Chapter 75
Lucky
As Nico leaves and follows behind me, he grabs my elbow. His grip tight, “what are you doing? Let go of me!” My voice dangerously low. I will not be pushed around by him or anyone. How dare he tell me to stay put like some old-fashioned Hausfrau? Not happening. This is my life too.
“I am warning you, Lucky. You will not be coming back to New York with me. It is dirty, bloody business. It will churn your guts and make you have bad dreams for the rest of your life.” His voice is low, warning.
“I don’t give a fuck how bad it is, I want to see him. He deserves what he has coming in any case. He tried to kill me, Nico. Am I supposed to just let that happen and leave everything up to you?”
“You are a woman, Lucky, remember that and my arranged bride. That is it.” What the hell did he just say to me?
“That’s sexist and don’t ever refer to me as being just a woman, you have a trained killer on your team with a cunt between her legs. What is so different between me and her?” My eyes are flashing angrily at him, his are now ice cold blue, not the startling blue they usually are. Certainly not the dark they become when he is full of passion and desire for me.
“Is everything okay out here?” Tony asks will Dario in tow. “Mom is mad as hell you missed dinner.”
“Nothing I could do about that, I had business with Aurora. I am going to apologize to her now. By the way I am leaving for New York.” I watch as his brother narrows his eyes.
“Okay and why? What is going on, brother?” The men stand in front of each other in the grand hallway, Nico still gripping my elbow that he will not let me pull away from. The man is exasperating me.
“She has Andrewkov in the Cell,” He states matter of factly.
“Right, shall we come with you?” Dario speaks. Nico shakes his head.
“Not needed, I would rather you are both here with everyone and besides, Tony, I need you to handle some accounts for me. One of the restaurants needs money to be washed. Take care of it. In my office is a manila folder with all the details, you have the password to my computer, log on and make the transaction. And don’t forget we need to clear seven million dollars through one of the businesses. Some of our partners are getting itchy feet. We do not want to lose them.”
God, where does his crime end? “Let go of me, Nico. I am coming whether you like it or not.”
“If I have to fucking chain you to this house, Lucky I will. Now behave and do as you are told.”
Fuck me, he talks to me like I am a child. Well, he can think he’s getting his own way, I have my own plan for now. Dutifully like the arranged wife to be, I allow him to steer me in the direction of the kitchen where his mother is wiping the counter tops down.
“You missed dinner both of you. Shall I reheat it?” She is sweet, her voice is kind and gentle.
“No thanks, Mom not for me. I have to leave Atlanta and fly back to New York to take care of business. Lucky will eat.”
Will I? What now I am being forced to do something? God, he gets worse. “I am not hungry; I want to go and call Mia and will come down later if I want to eat anything. Thank you,” I tell them both. His mother opens her mouth and forms an O. Right, of course because in their family the woman has no say about anything.
In this relationship with Nico, I plan on having a lot to say. Plenty in fact. He doesn’t know who the hell he is dealing with. Just because I have given up my heart to him and my body, and he has his claim on me now. None of that means I don’t have a voice.
Nico kisses me in front of his mother, it’s long and lingering as his hand reaches behind my neck, taking me completely by surprise. “I will see you soon, Princess. You are well protected here. I can fly Mia in to see you if you like.”
“Sure, that would be good, only I’ll let you know. I have stuff I want to do here.”
He tilts his head and arches one of his dark, perfect eyebrows. “Like what, Lucky?”
I sense he knows I have a hidden agenda. “Oh, you know, go riding, take a drive out with a couple of the guards, go sightseeing. If I am at risk and Mia is with me, then that puts her in danger too. I have to sacrifice my wanting to see my best friend until the coast is clear.” I pause since I see a frown appearing on his beautiful face. The face I am resisting touching right now. His mother clearly embarrassed at the tongue kissing has turned away and is busying herself at the kitchen sink.
“That is a wise decision. It is okay if you are out with my detail, they will take care of you. It’s unlikely that Yelena is anywhere close to us here, she will be concerned about Andrewkov, and no doubt be trying to think of a plan to get him the hell out of my grip. Which won’t happen. The man’s days are numbered.”
He strokes my cheek with his thumb, “I love you, Princess. Your life is a precious gift to me. You fill up my mind every second of the day. Please don’t do anything stupid like ditch the guards when you are out.”
“Like I would,” okay maybe a slight white lie but hell a girl needs some freedom, and this is a massive step in the right direction. “I love you too, Nico. Please take care, it doesn’t sit well you going back into the fire back in New York.”
“Sweetheart, I can handle myself. Do not worry. I have good men with me and Aurora’s team will be surrounding me at all times. I will take the helicopter to the airfield. All will be well. He is in our cell, it is impregnable.”
“Very well, I will be thinking of you, Nico. Please stay in touch as much as possible. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be good I promise.”
My fingers are crossed behind my back.