K E I R A

Las Vegas, USA

Something was wrong.

I'd known it from the moment I woke up in an empty bed. I shouldn't have brushed my intuition as a dilemma, but it was hard to hold onto the fear that'd shaken me for the briefest of seconds when I saw Nikolai sprawled on the couch, eating waffles with one hand as he tried to solve the crossword on the newspaper with his left hand.

"Hi," I whispered, unable to help the smile on my face when he tilted his head to meet my eyes. His grey eyes were gentle in their reflectiveness, and despite my worries, I found myself lulled by the serenity his gaze offered.

"I was just about to come get you,"

"After you finished that?" I pointed towards the newspaper he'd spread over the table and leaned forward, eyeing the puzzle and his neat scribbles.

I wasn't surprised that he was almost done with it. Nikolai had always solved them religiously every morning. The memory of the many times I had to feed him breakfast because he was so endorsed in his puzzle took me by surprise, and a few weeks ago, remembering the past would have made me sad. Not today, though. Today I was happy to have a little corner in the heart of the man he'd become.

He folded the newspaper and almost put it away when I placed my hand on his forearm, stopping him.

"You can finish that." I smiled teasingly, "I know you won't rest until you're done."

"I already know the word." He smirked, "I don't need to write it down." He moved on the couch, making place for me, and I sat beside him, putting an omelet for myself in the plate.

It was the first time we were sitting and having a meal together, and I couldn't help the trepidation taking hold of my spine. I took a small bite and exhaled. Nikolai's hand rested on my thigh, and I looked at him from under my eyelashes, not even surprised to find his gaze imploring.

"Penny, for your thoughts?" I smiled, dropping the fork on the plate and taking Nikolai's hands in mine.

"I was wondering if you'd tell me anything about your family...." My teeth sank into my lower lip, and I deliberated my words, "Was King ever your real last name?"

Nikolai stiffened at the mention of his family, and I squeezed my fingers around his before taking a small bite of my food with my other hand. It wasn't exactly easy eating with one hand; however, I wasn't going to drop his hand because of that.

"It is my father's name."

"And? Doesn't the mafia have some unspoken rule about marrying within themselves?"

Nikolai laughed, "I suppose yes. It probably worked in my father's favor because he was half-Russian. His mother was a ballet dancer, and well, my mother was an only child. If there was anyone dedushka lived for, it was her."

"Was your father part of it too?"

"Not really. I mean not the part that got your clothes bloody, but more on the corporate side."

"What happened?" I cringed at my questions, sighing in relief when he didn't seem irritated, and took a deep breath, almost like he was thinking of the answer.

"The FBI." He quietened, and I decided perhaps it was better if we let bygones be bygones, and I was about to ask him to forget I ever said anything, but he spoke again, "They knew of his ties to the Bratva, and when he got arrested for money laundering, my grandfather didn't step in, and eventually his enemies killed my father in prison."

"I'm sorry, Niko." He nodded, his eyes fixated on our intertwined fingers, and I placed my half-eaten omelet back on the coffee table before snuggling against his side.

"It broke my mother, and she took me with her and ran away. Obviously, dedushka knew. He just let her do what she wanted and started pestering me the moment she died. After all, I was. Am," He corrected himself, "his heir, he'd made his wishes known when I was named after him, and I suppose it's time I get back to the hell that had my name on it before I was born."

"What is your name?"

Nikolai dipped his head to look at me, "I'm surprised you don't know. My grandfather made a big deal out of it when I was officially inducted."

"Information is more of Kyzer's forte."

"Nikolai Mikhailovich Chernov" My core tightened at the harshness in his voice and the rough way the words left his lips. I doubted I could say his middle name right, which I supposed was his grandfather's. "I think that's enough about me. Why were you on the run? Kyzer's not that forthcoming with information when he isn't in the mood."

"Are you what best friends with my brother now?" I teased, and Nikolai snorted. The side of his lip tipped up, and I fought the urge to trace his reluctant smile.

"Your brother is a manipulative bastard and a menace..."

"But?"

"I suppose he is tolerable," Nikolai admitted begrudgingly, and I laughed.

My laughter died in my throat when I opened my eyes and met his darkening eyes, and the feeling of being in love with him crashed over me like waves on a cliff. Repeatedly. Without remorse. And, all I could do was surrender the way I had always done and let go, trusting that despite his anger that I knew was still simmering beneath the surface, whatever twisted version of love he felt for me would be enough for him to catch me.

"Astley—"

"He prefers Esposito now." Nikolai interrupted, and I narrowed my eyes,

"I honestly don't give a shit." He shook his head, exhaling, and beckoned me to continue as he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me to his lap. My fingers traced the buttons of his shirt above his heart absentmindedly as I searched for words inside me, "He became obsessed with my mother, and he'd tried before, but that day he got what he wanted. He killed my parents and the other members, fled back to Chicago, and settled into his life as Capo while he'd destroyed everything for Kyzer and me."

I took a breath, willing myself not to cry, "I don't know why we went into hiding. Kyzer was the one with my parents in their last moments, and when they were gone, he just stepped up. He has a plan. I think he'd had one for a decade now, and I know he likes to fool people into thinking he is impulsive, but he really isn't."

"I know," Nikolai said solemnly, and I tilted my head, my heart ramming against my chest at the undercurrent of his words.

"What are you not telling me, Nikolai?" My fingers tightened around his shirt until I was fisting the fabric, and he caressed my face, his stormy eyes locked on mine.

"He's trapping Esposito by making him think he's got Kyzer."

"And how will he do that?" My eyes widened before realization washed over me, and I trembled in Nikolai's arms. "No." I shook my head in disbelief, which soon turned into anger as I pushed against Nikolai's chest, trying to put some space between us, but he only tightened his arms around me and pulled me in an embrace.

"He only called me today." He whispered in my ear, the urgency in his voice betraying his calm demeanor, "I didn't hide it from you, and I didn't plan to."

I stopped struggling, and Nikolai pulled away, leveling me with his eyes alight with something I couldn't quite put the finger on.

"I think you should know that your brother will get married soon."

"Did he tell you that?"

"No." Nikolai grimaced before he traced my cheekbone with the back of his hand, "He didn't say, but there's not many reasons you'd get a bride kidnapped the day before her wedding and return her two days later."

"How do you know that?"

"I'm the one who met with Blanc in your brother's stead in Chicago."

"Theo Blanc?" I asked again, making sure we were talking about the same person.

"Yes. Him."

"Who's the girl?" Nikolai grimaced, and my muscles stiffened.

"Mallory Esposito."

He wanted to marry the daughter of the man who had lit fire to our life and thrown us into a nightmare with a constant need to look over our shoulders. My ears started ringing, and all I could remember was sitting in the closet in the dark, my head buried in Kyzer's chest, both of our hands covering my ears as bullets rained one after the other in our home. The silence that'd followed after the shootout deafened me, and even when my brain was spiraling, the quietude had the hairs at the back of my neck rising. The abyss seemed all too enticing right now, and while I recognized what had my body seizing up in panic, my thoughts a mosiac, scattered, and there was no way I could focus on something to bring me back.

It was almost like I'd fallen off a cliff and despite trying everything, the pressure on my chest wouldn't life, and the unseen arms of the terror haunting my soul seemed to be holding me down.

"Keira." A soft voice broke through my haze, and I tried holding onto it, but it was hard to hear anything past the ringing in my ears. It was almost like the foreboding twilight I'd fallen victim to was daring me to try and outrun it while making it clear that any attempt I'd make would be a collosal failure.

"Open your eyes, little wolf, look at me." I didn't know how long I'd been helf captive by the trepadition in my blood, but the moment I'd opened my eyes, the silver flame of his eyes seemed to warm me from the inside. It was like a lullaby, except it wasn't meant to put me to sleep, it was supposed to wake me up from the nightmare that's siezed my body. "Hey, it's me. It's okay."

Nikolai held my face in his hands, and I focused on the ash in his gaze, I watched the way it dissolved into slate-blue the longer he held my eyes. It was like I was staring at his naked soul, and I knew the only reason I could almost touch his vulnerabilities was because he was letting me. I exhaled, and he took a breath in, breathing with me until the chill in my bones subsided and I became aware of him around me.

"I'm here." He whispered, his breath ghosting over my lips, and I couldn't hold myself back anymore. I burried my head in the crook of his neck, and Nikolai's hands fell down, holding my shoulders as he held my hand with his free one.

He leaned down and kissed my forehead, his lips lingering there for a while as his chest moved with the force of his breathing. I followed his lead and started breathing in, and out. It was a little laboroius at first until my body took over, finally able to carry out the simple task of breathing on it's own.

I looked at Nikolai's face, his rugged beauty catching me by surprise, and perhaps what startled me the most was that he'd been looking at me too. I tilted my head and he dipped his, our lips catching each other's. It was a strangely familiar sensation that seemed to pass through me like electricity, eccentric but charming. Nikolai's lips slid against mine as he deepened the kiss, his tongue exploring my mouth like he was kissing me for the very first time. My fingers tangled in the hair on the back of his neck, and I allowed his kisses to silence my fears. Even if it was only for a little while.

The kiss had started like a fire in the cold winter, but now as our tongues warred with each other and I moved to straddle Nikolai's hips, it'd became violent, almost like a wildfire, and I wanted nothing more than to be engulfed by the flames. A moaned slipped past my lips, vibraing against our mouths and Nikolai pulled back, panting. His hardness poking my thigh. However, he pressed his lips against my eye-lids before pushing my hair behind my ear.

"Nothing will happen to you. I swear it." I nodded, believing his words.

After all, Kyzer had planned his hoax and my brother might be many things, but ignorant he was not. I would have to trust that he'd have gone through every nuance of the plan to make sure it was nothing short of perfect. And perfect was what we'd need to bring down Angelo Esposito.

"I need to talk to Kyzer." Nikolai nodded, handing me his phone, already having dialed Kyzer.

I pressed the phone to my ear, waiting as Nikolai ran soothing circles on my back with his hands. I didn't want to jinx it but knowing that he was trying to make it work, to let me in was more than I could've ever asked for. I wasn't an idiot, I knew he'd kept his fair share of secrets, but I also knew that he was the only one who'd mourned me, lying awake at nights wondering if I was okay when I'd known that he was fine. So, I'd forgiven him for his malice, I didn't think I even held it against him. I loved him too much to focus on our past when we could try to make the best of our future.

"Well, Nikolai I'm assuming you couldn't keep your mouth shut for a minute." Kyzer's voice came through and despite reservations against his actions, I breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'd have expected you'd be the one telling me, Ky."

"Of course, you did."

"Then why didn't you?"

"To be honest, your emotional state the last two weeks was shit. I didn't want to put more on your plate, and it was better if he told you."

I nodded even though he couldn't see me, and Nikolai squeezed my hand, "Now what?"

"Now you watch and see as the dominoes fall," Kyzer said cryptically and I realized he couldn't talk freely on call. "And Keira?"

"Yeah?"

"Listen to what Nikolai says, don't try to become a martyr. I reckon you'd have learned your lesson but one can never be too sure."

I rolled my eyes, not missing his jab, "Asshole."

"And here I almost thought you forgot to say it." Kyzer feigned being hurt, and I suppressed a laugh.

"Don't worry. It only takes a minute."

Kyzer sobered up, "Be careful. You need to leave in an hour."

"Yeah."

I hung up, and faced Nikolai again, who nodded at me and got up with me in his arms, only letting me down in the shower. I had half a mind to drag him inside with me, the uncertainty luring over the horizon had made me particularly needy, but I knew we'd never be ready in an hour if I did that. Nikolai leaned down and brushed his lips against mine before leaving me to get ready.

When I stepped out of the shower, Nikolai was putting the last of his guns in the holster, and he pulled his jacket over his shoulder as I appoached him. I'd went for a simple black T-shirt and jeans with a leather jacket to cover my own gun holster. I nodded at him, too nervous to say anything and we walked out of the hotel room side by side. Nikolai offered me his hand when we'd barely gotten in the elevator and I clasped it tightly, hoping that everything went according to the plan.

But I should've known better.

I should've known even the best laid plans could fall like a house of cards if the wind blew just fast enough.

I should've known life would play a cruel joke on me again, except this time, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to survive it.

Except hope had blinded me, and like all mistakes, I'd pay for my oversight.

***
Sooo what do you think? It's chaos after this I hope you're ready!

What do you think about Mallory? Kyzer? The plan?

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed! Don't forget to vote and comment!