Chapter 39 - Inside the Lair of the Enemy

Chapter 39 - Inside the Lair of the Enemy
~ Daniella ~

The car ride going to Iopata’s safe house was a silent one. Of course, as expected of the son of a mafia boss, it wasn’t just a car ride. It was a limousine ride complete with goons wearing black suits as our bodyguard. There were four of them escorting us riding in a different shady vehicle, all armed and ready in case there’s a threat to their boss’ life. Mr. Startsev and Luca were nowhere to be seen, but I had a feeling I’ll be seeing them in our destination later.

Sitting far to the left away from Nikola, I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to argue with his plans anymore.

Earlier when he said that he will introduce me to his father as his fiancée, I vehemently opposed him and did it by not standing from the bed. Guess what he did after that? He pointed the same gun at me and threatened to fuck my lifeless body after I die. I was of course frightened to the bone and stood up as quick as I could. I saw a sinister smile broke from his lips then, drawing out a violent lurch in my stomach.

That feeling in my stomach had now subsided, but not the fear, especially with the presence of the gun still tucked in his back.

Twin or not, no words could express how I hate this guy. No wonder Erik didn’t mention him to me. But I wonder, does he even know that he has a twin?

The interior of the limousine proved to be from the finest and most expensive materials. I wasn’t impressed with it though, especially when the inside’s environment was cigarette smoke-filled. Nikola hadn’t ceased from puffing since we slipped inside half an hour ago and it irritated me very much since I am not a smoker.

“That acidic mouth of yours, you should restrain it when in front of my father,” he stated without a head’s up, effectively breaking the war of silence I had waged in between us.

I glanced at him, still covering my nostrils with my forefinger and saw the brief swirl of smoke that surrounded his face.

“You don’t need to tell me you know. I realized that with your foul attitude, there must be a source of it, and I believe that your father is that one,” was my blunt and bitchy remark.

He snorted and smirked but didn’t reply anymore. I used this opportunity to ask him a question that had been bugging me since we left his hideout.

“Had you met him?”

From the corner window, he drew his eyes back to me and arched a brow. “What?”

“Erik,” I continued, “Have you both met before?”

“No,” was his clipped reply. He didn’t even shake his head.

I was taken aback. Really? After all these years, they haven’t seen each other? They are twins for God’s sake!

“You mean to say—”

“I don’t see any reason why I should show myself to my rival mishka,” he cut off. I narrowed my eyes.

“But you do live in the same roof right?”

“No, we don’t,” he replied with not a hint of regret.

I arched my brow in response and he must have seen the confusion in it because he continued: “We never did. He was kept in Hyde’s hideout while I was bedridden. During that span of time, Father has kept an eye on him instead of me - his sick son, so you can imagine how that made me feel.”

In a fraction of a second, I saw the side of his nose crinkle in displeasure. Then, he stared back at his window and didn’t add anymore.

My mouth was stuck open, unable to give him a reaction as I was too surprised to hear his more-than-necessary sharing. I didn’t expect him to do that at all, but it was good. It was a sign that I had made progress in getting through his stony attitude. I did feel something when he mentioned being left out of his father’s attention, but it wasn’t sadness, it was hatred and jealousy. It was clearly pulsating in his tone of voice.

“I guess this would be the first time the three of you would meet huh? What does that make you feel?” I asked without a second thought and before I knew it, his head snapped back to me and scowled, no doubt pissed of my question.

He leaned close to the side of my seat and stared at me with blood-lust eyes.

“I feel the need to kill him mishka,” he spoke darkly, increasing my fear of Erik’s safety even more. “Punish him. Make him suffer and painfully. This unexpected development may have postponed that but it would be a reality in the near future. For now, I will settle in enjoying tormenting his heart.”

I let out a shaky breath. No. And once again, tears threatened to slip through my eyes.

“Then would you—” I paused and sought courage by clearing my throat, “Can I bargain for my life with his?”

I love Erik and this love had given me the audacity to do the stupidest of all.

“Please,” although I abhorred it, I uttered the word with pleading stares, “You can do whatever you want with me if it means his safety.”

“You love him,” he dropped suddenly.

There was no expression in his face that I could say that he was touched with my tender show of affection. He only pressed the stub on the cigar ashtray in his front and relaxed on his seat thereafter.

“I do, and I am not scared of telling you,” was my reply.

I saw him look at my elbow as if he was planning on grabbing it so I consciously shifted to the right to press it against the back cushion.

“What makes you think that your bargain would be tempting for me?” he produced a grin then. “You know I can always fuck you now if I want to. I don’t need your consent at all. Sex with you and his death — I can get both without even bargaining anything.”

An unwelcoming chill ran through my body. My God, why did I even try to reason with him?

Muted by his words, I decided to drag myself on looking outside the window. My heart ached so much knowing that I had no ray of hope anymore. Bargaining with him was my trump card. It was my only way of saving Erik and the Club.

This time, tears did fall down my cheeks, but I discreetly wiped it away with the back of my hand.

Nikola somehow noticed this and asked in a mocking tone, “Are you crying?”

“No,” I answered almost instantly, taking a deep breath and adjusting myself in the seat.

“Good, because I want you to look at me like a lovesick bitch when we meet them, not a woman mourning her own funeral.”

I dulled my senses. I tuned out every single emotion flaring inside me. It was hard. It was really hard, but with my upcoming meeting with the boss of Iopata and Erik, it was my only chance of protecting my already broken heart.

In my peripheral vision, I saw him reach for another roll of Cuban cigarette. I groaned quietly, readying myself with another assault of my lungs.

A few more minutes of silence later, we arrived in our destination. The ominous-looking black gate seen in my side of the window said so.

When Hyde said safe house, he was understating it. The safe house was in fact an enormous mansion surrounded with well-maintained gardens. If not for the fact that it had a stretch of beach readily seen in my view, I would have thought we were still in Beverly Hills. This side of the world, I’m not sure if it’s in the US still, but calculating the amount of time they had abducted me and up to now, I think we hadn’t gone far away from the chateau.

As we entered, pale yellow light from rows of lamps greeted us. It illuminated the concrete road that we passed, but I tell you, it was a far cry if compared to the spotlighted white mansion awaiting us.

Is this really a safe house? my mind quickly shouted.

The vehicle stopped in the front portico and just as expected of a mafia abode, a man in black suit opened the door for us and another three in the same-colored suits stood on guard in the entrance doorway.

Nikola helped me out, but I think it was just for show. After all, he did say he will introduce me as his fiancée.

The moment I stepped out of the limousine, my heart skipped huge beats. It wasn’t because of the touch of his cold, murderous palm in mine, but because it reminded me that I will soon see Erik again.

Erik...

I have only just been abducted this noon yet it feels I’ve been gone for years. I missed him badly. So, so badly.

“Big Boss is waiting for you inside boss, in the drawing room specifically,” I heard the man say.

Nikola nodded and entered the towering door with me dragged along by the elbow.

“Remember what I told you,” he reminded whilst looking at our path ahead.

I lifted my chin, not to affirm him but to strengthen myself. “I’ll shut my mouth if that is what you mean.”

“Good,” he remarked and glanced at me with a grin, “But you do know your meeting with my father is not what I'm looking forward to.”

I shot him a brief glare. He was talking about me and Erik.

Then he chuckled. “This is going to be fun.”

When we entered what looked to be a drawing room in the second floor, I saw two manly frames in the open balcony. The younger one stood ramrod straight against the balustrade while the older one was hunched forward, sitting in an upholstered dark green chair. Soft blue light from the garden below spotlighted their bodies. Wine glasses fully filled were in their hands.

From where I was, I can already see that the younger man was Erik amidst his back to me and the bearded old man sitting as the Iopata Big Boss — their father, looking somewhat happy judging from the smile on his face.

This is it. This is really it.

With my heart crazily pounding, I sucked in a breath as we strode closer to them.

Nikola’s hand rested on my waist like a possessive boyfriend would to his girlfriend. I attempted to shove it away but this only encouraged him even more.

“Do that again and I will make sure your hands get tied up in my bed’s headboard later,” he stressed making me flare my nose.

He adjusted his hand again and this time, I didn’t budge.

The first to notice our presence was their father, who quickly stood up amidst with shaky knees, and signaled us to come.

“Ah! Nikola! Come here boy!” his gravelly voice sounded.

He stretched his arms and my fake fiancé, acting like an obedient son, left me and hugged him heartily.

I stopped abruptly in my tracks, unable to take one more step to join them in the balcony. One hand was pressed in my chest while the other was clenched into a fist on my side as I watched not the father and son exchange but Erik who turned around to face us.

“Erik...” I burst out, low enough that only I could hear.

He ignored his family in front of him and drew his eyes directly to me.

For a moment, I thought it would show relief. Relief that he had seen me. Relief that I am at least for now safe and alive. Relief that we were together now. But no. His eyes and including the whole of him showed nothing. Blank. Lifeless. Cold.

Colder than the first time I saw him in the chateau. Colder than I had ever seen him before.

Why?

Knowing that I was in the lair of the enemy, I restrained myself but God, I truly wanted to embrace him and demand an explanation on his fuck-up barren reaction. Instead, I nailed myself on the floor and waited for the two men to withdraw.

“Otets,” (“Father,“) Nikola spoke when he did and looked at his father with warmth.

That immediately told me that he was loyal to his old man but as soon as the latter gestured his hand towards Erik, the warmth in Nikola’s face plummeted down to nil.

“Nikola, meet your twin brother,” was Mr. Svaneti’s words.

“Of course,” he replied and I saw him turn with pained slowness on Erik’s way. “Nikolai,” he managed to speak without spitting, but in his eyes (which were hidden from his father’s view) was charged with hostility.

Erik, if he was flaming inside, didn’t show it. There was only a little twitch on the corner of his mouth (a meager one that I could compare to a smile) and then said in a strained tone, “Nikola.”

Now that they were in one spot, I could definitely see the differences in them aside from the neck tattoo. Erik’s hair proved to be a dash lighter. They have the same short cut but Nikola had it styled gelled back. He had two stud piercings in the left ear, while Erik had none.

They were really twins because they were of the same height, the same built and the same broad shoulders and lean torso. They had the same angular features, the same well-trimmed brows and perfectly full lips. The fact that they were wearing similar black suits didn’t help too.

No wonder their father didn’t have a hard time accepting the return of his long lost son amidst all these years.

The twins didn’t even embrace. Not one of them showed the will to do so, but their father didn’t seem to mind it because he suddenly shifted his attention on me.

“Nikola, who is this woman with you?” he asked, slightly arching his brow.

“Ah, she.” Nikola quickly approached me, grinning, and looped an arm around my back. I had a feeling that it was to irk his brother.

“This is my fiancée otets. Daniella Émile Rosecraft,” he announced almost giving me a heart attack. He really meant what he said earlier.

I inhaled sharply and discreetly watched Erik’s reaction, but I found none. Again. No faint twitch of his brows. No wrinkle of disagreement in his lips.

What the hell is wrong with him?!

“Fiancée?” Their father sounded surprised. “I don’t know you are a family man, Nikola, but this is good. This means that our bloodline will continue. No more casual sex for you now.”

I paled.

Lifting his arms again, their father then smiled at me and stated, “Come here my soon-to-be daughter.”

I froze on the spot without even intending it.

Nikola’s quick push on my back had me stepping towards the Big Boss and receive his embrace.

When he did, I stilled, unable to return his welcoming affection. For a mafia boss, the man was acting surprisingly kind. Quite a contrast of both of his son’s attitude.

“Hmmm, let me see,” he stated when he withdrew and scrutinized me. He cupped my chin and moved my head from side to side. “Fiercely beautiful,” he remarked initially and then went on to study my unwavering gaze. “With eyes that house strength, elegance, and fear, but what’s this Nikola?” He glanced at his son and wrinkled his humpy nose. “Did you frighten your bride on the way here?”

I swallowed.

“Hmf, in more ways than one otets,” he answered from behind me. “We will have many children, her and me, and you will become a happy grandfather.”

“Ha!” Mr. Svaneti chortled, allowing me to see the layer of flabs under his bearded chin. This and the statement Nikola had released, sickened me to the bone.

I would rather die than bear his children!

“This is good. This is good! With two of my sons with me and future grandchildren, my empire will even grow!” he went on and that’s when I saw greed replacing the warmth in his pale hazel-green eyes.

“Congratulations on this momentous occasion Big Boss,” someone suddenly stated from behind me. I whirled around to see and there, next to Nikola, Mr. Hyde Startsev stood.

Unconsciously, I glanced at Erik and saw something flash in his eyes, but it was so brief, so fast I was unable to name it.

“A momentous occasion indeed,” Mr. Svaneti replied catching my attention. “Now, I’d like to hold a feast for this. Call everyone in the strata Hyde. Inform them about the party the whole day tomorrow.”

“Yes, Boss,” Hyde affirmed in a snap.

The old man turned to Erik and then patted his left shoulder.

“Nikolai, will you stay here for that?” he asked and I waited with focused attention to hear his answer.

“I will stay otets. My business in the US hasn’t ended.”

Business? What business? What alibi could he have created in order to gain his father’s trust that short amount of time?

He didn’t look at me. He just stared back, eye level with his father as if he wasn’t hiding anything. As if he wasn’t the leader of a group made to exterminate Iopata. As if hatred didn’t run in his veins. As if he wasn’t aiming to kill his father at all.

In disbelief, I shook my head mentally.

“Good, now let’s go to the dining hall. I’m famished.”