Page 90 of Happenstance
“You know,” Mason piped in, making me shake my head. The asshole was going to get us killed. “You Russian’s are seriously lacking in the hospitality department.”
One tip of Nikolai’s head, and Mase was slapped across the face. Not once did he break eye contact with me. “I’m a busy man.”
Apparently patience wasn’t one of his traits. “I’m here about your daughter.”
“You must have mistaken me for someone else.” He cocked a brow, “I can’t have children.”
Mase got another smack when he muttered, “Explain that to his girl.”
Shut the fuck up,Mase.
“I have a paternity test that says otherwise,” I said, before Asshole Number Three could clock Mase again.
Nikolai’s brows knit together as he searched my face for signs of deception. Maybe this shit would work out after all, and he might actually listen to me. Until he opened his mouth.
“Kill them.”
Immediately after, arms lifted, raising guns and my life flashed before my eyes. The first time I saw my angel in her red shoes. The way her face lit up when she smiled, and the pride that filled me knowing she was mine.
I’m sorry,baby.
Before bullets could riddle my body, my phone went off, and Nikolai held up his hand, stopping his men from pulling the trigger.
“Stap, “ he ordered, and plucked my phone off the table where all of our stuff was laying. “Perhaps whoever is calling will have some answers for me.” His eyes locked on mine, “Or perhaps I’ll kill them too.” Nikolai sauntered over to me and clicked my phone on speaker. “I’m sorry, your friend can’t come to the phone right now. He’s tied up at the moment.”
“Nikolai?” Preston’s voice rang out, “Why the fuck do you have my brother’s phone.”
How the hell did Preston know the Russian mob boss?
Every single man in the room dropped their armed hands, as their face’s visibly paled. Someone whispered,“d’yavol smerti,”and Nikolai pushed down a loud swallow.
“I asked you a fucking question!” Preston barked out.
And just like that, Nikolai’s whole demeanor changed. He took a few steps back and stared anxiously down at my phone. Mase, Silas and I shared a ‘what the fuck’ look. Seconds ago, we were looking at our own graves, and now the Russians in the room looked like the boogeyman himself was coming after them.
“I’m sorry,” Nikolai stammered, “I didn’t know he was your brother.”
A shrill agonizing scream pierced the air, ringing out from the other end of my phone.
“You hear that Nikolai?” Preston said, making the mob boss nod, “That’s my mother.”
I should’ve felt something. A sense of loss, or sympathy for the woman that gave birth to me. But I felt nothing. My angel was god knows where because of her. The only thing I felt was satisfaction knowing that my brother wouldn’t make things easy for her.
“You let my brother go, and whatever idiot friends went looking for suicide with him, or it’ll be your house I visit tonight.”
“Hey!” Mase called out, insulted, as Preston hung up.
Two seconds later, we were cut free from our binds and were being led through the house. I don’t know what the fuck my brother had to do with him, but Nikolai was much more accommodating now. He listened to everything I said, looked at all the information, and jumped into action, sending his people off to find information on his missing daughter. Prick even had a doctor come tend to our wounds.
“You must understand,” he said while staring at a picture of Lana, “Someone like me can never be too careful.”
“I get it.”
The Order had enemies, sure, but nothing like Nikolai. His life was probably threatened on a daily basis. Someone like that had to be cold and callus.
He sighed and ran his fingers over Lana’s smiling face. “If I’d have known about her…”
All I could think about were my wife and children. Were they hurt? Were they dead? I felt completely and utterly lost, and I couldn’t imagine what Nikolai was thinking in that moment. Learning you had a child that everyone hid from you had to hurt. Not to mention the guilt I saw etched all over his face.
