Chapter 11

Angela

I nod, letting her know I’m paying attention. "By the time my legs were free, the two guys guarding me walked in, and I knew I had to move fast. Those guys were serious. I wasn’t about to let them get the upper hand, so I stood up with the chair and swung it at one of them while the other just stood there. The second guy grabbed the chair and tossed me against the wall. I managed to turn just in time for the chair to smash against the wall and break. I took both of them down and ended up taking out most of the guards in that warehouse. And here’s the best part.”

Wow, this girl can really talk. She’s definitely more of a teenager than an adult.

"When these five," Natalie gestures to Nikolai, Jessy, Demetri, Louis, and Anna, "busted through the door with their guns aimed at me. As soon as Nikolai saw it was me, he rushed over and nearly squeezed the life out of me with his hug. I swear, they still don’t believe me that I took out all those guys,” Nomiki said with a smile and a wink at her brother.

"And that's why she's such a huge fan of the Angel of Death," Jessy chimed in, rolling his eyes.

I listened to the crew share stories about their missions, debating who was better, the guys or the girls. I just smiled along with them.

The night wrapped up with dessert and more chatting until we decided it was time to head home. Nikolai mentioned that his parents lived there too, but they had their own separate wing, just like him. It didn’t bother me much since I was living with my folks as well.

Nikolai and I were among the last to leave the restaurant. The final ones were Nomiki and Demetri, and let me tell you, they were standing pretty close together. I have a hunch they might be secretly dating because I noticed how he kept stealing glances at her, and she was blushing quite a bit.

“How was dinner, love?” Nikolai asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“It was really tasty, thanks!” I replied. “I was a bit nervous at first, but your family is really nice.”

“My parents are throwing the Vasilios Mafia Ball. It’s a charity event, and this year, all the proceeds are going to the orphanage. Plus, my dad is finally retiring.”

“Would you want to go to the ball with me?”

“Why does that sound so much like Cinderella?” I teased, making him glance back at the road with a slight grin. “But yes, I’d love to be your date!”

He shot me a playful look. “I’ll arrange a pumpkin carriage for you.”

I smiled and focused on the road ahead.

Just a moment later, I felt his hand slide under my dress and rest on my thigh, making me turn to look at him. He had that infuriating smirk, and I could feel my cheeks heating up, so I quickly glanced out the passenger window to hide it.

The rest of the ride home was quiet, except for the occasional light squeeze on my thigh that sent shivers down my spine.

When we stepped through the front door, it was eerily quiet.

“This is strange. Usually, the house is buzzing with noise, especially in the living room.” I raise an eyebrow at him, hoping he’s not thinking what I’m thinking. Nikolai catches my expression and starts shaking his head. "No, wait, that’s not what I meant. I just meant that everyone is usually in the living room playing board games, watching movies, or chatting. I guess everyone’s just worn out tonight."

"Yeah, I guess so," I reply before heading up the stairs and down the hallway to our room. It feels odd.

The first thing I do is take my hair down from the tiny bun. Those pins were giving me a headache. Then I go to the closet and change into a t-shirt and shorts. I’m surprised to find something like this in there since it’s definitely something I’d wear to sleep. I head to the bathroom and start rummaging through the drawers, hoping to find a toothbrush.

When I finally come out of the bathroom, I see Nikolai sitting on the bed, scrolling through his phone, wearing nothing but white sweatpants. Why white of all colors?

"So, how are we handling this?" I ask.

"What do you mean?"

"Sleeping. Do you have a side you prefer? Or I could crash on this couch right here," I say, plopping down on the couch in his room.

How is his room even big enough for a couch?

"Cora, there’s no way I’m letting you sleep on the couch. I don’t have a specific side; I just crash wherever I land."

I ignore him and lay back on the surprisingly comfy couch, closing my eyes. I hear him groan as his footsteps come closer. I peek at him with one eye. "Are you here to tuck me in?"

"The only place you’re sleeping is in our bed. Now come on."

Before I can react, he scoops me up in a bridal carry and walks to the bed, dropping me onto it. "Seriously?" I ask.

He laughs and quickly turns away, leaving me puzzled. "You good?" I ask as I sit up.

"Yeah, I just need to take a quick shower. Get comfy.”

He hurried to the bathroom, shut the door behind him, and locked it tight.

Didn’t he just take a shower before heading out for dinner?

I grab my phone and decide to text Maya because I really need her help.

Angela?

I need your help.

Does this have anything to do with you accidentally getting drunk and marrying Nikolai Vasilios, the boss of the Vasilios Mafia?

How do you know that?

Clio spilled the beans. Ares and I are pretty upset you didn’t tell us!

Sorry, I’ll fill you and Ares in on the details in a few days. I bet Clio only gave you the highlights.

Yep. So, what do you need from me?

Wait, your big fight is in four days!

That’s exactly it, Maya. I need you to hack into the security cameras at the Vasilios Residence and disable them when I get back from the fight.

What about when you leave?

I can just say I’m visiting an old friend from my orphan days for dinner or something and won’t be back until late.

They don’t even have guards at the entrance, so their security system must be top-notch.

Maya and I chatted for a bit over an hour before she mentioned that she and Ares had to go dig up info on my upcoming clients.

Crap. I’m going to have to ask Maya for help almost every weekday to pull off my hits. I’m already a day behind. I’ll just tell them I’ll be at Clio’s office all day tomorrow while I take care of my business.

I set my phone and laptop to charge and stash my burner phone away. I also noticed that Nikolai has been in the shower for nearly an hour now. I get up and knock on the door. “Nikolai, you okay? The longer you’re in there, the more wrinkly your fingers are gonna get.”

“I’ll be out in a minute.”

I chuckle, "Hope you make it out alive in there," before heading back to tidy up the bed so I can crash.

The moment my head hits the pillow and I snuggle under the covers, I drift off to sleep almost instantly.

Nikolai

I’ve only known this girl for less than a week, but she’s already got this strange hold on me. The second she walked into my club, I knew she’d leave a mark. I’m pretty sure she caught on when I dropped her on the bed and then casually strolled to the bathroom like it was no big deal.

Even in that sleepwear, she’s got me all worked up. I’m really trying to keep it together and be respectful, but it’s tough when she looks amazing in everything. And that sweet honey scent? It’s intoxicating.

After a few minutes of splashing cold water on my face in the bathroom, which didn’t help much, I turned on the tap.

Cold water did the trick, but then I heard her voice, and I just had to stay in there longer. This girl is seriously going to drive me crazy.

A few minutes later, I dried off and slipped back into my sweatpants. The room was dark when I opened the door. I switched off the bathroom light and made my way to the bed, where I found her lying on her side, facing the window.

Just like I do.

I pulled the covers back to slide in next to her, and I couldn’t resist inching closer. She seemed to notice because she kept shifting around.

I tucked her hair behind her ear, exposing her neck, and planted a few soft kisses there. She let out a few sweet hums, and I trailed down to her shoulder before wrapping my arm around her waist to pull her in closer.

"Goodnight, baby girl."