Chapter 11

11

NIKOLAI

" I swear, please. I'll never do it again. It was an accident. I was—" Church interrupts the piece of shit's words when he shoves his hand into the man's mouth, keeping it open to make room for the pliers.

How the fuck do you accidentally beat the shit out of a woman? You don't. Not to mention there are more than just this one woman. We'd picked this fuck up as a favor to Detective Stark. I'm guessing he couldn't get the evidence he needed to toss him into jail. Stark walks a dark line. He does the right thing, but sometimes the right thing isn't always the legal thing. He often trades favors with us.

I turn around, ignoring the scream, when my phone vibrates in my pocket. It could be Riley. I put my number in her phone, but she's yet to use it. She is still a little flighty with me. Maybe I should go back to my overbearing ways. I had more time with her then. It's not her. I'm sure she's asleep by now.

The text, however, is the next best thing. Zero just sent me the information I requested on Brent Rothschild. I want to know why this kid is so goddamn cocky.

Before I open it, I send Riley a good-night text. She always gives me a wary expression when I leave the house at night, but she never asks what I might be up to. Shit, should I tell her? In this life, you don't ask those kinds of questions, but it would fuck with my head if Riley were up and leaving most nights without some sort of explanation. Not that it will ever happen.

I glare at my phone when her only response is to heart my message. "Maybe save me a few teeth," I mutter to Church, irritated. When he doesn't respond and I realize the sound of screams has stopped, I turn back around. Church is still standing over the man tied to the chair.

"Motherfucker." Church slams the pliers down on the floor. Did he pass out already? That often comes after they piss themselves.

"He dead?" I don't see his chest rising and falling. Church lets out a few curses. I'm sure he's pissed that he didn't get to have his fun. I'm guessing the guy had a heart attack. Lucky bastard.

I return to reviewing the documents that Zero forwarded to me. Matteo relies on him for everything related to electronics. I have never met or even seen the man. For all I know, I could pass him in the street and never know it.

Well, shit. His daddy is a senator. A dirty one at that, from what Zero found. If he wants, the man can dig up all of your secrets. It's freaky as shit. Brent has gotten himself into some trouble over the years. Of course, Daddy cleared it up for him. I don't believe he does it solely for his son. It's to keep his own name clean. An election is coming up very soon, and I'm sure none of his son's misdoings would reflect well on the senator's campaign.

The rest of the kid's details are basic. Typical rich kid shit. I flick through a few pictures of the family. "Who's that?"

"The fuck." I spin around. "For a big fuck, you don't make a sound when you move."

"Who's that?" Church is never one for much conversation.

"The senator?" I show him the photo. It's a family picture. I'm pretty sure it's a campaign one.

"The girl." Church's eyes are glued to the pic.

"I don't know. I think it's this kid's twin sister." Shit, it dawns on me that the girl in the photo was the mousy girl who gave me directions to the library. I wouldn't have guessed she was related to Brent, let alone his twin. She was nice, unlike her entitled prick brother.

"Send it to me."

"I'm not sure I'm going to kill the little shit yet."

"The boy?" Church takes a step toward me.

"Are you all right?" I've never seen Church so interested in a kill before. His reaction is way out of character for him. To be honest, I think this is the most small talk we've ever had with one another besides work-related things.

"Answer me." His tone is the same one he uses on people we bring down here, telling me he's not fucking around.

"Yeah, the fucking boy," I respond, not wanting to piss Church off more. Not because I think I'll end up in the basement in the chair, but because he might stop letting me come down here and help when I need to release some pent-up energy. Which I have a lot of lately. I forward him the picture. "There." He grunts in response, which I'm guessing is his way of saying thank you.

I fire off a text to Matteo's right-hand man, Sergio, to let him know cleanup is needed before I head out. When I make it home, I head for Riley's room. I shouldn't, but I'm always doing what I shouldn't be when it comes to her.

Quietly, I slip into her room, kicking my shoes off. Riley has a few books open on the bed with her. I pick them up and place them on her nightstand before slipping her glasses off her face. I slowly get into bed next to her. I stay on top of the covers because I don't trust myself. That doesn't stop me from pressing my chest against her back and putting my arm around her waist. I bury my face in her hair. It always smells like strawberries.

An immediate sense of calmness washes over me. It's a feeling I'm not used to. Usually, trying to sleep is the hardest part of my day. That's when all the demons from my past like to visit. When my mind races with all the bad shit that has happened in my life. But I'm finding when I'm next to Riley, I feel settled. I'm not scared of a lot of things in life, but I'm fucking terrified that she will be taken from me.

"Nikolai," I hear her mutter. She lets out a sigh and rolls over. Her face is only a few inches from mine. Riley really does have the face of an angel. When I stare at her sweet innocence, it helps me forget my fucked-up childhood.

Gently, I lift my hand to cup her cheek. Riley's nose wrinkles, yet she grins and moves closer to me, burying her face in my chest. She slips her arm around me. I don't think I've ever been held this way. Affection wasn't in my life. Sure, Matteo would give me a few hugs, and even Emma, the woman who ran Matteo's home and helped raise me, would try to show me some, but I always pulled away. It felt awkward and suffocating.

Right now, I don't want to move. I lie completely still, not wanting Riley to wake up and possibly pull away. That shit would hurt. In ways I never knew existed.