Page 31 of Reign

When I say nothing, Nikita offers an explanation. “They’re taken from their small towns. Most of them come willingly for a chance to live in America. They change boats around Cuba and are fed, showered, given new clothes, the works. So that when they arrive here, it looks like friends out for a boat ride and doesn’t raise any alarms. They only bring six over at a time. Mateo has a waiting list for fuck’s sake.”

“Jesus Christ,” I grit out. I knew Mateo wasn’t a good man. Nor was my own family. But pushing humans is a lot different than pushing drugs. At least in my mind. Although I understand that I’m no better than Mateo or my parents.

We hit the highway and I climb over the back row of seats, trying to rapidly recall the conversation I just overhead. Nikita sits in silence as I process, waiting for my questions.

When I finally find my voice, I start firing them off. “I thought they didn’t know about you and Max. How do they know about Isabel and I?” If he tells me that he told them, I’m going to choke him out from this back seat and then brace for impact.

Nikita casually glances over his shoulder as he switches lanes before catching my eyes in the rear-view mirror.

“They know about Max because I needed to spin that story to prevent them from digging for the truth. My uncle thinks I’m trying to learn about business and I’ve always been adept at multitasking. I can perform my duties for the mafia and work for Max at the same time. He’s happy because he’s making a small profit off of the money from my paychecks. He just doesn’t know about the much larger amount I have stashed offshore since I actually own those clubs. As for you and Libby…” He pauses and raises an eyebrow at me in challenge. “Surely you can figure out what’s going on? Think it through because I need to know you’re on your A-game if this partnership is going to work.”

My brain is struggling to work fast enough. It feels like I’m wading through molasses in the wintertime. I close my eyes as I push through mental checkpoints:Mateo’s involved with the Russian Bratva. He promised Libby to Nikita in return for murdering her parents and sparing her life.

I reach my first roadblock. “Why would Mateo tell the Bratva we’re here, thatshe’shere, if he worked so hard to save her life all those years ago?”

“Keep working through it,” he coaxes patiently as I fume in the backseat, his cologne starting to sour in my nose.

I shake my head and let my mind start to process again.Mateo asked me to kill Nikita because he thinks Nikita’s been stealing his money but really, it’s Max. Mateo sent me to kill Nikita knowing Libby was with me. He sentmeto kill Nikita but he told the Bratva I was coming…with Libby.

It clicks.

Fuck.

“He wants me to killyoufor stealing his money, the Bratva to killmefor killing you, and he’s going to sellherto the highest bidder inside the mafia.”

Sell her to the highest bidder.

Adriana.

“Holy fucking shit,” I whisper to myself as another revelation punches me firmly in the throat making it hard to breathe. It goes blurry around the edges of my vision as the truth takes hold. This started decades ago. Mateo orchestrated the marriage between Adriana and Dimitri. He didn’t just orchestrate it. Hesold her.Except she wasn’t Mateo’s to sell.That’swhy my parents had me put a bullet in her head and why my father put one in Dimitri.Thatwas the lesson – to teach Mateo that he couldn’t outplay the Hielos… but he did.

Adriana was never valuable to him as a daughter. And neither is Isabel.

My world is spinning. So many lies. I could punch myself for not seeing Mateo for what he really was. I should have fucking killed him when I had the chance.

And I’m back to square one.

“I just want to keep her safe,” I whisper to no one in particular from the backseat.

Mateo lied about the fact that the Bratva wouldn’t come after us. Of course they will. As soon as he gives the signal.

“Let’s make a deal,” Nikita says as we pull up to a redlight and I feel my guts clench. I’m going from one hook to another and I’m starting to lose hope that it’ll ever end.

“I thought we already did. The deal was that I flip sides and help you get rid of Mateo and you leave Isabel alone. Or have you conveniently forgotten already?”

“I couldn’t throw everything at you at once, Dominic. What I’m about to ask is significantly more important than you switching sides. I have enough fire power in the mafia to take youandMateo out. What I don’t have, however, is anyone I trust to help me remove my uncle from his current position.”

I lean forward, my forearms resting on my knees in the backseat. “You want me to murder the king of the Russian mafia? That’s a fucking suicide mission. I’d rather take Mateo on alone.”

“Then we have to make a plan that won’t fail. Once he’s gone, I’ll be in charge which means you’ll be safe.” He turns right onto our street and then adds, “That title was supposed to be mine from the beginning. When my father died, I was too young to take the position so my uncle was supposed to hold it until I was ready. By the time I could fight for it on my own, my uncle convinced everyone that another leader would be too disruptive and paid off a vote to stay in power. I want my rightful place on that throne. I want to cut Max and Victoria out of my life. I want my clubs in my name and I want the protection and loyalty I’m owed by the brotherhood.”

One more job. Its’s alwaysone morewith this life. If we pull this off, I wonder how long it’ll be before someone else finds me. Someone else blackmails me. Someone else requires a favor.

It doesn’t take long for an idea to pop into my head. What do I have to lose at this point? The corner this bastard has painted me into is smaller than the one Mateo banished me to. Taking a deep breath, I dance with the devil of Miami.

“I’ll agree. But in return, I want truly untraceable identities for me, Libby, and Camila. When this is over, I want every identity Libby and I have ever had to be dead. One final name, one final chapter and I want to be left the hell alone. Can you make that happen?”

“If you help me get rid of Antonov, I’ll be God and God can make anything happen.” He pauses and finds me in the rearview mirror. “Who’s Camila?”

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