Chapter 18 - Pearl

I haven't heard from Nicolo since sending him the evidence that Antonio is the one acting as a mole for the Russians. There's a worry that he's quiet because he's about to go off the rails and do something stupid. He is usually cold and calculated, waiting for the perfect moment to strike against his enemies. In other instances, he acts without thinking, letting his anger get the better of him.

I'm hoping that now is one of the times he's thinking.

Instead of driving myself crazy wondering what's going on, I slide out of bed and head to the dresser on the other side of the room. Kneeling on the carpet, I open the little support piece at the bottom of the dresser, a false front where I've got my burner phone and some other things stashed away.

I shuffle past the fake identity, searching for the phone, my heart racing. My hand doesn't land on it immediately which leaves my chest tightening, wondering if perhaps Maxim has been searching through my room.

I wouldn't put it past him. It's been a week since we got married and the only thing, we seem to manage between the two of us is sex. Anytime we try and talk it ends in an argument or somebody walking away pissed off at the other one.

So, we come back together, losing ourselves in each other's bodies that we seem to make sense. Trying to put that together with the man I'm here to kill, is hard.

Laying flat on the floor, I dig deeper into the hiding spot I've created, fingers brushing against what I can only assume is a cobweb before I finally land on the phone in the corner.

Sitting back on my heels, I dial Nicolo's number, waiting as the call rings.

Just before it goes to voicemail the call connects and he clears his throat. "I thought I told you not to call me unless it was an emergency. You can't risk getting caught."

"I'm not but I need to talk to you. Did you get my messages about Antonio? You saw those pictures?"

"I did." There's a sound in the background that sounds something similar to fists hitting flesh. "And you know, the interesting thing was that I never would have suspected him. He's done his job well over the last couple of years. He's blended in with our men. He's been at every meeting. Vital information has never been leaked."

"Does he know about me? Have I been compromised?"

I keep my voice low in case anybody is lurking in the hall. Laura tends to leave me alone during the day unless I seek her out there. Other employees still come and go from the house with regularity The last thing I need is one of the bodyguards that patrols every hour walking by and then reporting my conversation to Maxim.

"No, I don't think so. The only people who know about the plan are me and you, and though I was due to tell Antonio next week where you were and what you're doing for me, I didn't."

I breath a sigh of relief, knowing that I got the information to him in time.

"How's the happy couple doing?" Nicolo asks, his tone mocking. "I assume the two of you are getting along well. You're playing your part of a happy wife."

"I wouldn't say that we get along well, but it works. He doesn't suspect anything. Hell, he doesn't even have people watching me half the time, although not that I could go anywhere. I don't know where to go if things go wrong though."

"I know where you are and that's enough. I can handle whatever happens." Another fist sounds on the other end of the call. "I've got business to deal with. Is there anything else that you need from me?"

"Are you sure that Antonio doesn't know about me? You never said anything. Nothing. Right?"

"He knows of you. I don't think it's connected the fact that my Pearl is the same one who's now married to Maxim. I don't think there's cause for concern."

"Of course, you don't think that. You're not the one sitting in the house with the monster, waiting for the time when he figures out who you are and then decides to kill you."

"You may have a husband now, but you do well to remember to watch your tone with me."

"I'm sorry." I get to my feet, running my hands through my hair before opening the doors and stepping out onto the terrace. "I'm just worried."

"I thought you said that everything was going well there. Have you been lying to me? Have you abandoned the plan?"

"No, I'm still going to go through the plan. When are we going to neutralize the problem?"

"We're not administering the order yet. I still don't know how to crash his empire. You're going to hold off on what you know. I'll keep quiet about what I know. I'll tell you when I make a move."

"I prefer sooner rather than later. I don't want to spend the next twenty years of my life married to him."

However, spending the next twenty years being fucked by him, well now that could be something entertaining. Then, of course, there's the small feeling in the back of my mind that keeps telling me that maybe I don't hate Maxim as much as I thought I did. Maybe in the good moments after sex, when we're sitting there staring up at the ceiling, talking about everything other than who I am and where I came from, we're good. In those times, he seems like somebody I could easily like.

And then he gets out of bed, and I go for a shower. And as I scrub his scent from my skin, I'm reminded of the fact that he's the man who killed my father.

The sound of punching in the background comes to a stop. "You need to listen to me now. You need to remain calm. I know this is a lot to deal with right now. I'm going to take care of Antonio. You keep looking for more information we can use."

"And what if I don't find anything?"

"You better find something. I've spent years and tens of thousands of dollars training you to be the absolute best there is. Just so you could come up with nothing and tell me that you can't find anything? You're there and you're going to find more information. Something I can use."

"Just promise me that you're going to get out here before he can impregnate me. I can't have a child with this man."

"I don't think that's something you need to worry about right now, do you? Just keep him happy if that requires popping out a child or two and well, who are you to deny him?"

"You promised me that this wasn't going to be years of my life when I agreed to marry him. You told me that I just had to keep him happy for the time being and find information to take him down."

"And now I'm telling you that plans have changed."

The line goes dead, and I'm left staring at the garden around me, considering making a run for it. It's clear that Nicolo is going to abandon me if he thinks it's what's best for his business.

I bite the inside of my cheek, trying to hold the tears back that well up in my eyes.

This isn't the life I should have for myself. This isn't what my father would have wanted. But I need to avenge him. I need to finally put that piece of my life to rest, and the only way I'm going to be able to do that is by finally killing Maxim.

Except that, I don't think it's going to be as easy as I thought it would be.

I head back inside my room, tucking the phone away in the little hidey hole, sealing it shut, and making sure that it doesn't look like it's been moved.

I flop back into my bed, the cushions hugging me like a woman friend.

It's getting harder and harder to separate Maxim and the two sides of his personality. Maybe I should start thinking more about what a long-term life would look like with him.

What would happen if I left Nicolo to deal with his problems?

Would Dad want me to murder somebody for him? Would he want me to become just like the monsters that killed him?

The longer I think about it, the less answers I have.