Page 11 of Darkest Desire
“You just killed a man.”
“Yes. A man. Not you. He was getting in the way.”
“There’s cameras. You left behind a crime scene they’ll easily catch you for.”
He smirks before he turns around and walks out of the bodega. Shocked, I can’t even move.
Nico returns a moment later with another man. “Get cleaning the body up and erase the camera footage both inside and outside.”
The man nods. He has a bottle of bleach in one hand and a bucket in the other. This isn’t the first time he’s cleaned up a body.
“You have to always be prepared,” Nico says, noticing my look.
“Be prepared to clean up dead bodies?”
“Yes. This is my life.”
“And I want nothing to do with it.”
Nico grabs my chin and forces me to look him in the eye. “I must say, Sasha, that you look extra beautiful when you’re afraid.”
“Fuck you.”
“A mouth on you. We’ll have to fix that, won’t we? We’re getting married. It’s inevitable. And you just moved the wedding up. We’re getting married tomorrow. I can’t have you running like this again.”
“No,” I whisper. “You can’t.”
“Oh, but I can. I’m Nico Bernardi. I’m the strongest man in this city. And you’re going to be my wife.” He throws me over his shoulder before I can even react. Even though I kick and hit him, he doesn’t even seem fazed as he walks out of the bodega, taking me to his car.
It’s then that another car rounds the corner. A man gets out. A man I recognize. Mikhail Novikoff, Natalya’s husband.
Without hesitating, he raises his gun. “Drop her, Nico.”
“Now, why would I do that? You can try to shoot at me but you’ll risk shooting her and I don’t think your wife will be very happy with you for that.”
Nico sets me down on my feet and holds me close to his body, using me as a shield.
“You’re a coward,” I hiss. “Using a girl to protect you.”
“It’s not about that, Sasha. It’s about testing Mikhail. See how desperate he is to really shoot. If he’s willing to put his sister-in-law in harm’s way. So do it, Mikhail. Shoot me.”
The passenger door opens and Natalya comes out. “Mikhail, do not shoot. Don’t hurt my sister.”
“Natalya, get back in the car,” he growls.
Natalya and I lock eyes. It’s been about a year since we’ve seen each other and she doesn’t look any different, and yet she looks like a stranger. It’s still my sister’s face. She’s grown though. Changed in a ways I’ll never fully understand.
“What’s it going to be, Mikhail?” Nico taunts.
“Mikhail,” Natalya begs.
Slowly, Mikhail lowers his gun.
Nico pushes me into the car before diving inside himself. That’s when Mikhail tries shooting but by then, Nico starts the car and drives away. I look out the rearview mirror and see that Mikhail and Natalya are following us.
Nico swerves the car around a corner, trying to lose them but my sister and brother-in-law are not going anywhere. They’re going to protect me. The thought warms my heart. Despite the previous tension between me and Natalya, she still showed up for me.
Nico drives faster to run a red light. Mikhail tries to follow but has to stop when cars move through the intersection. Nico continues to get farther and farther away.
