Page 78 of Owning Nicci

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Dimitri,Padraig, and Antony all agree to meet me the next day, at the Russian Tea Room where I met Dimitri the first time. I bring Jonas and three of the men I hired with me, and I’m glad I did as I approach. The restaurant is cleared of guests, but absolutely bristling with security, and I don’t feel entirely confident that I’m going to walk out of here. But I can’t turn my back on New York until I’m sure that neither Nicci nor I will be hurt as we do, and I can’t get that reassurance without walking directly into the lion’s den.

Antony Gallo gives me a hard-edged look as I walk into the room. “Savio Valenti,” he says, his voice icy. “You didn’t learn your lesson from your father and brother’s demise, did you? You came back to do the same thing. Fortunately, these other men know the importance of keeping alliances. Of keeping theirword. Which is something that, perhaps, your father should have taught you.”

“I never made promises to you, Gallo,” I reply evenly. “My father did, and he betrayed you, and maybe he can be faulted for that. But I never swore anything to you.”

Antony chuckles. “So what? You’ve come to declare war? With three men at your back? I guarantee you won’t walk out of here with?—”

“No.” I cut him off, my voice tight. “I came to tell Yashkov and Gallagher that I’m taking their offer. I’m leaving the city tonight. I won’t be coming back. But I want to make sure that their offer of a safe exit from the city is still on the table. After all, I feel fairly sure that it’s you—” I narrow my gaze at Gallo, “--who attacked my house and my woman. I want to be sure that you abide bytheirpromises, and won’t hunt either of us down.”

Antony chuckles. “Your woman? You mean Nicci Armand?” He glances over at Dimitri. “Does knowing that he’s shacked up with the Armand slut change your mind at all, about granting him a safe exit?”

“Watch your tone,” I growl. “You can speak about me however you please, but I expect you to watch your tongue when you talk about Nicci. Her father and brother could attest to that.”

“Nicci Armand tried to kill my wife.” Dimitri starts to stand, his expression turning cold, and I hold up a hand.

“I understand. And I understand the desire for revenge. But there were circumstances you were unaware of. Things that her father and brother did to her, threatened her with, that forced her hand.” I slide the envelope out of my pocket, carefully, holding up my other hand to show that I don’t mean to threaten. “She wrote this for you, Yashkov, to explain and to apologize.”

Dimitri snorts. “Apologize? My wife?—”

“I understand,” I repeat. “And I think you will as well, once you read it.”

Dimitri takes two quick steps forward, snatching the envelope from my hand. I wait as he pulls the letter free, scanning it, and then pauses, reading it again. He looks up at me after a moment, and although his expression is still cold, his eyes have softened ever so slightly.

“You said you were leaving the city tonight? With her?”

I nod.

“Then listen carefully.” He looks at Antony and then back at me. “You have tonight to get her out of the city. If come tomorrow morning, Nicci Armand is still in New York, I can’t guarantee her safety or yours. You have one night. Understood?”

“Understood.” I look at Gallagher and Gallo. “Will you abide by this?”

Padraig nods. Antony hesitates a moment, his jaw tight, and then he nods, too. “I will abide by it,” he says reluctantly. “But in the morning, Valenti, I’ll be looking for you. Be out of the state, or I’m no longer bound by this.”

“Don’t worry,” I assure him, my voice even. “We’ll be gone before sunrise.”

And with that, I turn on my heel, leaving the three bosses of Manhattan, and my family’s bloody legacy, behind me forever.

32

NICCI

“I’ve never been on a road trip before.” I lean against Savio’s shoulder as we drive away from the cabin, our bags thrown in the back of the Audi that he had his driver drop off for us. “I’ve flown plenty of places, but I’ve never done this.”

“You’ll either love it or hate it,” he says with a confident laugh, turning onto the road that will take us away from the cabin and on the road to our new life. “We’ll have to stop in a couple of states that you’ve probably never bothered looking at on a map before. But we’ll get to California eventually, and in the meantime, it’ll be an adventure.”

Savio offered to fly us directly out to LA. But once we’d established how much time we had to get out of New York before Antony Gallo set his dogs on us—and how far, exactly that was—I suggested the road trip. I wanted this to be different. I didn’t want to just jump on a plane and end up in our new destination a few hours later. I couldn’t explainwhyexactly—just that I wanted there to be a transition. And I want that time with Savio, just the two of us on the road, before we leap headfirst into a whole new life.

It feels new. It feelsexciting. I watch the view pass us by as the sun sets, the sky darkening as we leave the state line of New York behind us. I let out a long exhale. “We’re never coming back, are we?” I ask Savio, and he shakes his head.

“Probably not. I’ll likely need to send someone if I need to handle any business in the city. I think we’ll be in danger from Gallo if we set foot back in the state. Why?” He looks over at me. “Does that upset you?”

I pause for a moment, wanting to give him an honest answer. “No,” I say finally. “It really doesn’t. I’ve lived there my whole life, and it’s been awful. I’m ready to put it all behind me. I don’t think I ever want to go back.”

“Good.” Savio smiles at me. “I wouldn’t want to force you out of a place, Nicci. I don’t want to force anything on you ever again.”

“I think they’re the ones who forced me out. But I want to go. And I understand it. After what I did to Evelyn—” I let out a breath, and Savio touches my knee.

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