Chapter 87: Do you understand?
Nico
"I want to see it! I want to see the will," she said, her voice on the verge of breaking, and I nodded.
"You will. I have a copy back at the estate."
Standing beside her, it was obvious she was still shaken by my revelation. I wasn’t entirely sure it had been a good idea to tell her.
Not with the way she had always adored her father, as though he could do no wrong.
There was a blank look on her face, but her deep, uneven breaths and the tight grip she had on the railing told a completely different story.
Still, I simply stood there and waited for her to speak. We still had a lot to discuss, and I needed to make sure that while I handled everything else, she wasn’t something I had to worry about.
She remained silent for a while, almost as if she were gathering her thoughts, but eventually, she spoke.
"So what’s the main plan?" she asked, glancing back at me as I looked down at her.
I noticed the faint watery glint in her eyes but chose to ignore it.
"You’re not going to kill the lawyer? You should" she added, making it clear she had no intention of letting letting go of the territory.
I nodded in satisfaction. "...Not yet. He still has a few uses, and I’m sure Bianca will never suspect a thing."
"What I need to take care of next is Vito and Gotti. Hopefully, we’ll only have to kill one of them and not both," I continued, watching her nod coldly before turning fully to face me.
"...So we’re partners?" she asked, and it was impossible not to hear the steel in her voice when she said it. Clearly she herself was struggling to come to terms with it.
"Of course. Which is why I’m telling you all this," I replied, slightly confused as to why she felt the need to ask.
Why would I feel the need to share information with her and out of the goodness of my heart, i even went ahead and told her some of my plans?
Did I do that to everyone? Aware that once I start, I was sure they would try to turn her and I needed her firmly on my side.
But I had barely finished speaking when she shifted, as if she wanted to put distance between us.
That wasn’t happening.
I placed my hands on either side of her against the railing, leaning closer with a faint smile.
"If you have something to say, you can say it here," I said, not at all surprised when she instantly glared at me.
Not surprised, either, that some of that anger was directed at me.
Her eyes were cold, filled with anger, which was fine. She would get over it.
Then she spoke.
"I’m not sleeping with you anymore."
The words were sudden enough to wipe the smile from my face, my mind briefly stalling as I tried to connect what that had to do with anything.
She met my gaze, unflinching.
"...We can work together, and once this is done, we’ll go our separate ways. I’ll pay you back what I owe you, and that’s it."
"I no longer have any interest in sleeping with you. If I have a need, I’ll find someone else," she snapped, jerking away from me as if to leave.
And just like that, I felt the anger crawl up my neck like a living thing.
She had barely taken a step before I moved to grab her—but of course, she expected it. She twisted my wrist, trying to maneuver behind me where she’d have the advantage.
But did she really think I’d allow that?
Using just as much strength as I would against an enemy, I stepped into her space, ignoring the strain in my wrist as I grabbed her arm.
Hard enough to hurt. Not enough to break.
I heard her gasp as I pulled her back against me, her body colliding with my chest. She let go of my wrist, trying to break free, but I held firm.
I was stronger.
Something we both knew.
She groaned, cursing under her breath as I kept her pinned against the railing, her body bent forward.
My breathing grew heavier as I tried to rein in the surge of anger running through me, even as she continued to struggle.
"Get away from me, you fucking beast. What happened to not forcing me?" she growled.
Yet I kept her arm twisted behind her, her body held down, her waist pressed against me.
"When you said yes," I replied, my voice low. "I told you. You said yes to everything."
"I asked to confirm, and now you’re trying to go back on our deal?" I scowled, only to hear her scoff.
"What can I say? Whatever attraction I felt towards you is completely gone."
The anger in her voice was unmistakable.
She called me a liar, yet here she was, lying through her teeth.
In one swift movement, I released her arm only to press my entire body firmly against hers, my hands moving—one slipping beneath her shirt, the other down into her waistband before she could react.
Too fast for her to stop.
She grabbed at my wrists, trying to pull them away, but it was useless.
I leaned down, my breath brushing against her neck as she jerked her head to the side, trying to avoid me. A quiet chuckle left me as I felt her body stiffen beneath me.
"Nico!" she snapped in warning.
I ignored it.
"You say you’re not interested..." I murmured near her ear, my voice rougher now, "...yet your body says otherwise."
Her breathing hitched despite herself.
She struggled harder, but it only made her movements more frantic, more telling.
"I’ll scream," she threatened.
"Go ahead," I whispered back. "Give me a reason."
Her breathing turned uneven, her body tense as I pressed closer, feeling the rapid beat of her pulse beneath my lips.
"Fine... I understand!" she finally snapped, her voice strained, demanding I stop.
But I only exhaled slowly, pressing closer, my voice dropping lower.
"Do you?" I murmured. "Do you really understand?"
