Page 28 of Mafia King

“That isn’t acceptable.” He takes a slow sip of coffee, then sets the cup down with care. “You’ll be disciplined for it. Not now. Later.”

Heat floods Theo’s face and drops straight between his legs. He shifts in the wooden chair, thighs pressing together under the table.

“When?” Theo asks, the word coming out more desperate than he intended.

Nikolai’s mouth curves, not quite a smile. “When you least expect it.”

Nikolai lets the statement hang for a moment, then changes the subject as if the conversation about discipline never happened. He asks whether he has plans for the afternoon, mentioning a new bakery that opened near the health club, commenting on the traffic along the river.

Theo answers on autopilot.

But his body is still reacting to the quiet threat. Every shift of his weight reminds him of the red marks Nikolai left the night before and the way he had held Theo’s throat while he kissed him on the balcony.

Keeping his feelings under control is already harder than Theo told himself it would be at two in the morning with Maximus under his arm and a Disney film playing.

Now the demand from Tracker sits on the closed laptop like a live wire…

Banking details. Offshore reserves. Crypto.

Steal from the same man who is currently sitting across from him promising a future spanking in the same calm voice he uses to order coffee.

Theo lifts his cup and takes a sip he barely tastes. The coffee has gone lukewarm. Across the table Nikolai watches him with the same assessing patience he showed at the roulette table—the look of a man who is still deciding how much of himself to reveal and how much of him he already owns.

Theo forces his breathing to stay even and meets his eyes.

The job is clear. The money is life changing. The line he drew last night is already under pressure from both sides. Tracker’s file on one side, the low thrum of arousal and the platinum bracelet waiting on his nightstand on the other.

Theo sets the cup down carefully and keeps his expression open, pleasant, exactly the version of himself that has gotten him this far.

Whatever comes next, he will have to walk the narrow path between them without falling.

And if he does fall?

Something deep inside Theo tells him that he might not want to know the answer…

9

NIKOLAI

Nikolai stands, leaving a few notes on the table for the coffees. Theo remains seated, laptop already open again but the screen turned just out of view, the careful professional mask back in place as if the conversation about discipline never happened.

“I’ll leave you to your work,” Nikolai says.

Theo looks up and offers a small smile.

“Talk later?”

“Count on it, malyshka.” Nikolai turns and walks out of the coffee shop without looking back.

The morning air is mild, the sidewalk busy with the usual mid-morning flow of people who have never had to decide whether a rival family lives or dies before lunch.

The black SUV idles at the curb. Xander is behind the wheel, dark sunglasses on, expression unreadable as always.

Nikolai slides into the passenger seat and the door closes with a solid thunk.

Xander pulls into traffic without needing instructions and they ride in silence for three blocks before Xander speaks.

“You want me to dig on the boy? Quiet check. Make sure he’s clean.”