Page 71 of Cruel Bet

Adelina doesn’t even bother to look at her. With her focus still on me she says, “As much as I can’t abide little brats, unfortunately, she will have to remain as my ward. It seems you’re both rather attached to the child so it’s the best way to ensure our little arrangement doesn’t change the second you’re out of my sight. Don’t worry, I’ll buy some Bulgarian whore to mother her, seeing as you’re so fond of them dear sister.”

Arianna’s eyes flash with rage and I can tell she’s about to do something rash. I tense, prepared to jump in and protect them.

At that moment, the sound of another explosion rings out, this time so deafeningly close that my ears ring. Debris falls from above us and I realize that Dimitri must have decided that if they can’t come in the door, they’ll come in from the ceiling—the most likely part to be weak.

The guard, having been knocked to the floor by the blast slowly begins to rise. Silent as a mouse, Kimiko drops throughthe small hole left by the blast. There’s so much dust and debris in the air you can barely see her, she’s just a blur dressed in all black. The still disorientated and deafened guard doesn’t see her coming. Using her preferred weapons of choice, two small blades, she attacks him in a flurry of slashes. He drops down dead, having not made a sound.

Both Arianna and Adelina ducked for cover when they heard the blast. Thankfully, I’m closer to Adelina. As she begins to rise, I rush toward her. I feel the sharp sting of the bullet hitting my chest just below the collarbone as she fires, but it doesn’t slow my approach. I tackle her, taking the breath out of her and sending the gun flying across the room.

Now unarmed and pinned beneath me, Adelina’s confidence is gone. She struggles but her slim frame is no match for my strength and she’s barely able to move. Seeing the hatred in my eyes, she calls out.

“Arianna, sister, please! Don’t let him kill me, I’m sorry!”

She starts to cry, big fake sobs, but her eyes remain dry. The callous bitch thinks she can play her way out of this one. The red mist of rage descends on me, and I forget that she’s a woman, that normally I avoid hurting any women, that I give them swift, painless deaths whenever I’m forced to kill them. I want to wring the life from her body slowly, to make her suffer for the pain she has caused me and Arianna. I wrap my hands around her neck and squeeze. She starts to splutter and choke, her eyes rolling back in her head. I am unaware of anything else going on around me, only my all-consuming hatred.

A small, confused voice breaks through my walls.

“Niki?”

Mads.

I release my grip and look up to see my daughter looking at me, she’s scared and confused. She has no idea what’s going on. Why the adults are fighting. Arianna is holding her, seeming as frightened as Mads to see me without my mask of respectability on. To see the monster that hides behind the version of Nikolai she sees. She knows what I’m capable of, and she’s seen glimpses of it, but never like this. Never this raw, animal ferocity. Their fear and confusion take every last drop of anger out of me.

I don’t need revenge.

I need my family. To build our life together and protect them.

Kimiko comes over to stand above Adelina, knowing exactly what I need without me asking. She bends down and holds the knife to her throat, whispering, “Don’t fucking move.”

I get up, going toward Mads and Arianna. My future. I can’t stay in the past.

Arianna hands Mads to me, and I soothe her. “It’s okay, I’m sorry. Daddy’s sorry. You’re safe.”

She snuggles into me, and her sobs start to ease. Arianna looks at me gratefully, “Thank you.”

She doesn’t need to say more. I know she’s thanking me for choosing them. For not taking the revenge I deserve if it means Mads has to watch it. For not taking away her chance to speak to her sister, to decide her fate. She looks at Adelina, who has been silently watching us all.

Seeing Arianna’s acknowledgment of her, she speaks, “Oh, thank you, sister. I knew you wouldn’t let them kill me. We’re family. We can be happy together to learn how to move forward. You’re right. It’s Father and Di Stefano’s fault, they brainwashed me and forced me to do horrible things,” she pleads.

I’m glad that Arianna doesn’t believe a word of her lies.

“No, they didn’t. You made it perfectly clear exactly who you are and how little me or Mads mean to you. You’re a monster, worse than either of them. I’m not stopping Kimiko from killing you.”

“But I’m your sister!” Adelina cries, cutting Arianna off in a last-ditch effort.

“No, you’re not. My sister died a long time ago. Whoever you are, you mean nothing to me.”

With that said, Arianna turns away and comes back toward me and Mads. “Let’s go,” she says without a backward glance. I nod, more than happy to agree.

“Kimiko, take care of this for us.”

As we walk out of the room, ignoring Adelina’s cries for mercy as Kimiko dishes out her punishment, one that she has as much right to as us, I know that somehow, we can create a future together. Arianna doesn’t expect me to change, to give up the Bratva, and I won’t. But I can be a better man. I refuse to be the kind of leader that Adelina, Di Stefano, Lucchese, or De Luca were. I might be a criminal, but I don’t need to be a monster.

Moving on and building a family, making the Bratva even more successful without resorting to the kind of things thatAdelina stood for, that’s how I will honor my mother and my legacy.

Chapter 41

Arianna

---