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A tanned-skinned man emerges from the restaurant carrying a briefcase. He walks up to the table, smiles, and sits down. The pieces start to fall into place.
Eduardo, Valachi’s man, always plays the middleman. He opens the briefcase slightly, but I see the flash of notes stacked high. It looks like a huge sum.
“He’ll also offer him a fake passport in return for Vivi.”
I lean even closer, like I might catch a whisper of the conversation. “That seems like a long shot.”
Nikolai isn’t stupid.
“Lulu needs to convince Nikolai that there is no better option for him,” Angel states.
Nikolai shifts in his seat, and I watch him come to the same conclusion I would. It’s a no deal. He dips his head and grabs Vivi’s arm, intending to take her away.
I get up, hearing Angel rise behind me. My hand reaches for my gun, I withdraw it, and people around me gasp and shuffle away. Nikolai hears the commotion, and with the fear of God in his eyes, he releases Vivi’s arm and starts to flee before I can even reach his table.
I race past the table, but a small hand reaches out and touches my arm. I don’t need to look to know it’s Vivi; I’d know her touch anywhere.
“Please, just let him go.” Her eyes beg me more than her words. For her, I would do anything, I realize.
Just not this.
Everyone is watching and staring, and I put my gun away. This is why Nikolai wanted to meet in public. He wanted to make us powerless.
Lulu and Angel are arguing. I look into Vivi’s eyes as they well up.
“Please, Ivan,” she begs.
My heart wants to listen to her, but my head….
Angel puts his hands on Lulu’s arms, trying to calm her down. I don’t understand why she’s so worked up. She has her sister and the money. Lulu tears away and shouts at me.
"Ivan, he touched her."
The world holds its breath. I can’t feel the ground under my feet. There is this rhythm growing louder and steadier, like the beating of war drums in my ears.
I turn to Vivi and meet her eyes. I don’t have to ask. It’s true.
Oh, my pet. You want forgiveness for him, but this monster can never forgive.
My feet slam into the ground as I race after Nikolai, the world blurring around me, the screams behind me getting swallowed up as the drums beat louder. I peel around the corner and findhim in a car, frantically trying to hotwire it. He sees me in the rearview mirror and realizes he doesn’t have enough time.
I roll my shoulders, igniting the knife wound. It burns, but the adrenaline coursing through me dulls the pain.
Nikolai scrambles out of the car and flashes me one terrified look. I grin like an animal ready to make its kill. This kill will be a masterpiece.
I tear after him down a side street. He grabs things from garbage cans, throwing them behind him to slow me down. I dive and jump at each one; all he is doing is slowing himself down. A bottle crashes at my feet, shards scattering, but I don’t break stride.
He’s nearing the end of the alley, desperate to disappear onto the main street. I can’t allow that. My heart pounds in my chest as I grab the lid of a metal garbage can and throw it like a disc. It catches Nikolai in the back, knocking him down. His chin meets the concrete with a sickening crunch that causes me glee.
Every part of me is racing, the blood in my veins on fire; it’s time to make the kill.
I close the distance quickly, but Nikolai surprisingly jumps to his feet; armed, he swings the same lid and catches me across the face. I stagger backward; the world spins for a moment. Pain blooms, but I push through the agony, my focus unwavering now.
Nikolai reveals a gun. He expects me to stop. So, when I dodge left, spin, and level my elbow into his face, he hasn’t a moment to react. I grab his wrist and slam his hand against a dumpster. The gun drops to the ground with a clatter.
“If I wanted this to be a gunfight,” I growl, “I could have shot you in the back ten times by now. No, I want to do this with my hands.”
Nikolai’s eyes widen in fear. He twists, trying to break free, but my grip is too strong. I wrap my arm around his throat, using his failed attempt to twist free to my advantage. I slide down the wall, bringing him with me. He’s large and puts up a fight.
