Page 45 of Taming Nikki

“Why are you doing this? This can’t just be because I broke into your office. No one is that insane.”

I raised an eyebrow at her. My lack of response seemed to bother her more than me actually answering. She moved back to the counter while kicking off her shoes. When she went to draw her feet up, I grabbed her ankle. She gasped, frozen under my gaze.

“You may get away with that shit at home, but you won’t here. Keep pushing me, Nikki. I can make your life here a lot more difficult than it has to be.”

I could see the struggle in her eyes. She was so used to fighting, she didn't know how to stop. She only dropped her legs back down when I squeezed her ankle roughly. But when I started to turn away, she drew her legs up again, grinning as she sat cross-legged on the island.

“For that, you get to spend the night.”

Her face fell. “You’re lying.”

I ignored her and went back to my prep. I’d have to call in some guys to watch her, I had work to do tonight in one of my clubs, but I didn’t go back on my word. She looked a little wild-eyed as she stared at me.

“You can’t do that. I’m calling my papa. This is ridiculous.” She dug her phone out of her pocket, her fingers flying across the screen almost immediately. I took it from her before she had a chance to fight me. She screeched and launched herself off the island at me, but I stepped back out of her way. She caught herself on the opposite counter and swung to come at me again, but I grabbed her hand and pulled it behind her back until she had to stand on her toes.

“You know, I’m not usually interested in hurting women, but you’re forcing my hand. I’m going to let go, and you’re going to stop.”

“Or what?”

I leaned close, my lips brushing against her ear. “Or I’ll find a new way to punish you.” It was low and suggestive and she caught my meaning. Last night’s little stunt replayed in my head, and I felt myself harden. It would be an interesting way to win her obedience, but when I released her, she stumbled away from me and didn’t attack me again. She just glared, her cheeks pink.

“Good girl.”

Her eyes went wide and as I walked upstairs, she let out a string of curses, calling me every name under the sun. I put her phone in the safe upstairs. I wasn’t worried about her papa, but her cousins might’ve caused a problem. Fucking loyal, the lot of them. Even her little driver led my guys on a wild goose chase for a while before we finally caught up with him at the tattoo shop. I listened in case she got brazen enough to run despite my threat, but she was still in the kitchen when I came back downstairs. She stormed away and locked herself in the bathroom while I went back to cooking.

* * *

“You gonna hide in there all night or are you going to come eat?”

I could hear her grumbling in the bathroom. I sat at the counter, checking emails on my phone as I ate. I thought she might ignore me and stay in there, but Nicole wasn’t the hiding type. She threw the door open and stormed over to sit next to me. She sat in sullen silence while pushing her food around on her plate.

“You can’t keep me here forever,” she mumbled.

“I have a contract with your papa that says I can.”

“... How long is this game going to last exactly?”

I put my phone down and turned my focus to her.

“We both know you won’t actually bind yourself to me. I’m a liability, a bastard, and I’m sure as hell not the sweet mafia princess you Cosa Nostra assholes are looking for. So what’s the timeline? How long until you feel like I’ve been appropriately punished for breaking into your office?”

“You seem to make a lot of assumptions about me. You know what they say about assuming, right?”

“That it makes an ass out of you and me?”

“That it’ll get you killed.”

She rolled her eyes. “I thought we already established that you aren’t going to kill me. Make up your mind.”

I exhaled on a laugh and shook my head. “There’s no talking to you, is there? You have no idea how to interact with someone without being a brat. Tell me, how much of that attitude is a form of rebellion and how much is a wall to keep people out?”

She froze. “What?”

“You’re like an injured animal, lashing out whenever anyone gets close to you, even if they aren’t trying to hurt you. Do you ever take the mask off, or has it just become part of who you are now?”

I didn’t wait for her answer. I heard Mikey’s car pull up in front of the house, so I put my plate in the sink and got ready to go.

“Mikey and Frankie are staying here tonight to make sure you stay put. I’ve got business to handle. Guest room is first door on the left, master is end of the hall on the right. I don’t give a shit which one you choose. Good night, Nikki.”

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