07- Nikolai asks to be shot

NIKOLAI

I walked into my father’s study where his council were waiting.

“Nikolai” One of them clasped me on the back.

“I did not think you would arrive so soon and with the girl.” My father’s second in command nodded at me.

“It was not hard to find her” I said.

No way was I going to tell them to their face that she had been in my bed.

“Where is she now?”

“She is taken care of. Now about my father…”

“We are so sorry, Nikolai. I don’t know how we completely missed…”

“We have a traitor in our midst” I cut him off.

I made sure to maintain eye contact with each and every one of them as I took a seat… my father’s seat.

None of them voiced an objection.

It was obvious that I was now their new head.

“A traitor?” Edgar echoed.

“Yes, Uncle and it is somebody in this room”

The room erupted instantly with protests at the accusation I had just levelled against each and every one of them.

Their voices blended together into noise as the council began murmuring amongst themselves.

I sat back slowly in my father’s chair, watching every single one of them carefully.

“Nikolai,” Edgar said finally, his voice heavy with disapproval. “I know you are enraged about your father’s death but you are throwing baseless accusations around and insulting the memory and loyalty of your father’s council.”

My gaze shifted toward him.

Edgar was my father’s oldest friend and his second in command. He was the one who had called me with the news.

Did he have something to do with it? I wondered.

“Baseless?” I repeated calmly.

“Yes,” Edgar replied firmly. “We have all bled for this family. We have spent decades protecting your father.”

“And yet,” I said quietly, “he still ended up dead. Ambushed at a location only this council knew about.”

Nobody spoke and so I let the silence stretch until it became downright uncomfortable and a couple of them shifted in their seats.

“You all knew where he would be,” I continued. “You all knew the route. The timing. The security detail and somehow the Orlovs knew about it too.

I rose slowly from my father’s chair.

“I am dissolving the council.”

Immediate outrage followed all echoing the same thing.

That I could not dissolve the council based on a whim and an accusation but what they were failing to understand was I was now head of the clan and I could do whatever the fuck I wanted.

I slammed both fists to the table, the loud crack of it silenced the room instantly.

“You all failed him,” I said quietly.

I watched several of them avoid my gaze.

Cowards.

“My father is dead because somebody in this room betrayed him.” My voice dropped lower. “And until I find out who that person is, none of you will hold power.”

Edgar stood abruptly.

“You are letting grief cloud your judgment.”

I looked directly at him.

“Am I?”

“I think you need time to…”

“What I need, Edgar are answers and I will bloody well get them and when I do… when I find this traitor to his own blood, they will wish against all hope that they had died with my father.”

Nobody spoke.

Good.

“The meeting is over.”

I turned and walked out without waiting for permission or response.

Behind me, the room remained dead silent.

…

Sergei appeared at my side immediately. He had been my closest friend since childhood. He was also one of the few men I trusted completely.

“You really think one of them betrayed your father?”

“Yes.” I answered without hesitation.

There was no other explanation.

My father was too careful and too experienced so it was obvious someone had sold him out.

The question was who.

“The girl has been secured in your room as you requested.” Sergei said after a moment. “What are you going to do with her?” He asked.

“She is Viktor Orlov’s daughter. She is going to serve me well” I answered simply.

Speaking of her serving me well…

“Follow Edgar” I told Sergei. “There is something off about him”

“You think he…”

“I do not want to believe he did but keep an eye on him for me, will you?”

Sergei nodded and walked away.

I headed to my room where Katya was probably bound and waiting.

When I opened the door, I froze in my tracks.

Katya was holding a gun and it was pointed directly at me.

My gaze flicked briefly toward the ropes discarded on the floor before returning to her.

She had gotten herself free.

A slow satisfaction curled inside me despite the situation.

Tenacious little thing.

Most women in her position would have been sobbing in the corner by now but not her.

She had found a weapon.

Her hands trembled slightly around the gun but her expression remained determined.

Fear burned in her eyes but so did fire.

I closed the door behind me calmly.

“Put the gun down,” I said. “You will hurt yourself.”

Her eyes narrowed instantly.

“I am going to walk out of this place,” she said shakily, “and none of you will be coming after me or I swear to God, I will shoot somebody.”

I folded my arms slowly across my chest.

Amusement tugged faintly at the corner of my mouth.

She frowned immediately.

“What is funny?”

“You,” I answered honestly. “Thinking I would let you walk out of this room… or this house.”

Her grip tightened.

“I am serious.”

“So am I.”

She swallowed hard then cocked the gun properly.

This time she pointed it squarely at my chest.

“I don’t see how you are going to stop me if you are dead.”

Ah… now suddenly, I wanted to see how far I could pus her.

I began walking toward her slowly.

Her eyes widened instantly.

“Stop walking, what are you doing? I am going to shoot you”

I ignored her and took another step.

“Do not come closer.”

“If you are going to shoot me, then do it.”

She took a step back with every step I took towards her until she was backed against the wall.

I stopped walking when the barrel of the gun was pressed directly against my chest.

Her breathing was uneven…panicked.

I looked down briefly at the weapon against my heart before lifting my eyes back to hers.

“Well?” I asked softly. “What are you waiting for?”

“Do not dare me.”

I leaned forward slightly, pressing my chest harder against the barrel.

“Shoot me, Katya. If you want your freedom… you are going to pull that trigger.” I taunted.

“I…” Her voice cracked.

“Do it, Katya,” I murmured. “You said you would.”

Her finger twitched again on the trigger.

I moved suddenly, my hand wrapping around the gun before twisting it sharply from her grip.

She cried out in surprise as the weapon clattered onto the bed.

“No!”

She lunged for it immediately.

I caught her around the waist before she could reach it.

“Let me go!” she screamed, struggling wildly.

I hauled her firmly against my chest while she fought like a feral cat.

“Stop fighting”

She elbowed me hard in the ribs.

Pain exploded through my side.

I almost laughed.

“You are making this difficult.”

“Me? You fucking kidnapped me”

Fair point.

She twisted sharply again, trying to tear herself free.

I tightened my grip instinctively and her back slammed flush against my chest.

Both of us froze for half a second because suddenly I could feel every inch of her body against mine.

Her hair smelled faintly like vanilla.

“Let me go,” she whispered this time.

I released her.

She backed away from me, putting distance between us while glaring at me.

I picked up the gun, checking the safety.

“You could have hurt someone, you know”

She scoffed at me like she could not believe her ears.

I heard her stomach growl in the silence of the room. Her cheeks reddened with embarrassment at the sound.

“I will ask someone to bring you something to eat” I said.

“I am not hungry,”

“I wasn’t asking you”

I turned away from her, the gun shoved into my waist belt.

“What are you going with me?” she called out as I reached for the door.

I took one last look at her before I walked out and the lock clicked in place.