Chapter 181 Nico departure

Chapter 181 Nico departure
Draven POV

“Uncle wants to see you.”

Sergei's voice came through the phone, and every muscle in my body went rigid. I stared at the glass of whiskey sitting untouched on my desk. “When?”

“Now.”

I leaned back slowly in my chair, this had to happen eventually. I had known the moment I walked into Nico's property that this wasn't going to end cleanly.

There were too many loose ends, but there was one thing my uncle didn't know. Nico was alive and so was Lila. “Did he say why he wants to see me?”

“No.”

“Did you tell him about Lila?”

Another pause. “No.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Then why the hell are you calling me instead of him?”

“Because he specifically told me to bring you to him.”

I almost laughed because my uncle didn't summon people, he summoned problems and apparently, I am his problem today.

I stood and reached for my jacket. “Where is he?”

“At the estate.”

“I'll be there.”

I ended the call and for a moment, I stood in the middle of my office, staring at nothing then I smiled because despite the uneasiness crawling beneath my skin, there was something my uncle and every Moretti family didn't know.

Nico wasn't dead as they thought and he's pissed off that they could turn against him.

FEW MONTHS AGO.

“Tell me you have another plan.”

Nico sat across from me, blood running from the corner of his mouth because I had just beaten the hell out of him and I was also bleeding from the cut I had on my chest, training with him always ended up messy.

Nico wiped the blood away with the back of his hand and laughed. “You're enjoying this too much.”

“You killed my brother.”

His smile disappeared and for the first time that night, neither of us spoke. My brother's death had always been the one thing between us that could never be ignored because Nico had killed him.

I had spent years pretending I had forgiven him but I hadn't because forgiveness and loyalty were two different things.

My brother had been a fucking idiot and he had made choices that eventually caught up with him and my father?

My father had deserved what happened to him because he had destroyed everything around him and expected everyone to worship him for it.

So no, I wasn't going to kill Nico not after everything he'd done for me even though he was a hardcore, he cared for my grandma after my father passed that was something I could never forget.

When my uncle told me to bring Nico down i agreed because arguing with him is death but there was no way I was going to put a bullet in Nico head because my uncle suddenly decided to awake from the dead and avenged the death of those Nico killed. “You're supposed to kill me,” Nico reminded me.

“I know.”

“Then why are you still talking?”

“Because you're going to Russia.”

His eyebrows lifted. “What?”

“I've already arranged everything.”

For a few seconds, Nico simply stared at me.

The wind coming off the river was cold, but neither of us moved then, slowly a smile appeared on his face. “You planned this?”

“I had to.”

If we were going to pull this off, everything had to be perfect because one mistake could get both of us killed..Nico's smile disappeared.

“My father would kill you if he found out about this, betrayal is death.”

“I know and you're going to disappear so I don't ever regret helping you.”

Nico's eyes narrowed slightly. “And what about you?”

“I'll handle myself.”

He leaned back, studying me as if he was trying to determine whether I actually believed my own words. “You're playing a dangerous game, Draven.”

“And if your uncle finds out?”

“He won't.”

Nico continued staring at me for another moment before finally looking away then he asked the question I wasn't expecting. “What about her?”

I knew exactly who he meant. “Lila.”

Nico's expression became serious. “She is well hidden and nobody knows where she is.”

“She isn't.”

His eyes snapped back to mine and I frowned. “She can't continue where she stays.”

I stared at him. “Why?”

“Take Lila with you.”

“Nico…”

“Listen to me.”

His voice changed. “If they find out she's alive, they'll come after her.”

I said nothing. “She has already lost enough,” he continued. “I can't leave knowing I could become another reason for her to suffer.”

I clenched my jaw. “She already knows too much,” Nico said. “If she's caught and tortured, she'll confess everything she knows and after that…”

He stopped but we both knew what would happen, they would kill her anyway.

My jaw tightened. “That wasn't part of the plan.”

“I know.”

Nico looked at me steadily. “But plans change.”

I looked away. “I need to know she's safe before I leave,” he said.

“Lila is fragile, but very stubborn.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You need patience to get along with her.”

I almost scoffed. “Patience?”

“Nico, I'm not you.”

He raised both hands. “Fine.”

I glared at him and he was still smiling. “But you will discover I was right.”

I hated when he was like this. Nico looked toward the door, his expression becoming serious again. “Bring her to me when everything is calm.”

I didn't answer because I didn't know what to say.

There were too many things left unsaid between us, and neither of us had the luxury of standing there all night talking about them.

“I'm trusting you to take good care of her,” he continued.

His eyes met mine. “She’s been through a lot because of this family.”

I simply stared at him and Nico held my gaze for another second before finally turning away.

I watched as he stepped forward and entered the boat and for one brief moment, I wondered if I should say something but the words never came.

The engine roared to life and the boat began moving.

I stood there watching him disappear into the darkness and then it was gone.