Page 5 of Nikola
I twisted slightly on my stool, doing my best to be discreet as I peered around, and it didn’t take long for me to zero in on the man I’d come to see.
I watched Nikola move through the club confidently, looking at ease among the eclectic crowd. Which was fair, considering he owned it. Or, at least, his family did. His muscled body, etched with so much ink there was hardly any skin left unmarked, flexed with each stride. I vowed a long time ago that I would study every inch of him and memorize every tattoo on his skin. Maybe that would finally happen today.
He didn’t bother with a Halloween costume, opting for a white muscle shirt, black jeans, and a pair of combat boots. His pale blond head shone beneath the multicolored lights that flickered above us, but it was his eyes I craved. They were the palest of blue, reminding me of a tropical oasis.
He turned toward the hallway in the back and I almost tumbled off the stool in my haste to follow. My heart strummed erratically as I rushed after him, pushing past strangers and staff without so much as a sorry.
I crept down the hallway bathed in red lighting, bracing my hand against the rough wall. Nikola had disappeared, but he couldn’t have gone far.
I ran my fingers along the endless row of padded leather doors, not daring to find out what lay beyond them. I’d heard whispers that members could rent them for hours at a time, and something told me I wouldn’t want to witness the goings-on. My money was on kink marathons, but I’d kept those thoughts to myself.
I stopped at the last door in the hallway, immediately noticing this one was different from all the others. The padding on the door was a deep, sultry red—not the expected cold black leather. Just above the brass knocker, a lone sconce clung to the wall, its candle melted down to a stub, leaving behind curling wax. I drew a slow, steadying breath and reached for the door handle, only for the door to swing inward on its own, slicing the air from my chest with a soundless swish.
The room was cloaked in matte black. Scarlet candles flickered from iron sconces and clustered candlesticks, casting dancing shadows that licked the walls. The air was thick with the scent of wax, smoke, and something sweetly decadent. It felt less like a room and more like a sanctuary of indulgence. I didn’t even notice I’d moved until I was standing in the center, drawn in as if by spellwork or instinct.
Lush crimson curtains framed the king-sized bed that was draped in intricate gold-embroidered filigree, shimmering like delicate vines spun from sunlight—an opulent centerpiece that dared you to touch, to sink into its luxurious promise. Along the far wall, a golden bar cart stocked with expensive whiskeys, bourbons, and gin glimmered in the candlelight. The abundance of alcohol was enough to nurture an alcoholic for weeks. And, just beyond it, was a chest overflowing with… sex toys.
Jesus Christ.
From the corner of my eye, I caught light under the gap of another door. I trod lightly and quietly across the room, despite the thick rug beneath my shoes that I hoped would muffle the sound.
I cracked open the door and peered down yet another staircase. Had Nikola gone down there? Were the torture rooms in the basement?Maybe.I wouldn’t put it past the Nikolaevs.
Instinctively, I knew that going down there was incredibly stupid. However, my legs didn’t seem to get the memo, because there I was sinking farther below ground.
Exhaling, I took that last step, bracing a hand against the rough wall. Trepidation slithered up my spine with every step, each footfall pulling me deeper into the dark as the light from the room above shrank to a faint and dying ember.
I’d been raised in the criminal world and knew what my family—and many other mafia men—did to their enemies. Being down here… it was like I could feel the violence in the air.
A dark ominous cloud traveled through the hallway, and I expected something to suddenly appear at any moment now. Vibration bled through the walls, punctuated by a rhythmic thud every five seconds. It was the way I imagined the clang of metal on metal would sound.
And as I turned another corner, coming face-to-face with a man bound to a chair, bloodied and bruised, I knew that violence had found me.
A guard who worked for the Nikolaevs was punching him with brass knuckles and a gleam on his face that shook me to my core. But that was nothing compared to the sight of Nikola.
His shirtless upper body was spattered with blood, making the scene appear even more grim. His face was the worst part, rendering me speechless. A merciless, cruel expression hinted to the fact that he actually enjoyed seeing the pain on the tortured man’s face.
The coppery scent of blood hung in the air, clogging my nose. This smell and image would be buried deep in the darkest corner of my mind, where all things I wished to forget went.
A static filled my head and I took a step back, but the ground tilted under me and I reached out for the wall, steadying myself.
Instantly, three sets of eyes shot to me, and I barely stifled a cry of terror. Time froze as we momentarily stared at each other. One heartbeat, two…
My gaze was locked to Nikola’s face, reading his lips. “Why in the fuck can’t the guests keep out of this basement?”
He nodded toward me and his guard instantly advanced on me, fury twisting his rough features. His red-stained palm gripped me by my arm and yanked me so hard my mask slid off my face.
I looked up into his dark eyes and tried to wrench myself free, but his grip clamped around my arm, vise-tight and bruising. I braced myself to fight back, nails curled and ready to claw, when suddenly his body was yanked backward as if by invisible hands. He was lifted clean off the ground, his boots scraping against the cold concrete floor before dangling in the air.
I gasped, my hand coming up to cover my mouth. Nikola had him pinned against the cement wall, a hand wrapped around his throat, while the man flailed like a rag doll.
Then he faced me and mouthed,You okay?When I didn’t answer, he followed up in fluent ASL with, “Are you okay?”
Too shocked to do anything else, I nodded.
Nikola turned back to his man and dumped him on the floor like a bag of trash, his mouth moving too fast to pick up what he said, but I didn’t imagine it was anything pleasant.
I winced, terrified to witness this side of him, although I’d seen plenty of cruelty in this world. After all, we were the legacy of heathens, and cruelty was inevitable.
