Chapter 170: A Dangerous Bargain

Chapter 170: A Dangerous Bargain
Nina’s POV
Raymond didn't come back last night.
I woke up early, my mind already racing through the plan I'd spent weeks perfecting.
The villa was quiet in the pre-dawn stillness. I slipped out of bed and made my way downstairs to Kevin's room. He lived on the first floor with the other two bodyguards, but they were currently with Raymond, wherever he'd spent the night. That left Kevin alone, vulnerable, and perfect for what I needed to do.
I stood outside his door for a moment, my silk robe cool against my skin. My heart was pounding, but not from fear. From anticipation. I'd been waiting for this opportunity, and now it was finally here.
I pushed open the door quietly. Kevin was fast asleep, sprawled across his bed in nothing but boxer shorts. He had no idea that I'd slipped sleeping pills into the wine I'd given him last night, telling him it was a thank you gift for keeping me safe. He'd accepted it without question, the fool.
I let my robe fall to the floor and carefully climbed onto the bed beside him. My hands were steady as I picked up the Polaroid camera I'd hidden in the pocket of my robe. Click. Click. Click. I took photo after photo, positioning myself to make it look as compromising as possible. These images would be enough to make Raymond kill us both on the spot. They were my insurance policy, my leverage, my ticket to freedom.
After I had enough photos, I set the camera aside and slid under the covers next to Kevin's sleeping form. I pressed my body against his warm skin and then, without hesitation, bit down hard on his shoulder.
Kevin jerked awake with a strangled gasp, his eyes flying open in confusion and pain. When he saw me lying naked beside him, his face went through a rapid transformation from sleepy confusion to absolute horror. He scrambled backward so fast he nearly fell off the bed.
"What the fuck?! How did you get in here?!"
I smiled at him calmly, not bothering to cover myself. "Relax, Kevin. Raymond didn't come home last night. We're completely alone in the villa. No one saw me come in."
Kevin jumped out of bed and rushed to the window, his movements frantic. He pulled the curtain aside just enough to peek outside, scanning the driveway for any sign of Raymond's return.
He turned back to me, his voice tight with panic. "You need to get dressed right now and go back to your room. Raymond could come back any second! Do you have any idea what he'll do if he finds you here?"
I let my smile widen. "You're really afraid of him, aren't you?"
"Of course I'm afraid of him!" Kevin hissed, his voice rising. "He's the most powerful mob boss in New York City. Everyone's afraid of him! You've seen what he does to people who cross him. You've watched him torture men for hours. If he catches us like this, it won't be a quick bullet to the head. He'll make us suffer."
Kevin grabbed me by the arm, yanking me upright with more force than necessary. He snatched my robe from the floor and threw it at me. "Put this on and get out of here. Now!"
Instead of obeying, I reached for the stack of Polaroid photos on the nightstand and tossed them onto the bed between us. "What's wrong, Kevin? Can't own up to what you did? What do you think Raymond will do when he sees these?"
Kevin's face drained of all color. He stared at the photos, his hands beginning to tremble. He picked them up with shaking fingers, his lips quivering as he flipped through them. "You're insane! You're actually insane! What do you want from me?"
I stood up, letting the robe remain on the floor, meeting his terrified gaze with cold determination. "I'm going to kill Raymond. And I need your help to do it."
His eyes widened so much I thought they might pop out of his skull. "What?! Are you out of your mind? Did you inherit your mother's madness? Is that what this is?"
"Maybe I am crazy," I said, my voice steady and calm. "So tell me, Kevin. Will you help me or not?"
"No! Absolutely not! That's not just dangerous, that's suicide! There's no way I'm getting involved in something like that!"
I shrugged. "Fine. Then we die together today. I'll give Raymond the photos myself. I'll tell him you drugged me and took advantage of me. Who do you think he'll believe? His precious Nina, or his expendable bodyguard?"
Kevin's face twisted with panic and rage. He lunged forward and grabbed the photos, ripping them to pieces with violent, jerky movements. The torn fragments scattered across the bed like confetti.
I watched him destroy the evidence with complete calm. "Doesn't matter. I have backups hidden where you'll never find them."
Kevin grabbed my arms desperately, his fingers digging into my skin hard enough to bruise. "Give them to me, you psycho! Give me all of them right now!"
I pulled free from his grip. "I'm crazy, not stupid. I've already planned everything down to the last detail. I'll do the actual killing. You just need to back me up in case something goes wrong. Raymond's a strong man, and I need insurance that I can actually finish the job. When it's done, I'll give you one million dollars. Cash. Untraceable."
At the mention of money, something flickered in Kevin's eyes. The fear was still there, but now it was competing with greed and temptation. He shook his head, but less firmly than before. "No. It's too dangerous. Why do you even want to kill him? Raymond's been good to you, hasn't he? He gives you everything you want."
The sound of a car engine rumbled from outside the villa.
Kevin's head snapped toward the window. He rushed over and glanced through the curtain, his entire body going rigid. "That's Raymond! He's back! Get out of my room right now! We'll talk about this later!"
I stayed exactly where I was. "I need an answer now, Kevin. Yes or no? Because if it's no, there's no point in me leaving this room. I might as well stay here and let Raymond find us together."
Kevin paced back and forth frantically, running his hands through his hair. The sound of a car door slamming echoed from outside. He was running out of time, and we both knew it.
"Fine! Fine! I'll do it! I'll help you! Just go, you lunatic! Get out of here before he comes inside!"
I picked up my robe slowly, deliberately, watching him squirm. "I recorded everything you just said. The whole conversation. Don't even think about backing out on me."
Kevin's face darkened with anger and resignation. "I should've known you'd play it like this. You really are your mother's daughter. Fine. I'll help you kill Raymond. But I want half the money upfront. Five hundred thousand before I lift a finger."
I smiled and tied my robe closed. "Deal."