night for dinner?”

He laughs again, harder this time. “It doesn’t fucking work that way, kid. Listen… Boarding school won’t happen. Other families’ kids go, some are home schooled, and others still are hidden away.” He ruffles my hair again. It’s kinda like a Nikolai hug. “After Kara, no more dedicated help; Mia and her handpicked staff will be there for you, but Mia mainly, okay? Anyone asks you to go somewhere, even if it’s a regular scheduled thing, tell Mia. Promise?”

“Yeah. Promise.”

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