LOGINNIKOLAI RIDER
My eyes darken and I clench my fist, trying to control the anger bubbling in me. "Mention her name one last time—" "Forgive me!" He rasps out, bowing slightly. I huff and turn around, heading out of the haven. "Who is Miss Peterson, my mystery man," the lady asks, her small hand on my chest. "Someone who doesn't matter, " I reply in a hoarse voice, narrowing my eyes. "Your voice tells me the opposite, " she responds, and I scoff. "What do you know about voices, doll?" I ask and stop to unlock the car. She stifles a laugh and flips her hair, showing off the beautiful tattoo on her wrist. I smile and throw the door open, stepping over to the other side. The tattoo flashes before my eyes, stopping me from igniting the car. Where have I seen that tattoo before? I am sure that I have seen it somewhere, but I can't seem to remember where. "Get in, mystery man," the whore says, but this time, her voice isn't soft; it is hoarse and commanding. I look up and my eyes dim when my mind registers the gun pointed at me. "I knew no whore would be as smart as you are, and I'm right," I mutter and slip out of the car, heading towards her. "Stay right there!" She snaps, waving the gun at my face. "Who sent you?" I ask. She let down the gun and glared at me murderously. "Figure that out when you get to hell! " She spits out and pulls the trigger. I stand at the spot with my head tilted to the side as I watch the bullet wheeze toward me. I guess my nonchalant behavior has left her surprised and is making her pull her guard. This is the opportunity to strike. Just when the bullet is about to sink into my forehead. I throw my body down and duck it expertly, swinging my feet and body in the direction of where she is standing. Before she can attempt to run off, I grab her dark silky hair and pull her back, slamming her body against mine. She screams and tries to pull the trigger again, but I slam my clenched fist on her frail fingers that are wrapped around the trigger. She yells, and her grip on the gun slackens. I didn't show her mercy, why should I? She is just an assassin, not a woman. I hit her hand again and the gun finally falls out of her hand. "Who sent you!" I growl, tightening my grip on her neck. She shrieks, gasping for air as she struggles to get out of my grip. "You fucking bitch, tell me the devil!" I spit out. The little patience I have left is slowly getting exhausted and the only thing popping out in my mind is to waste her damn life. Pain shoots through my body, snapping me back to reality. I growl and fling her off, wiping off the blood that is dripping out from the fresh wound on my neck. The little bitch just dug her nasty nails into my neck, ripping out my flesh. Damn! I should have handled her the way I handle men. She wouldn't have gotten the opportunity to dig her filthy fingers into my neck. From the corner of my eyes, I watch her stagger up to her feet, her bruised hand holding the mask in place to stop it from falling off. I chuckle at the effort, knowing pretty well that she won't be leaving here alive or with that mask on. "Go to hell!" She curses and turns around to run off, but I can't let her. I pick up the gun lying at my feet and empties two bullets into her back. A satisfied smirk creeps into my face as her body goes down to the ground, slowly getting pale. I flip out my phone, muttering curses as I dial Tom's number. This time, he doesn't waste time picking up. "Need help with that chick, boss? Guess she's riding your dick well," he laughs and begins to speak to someone in the background. "Fucking listen to me, idiot!" I snap and he stops whatever stupid discussion he is having with the whore. "I'm right here, boss!" "Get yourself to the garage right now!" "Wait a minute, you're still here?" He stupidly questions and I groan in anger. "Okay, okay. I will be there," he rasps out and the line goes dead. I take a step towards the body which has already created a pool of blood, and stare down at the pale hands, most especially on the tattoo. Only one gang has that symbol on their wrist… Tom rushes in and gasps out, muttering a low curse. "I knew she wasn't up to no good," he mutters and walks towards her body then pulls off the mask over a face. "This is surely Giovanni's girl," he rasps out and I nod my head in agreement. "That bloody bastard is looking for war, and I'm gonna give it to him," I snap and begin to walk to my car, dabbing off the blood on my neck. "The police are patrolling some joints tonight. I will figure out a way to pull the dumb boy out, " he shouts after me. I only nod my head in response and pull out a stick of cigarette from the pack then lean on the car to replenish my strength. "Oh my, such a beauty wasted," he murmurs, running his hand over her pale face. "Who cares about her beauty, in the end of the day, she is a criminal, " I respond, exhaling thick dark smoke. "And skillful one at that," he laughs and I glance at him, turning up my lips in disgust. He looks up and grins at me. "Imagine she pulled that trigger without giving you a clue of who she truly was…" he pauses and bursts into laughter, afraid to complete his words. "Well… she is just as dumb as she is pretty. Now, shut the fuck up and dispose of that body properly," I snap, and he nods, putting on black gloves. "Do you a clean job, Tom!" "Yes, boss!" I slam the doors shut and ignite the car, gripping the wheels in anger. I should have stuck to those real, disposable whores. And Giovanni? He better get ready to welcome my disaster.KAITLYN The sharp ring of a gunshot pierces the air, and silence falls in the room.I slowly look up, tears blinding my vision.The blurry haze clears, and my eyes lock with the bloodshot eyes of Nikolai.My eyes travel down to the three holes on his chest, and my heart drops.I staggered back, shaking my head and trembling in hatred and guilt.His hand is latched onto the weak knob, and his body is pressed against the wall while blood pours from the holes. Blood trails down from the side of his lips, and his eyes are filled with tiredness and pain.The gun drops from my hand, and I keep drawing back.Nikolai staggers forward, his hand gripping the spot that I had shot.Estella's words echo in my head, and my chest tightens in rage.“Don't… don't come close to me!” I scream in a quivering voice.He freezes on his wavering steps when his eyes fall on the scattered file on the ground.His eyes get darker and his brows furrow in shock.I watch him with a breaking heart as he crouches do
NIKOLAI Gunshots fill the air as I sit back in the car, taking a drag at the cigarette trapped between my fingers.After I had bugged Estella's room a few days ago, I finally managed to find out where she had Kaitlyn hidden.Jesse's confession and the identification of the bullet found in the driver were enough to prove she is behind all this.The bullet is only used by her father's Mafia clan. I made sure to keep Jesse quiet until I saved Kaitlyn so she wouldn't get any suspicions.Right now, she is at the cathedral with her family. Her phone won't be with her, and she won't be in contact with anyone that works outside her father's interest. This is just the perfect time to strike and get Kaitlyn from her desperate hands.I swear if I get my hands on her, I won't spare her fucking life.“The way is clear, sir,” Tom says from the earbuds.I pull the door open and step into the large, dark compound.Before me sits a low building that definitely houses Kaitlyn. There are rows of other
NIKOLAI “The patron is angry,” Don Ellios says as his servant pours us a glass of whiskey.“As he should be,” I respond coldly.I can see Don Ellios flicker his gaze up to look at me. He must be intrigued by my courage and insouciance to death.“Power changes, Nikolai. Just because the Lucario family once held power in the cartel doesn't mean you should drag the throne with Marco,” he says.I cackle and reach for the glass.“Exactly, power changes. It's time Marco lets it go,” I reply and take a swig of the whiskey.Ellios sighs as he stares at me with concern in his eyes.“Think about everything, Nikolai–”“I don't have anything to lose,” I cut him off. “My family is dead, and I don't care about my father, his wife, or their son.”“What about her?" he says calmly.Silence falls between us, and my chest constricts.I scoff and gulp down the remaining portion of whiskey, slamming the glass down on the table.“I haven't seen Estella for some time,” I mutter.His gaze darkens at the men
I walk down to the car parked in the driveway close to the airport.I pull the door and get into the car, then lean back into the leather seat with a sigh.Sam's muffling fills the car as he struggles to remove the mask used to cover his face.I take out a cigarette and light it, then watch as he swings his head around, groaning as the heavy smell of cigarette contaminates the air.He groans and continues to struggle, thrashing around the seat while gasping for breath.“Stop struggling if you don't want that mask removed from your face until your head is out from your neck,” I mutter.He stiffens immediately, and the groans cease as well.I take a long drag at the cigarette before turning to look at him.He is covered in sweat and shaking like a leaf.“The one you worked for didn't tell you to lay low first, I guess,” I chuckle darkly.I sigh and throw the cigarette out of the window, then lean back into the seat again as the car drives off.“Where's my wife?” I ask.A sharp gasp esca
NIKOLAIAs I walk down to the silent house, Jesse suddenly appears at the front door.He is holding a phone pressed to his ear and a large smile on his face.I sink my hands into my pant pocket and increase the pace of my strut.He raises his head, and the smile on his face falls when his eyes lock with mine.Anger and fear flash past his eyes as he staggers back.“What are you doing here?” He snaps. Despite how bold he tries to sound, his voice still comes out in a quiver.I chuckle loudly and flex my arms, narrowing my eyes at the wristwatch strapped around my wrist.“Where are you going?” I ask.He scoffs at the question, his trembling lips twitching up in disdain.“None of your—” he stops talking when my brows shoot up.He gulps hard, clenches his fist at his side, and clenches his jaw.“I am going to a business dinner!” he spits out, narrowing his eyes.I tilt my head to the side, trudging closer in slow steps.“By this time?” I ask, raising my hand to glance at my wristwatch aga
NIKOLAI My blood boils as I stare at the wrecked car that once carried Kaitlyn to wherever she disappeared to. Tom walks away from the team trying to pull the car out from the large tree it had seemingly crashed into. He flicks the dirt on his shirt away and lets out a sigh as he strides towards me. Beads of sweat are all over his forehead, and his shirt is damp with blood and sweat. “Miss Peterson isn't in there,” he announces when he gets to where I am standing. My throat knots, and somehow, a wave of relief washes down my body. I don't even have the right words to say or a way to start searching for where her abductors have taken her. "Mrs. Rider,” I mutter, searching for a way to keep calm and divert my brain away from this shit. “What?” Tom snaps his head up, his eyes squinting in confusion. “She is my wife. You must address her as Mrs. Rider!” I snap. Tom tilts his head to the side, the confusion in his eyes spreading. “Forgive me, boss,” he says, trying to hide the
KAITLYN “Hey, Kaitlyn, wake up," I hear a voice whisper into my ear as I lie still and almost dead.Why did the voice sound so familiar? Why does it remind me of him?"Kaitlyn?” My eyes slowly open, not because I am strong enough but because I want to be sure it is who I think it is.And just lik
KAITLYNSilence reigns in the car as Philippe drives through the busy road.I glance at him for the sixth time, expecting him to speak and save me from tension, but he doesn't.Instead, he keeps his eyes on the road and grips the wheels tighter like it will break if he dare lets go.I can't take th
KAITLYNI stare at the tea the woman has made, my fist clenching. I haven't touched it since she dropped it and walked away. The only thing on my mind is Philippe's last words, and what gets me so worked up over it is the urgency in his tone.I sigh loudly and run my hand through my hair, then get
KAITLYNMy jaw drops at the sight of her, and I blink several times. What the fuck is Regina doing here? Nikolai tugs on my arm, forcing me back to reality. “Come,” he whispers and wraps his arm around mine, then pulls me closer to himself before walking fully into the crowded hall. My eyes are







