Page 55 of Captured Obsession

One of Dante’s eyebrows perks up in surprise, but Luca’s gaze remains on my throat.

Nikolai, I can’t read. But I imagine him mocking me for using the phrasemost convenient.

The jarring scar on his face seems harsher under the sun than usual. Or maybe I’m seeing the brutal truth of who he is for the first time.

“Until we have an appropriate response, we’ll remain in New York. When The Wolf feels you’re genuinely open to negotiations, he’ll visit personally.”

Luca’s gaze narrows. “I can kill you right now or later in the week; it makes no difference to me when it happens. But I’m curious as to what makes you so confident that I won’t do it at all.”

Nikolai shrugs and shoots a pointed look at the necklace. “I have a feeling you’re aware we’re not the only ones who will come. I’m not the head, and no one important, but I am the one with plans in place to kill this woman immediately if something were to happen to me. So, it’s really up to you as to whether you’d liketo take the risk.” He leans forward with an insincere smile. “You might want to ask your wife first what she thinks about that.”

My nails dig into Nikolai’s hand as he not-so-subtly threatens Ara. I should be more scared that he casually threatened my life, and I find myself confused if this is part of the act or if I’m the fool for ever thinking him truthful.

“You’re actually smiling, even when you know you’re just a pawn in this game,” Dante says, and I don’t know from his tone if he is impressed or thinks Nikolai is deranged.

“Don’t assume I’m not where I want to be,Doc. I must confess, I’m disappointed that the great Diablo only brought his hounds and second to greet us. You think very little of us.”

“We’re not the only ones with reputations,Udav,” Luca says, and I realize then that these men have all earned their nicknames from their lethal reputations.

Nikolai’s smile grows wider. “I promise no harm will come to her during the time of negotiations. We’ll be staying at Sienna Falcone’s penthouse, where she intends to be the most hospitable host.”

My head snaps in his direction. “What?”

Luca’s gaze narrows, and he briefly looks over his shoulder at Ara, who is watching on intently. “My wife won’t let me leave without Sienna.”

“Then your wife needs to loosen the lead attached your collar, because I’m not handing over my womanuntil I see to it that my own needs are met.”My woman.It shifts something in my chest that it has no right to. “Dmitri Volkov. Make sure he’s at our next meeting.”Dmitri Volkov? Why is he asking about him again? Does he somehow know him because they share the last name?

“Just know, if you try to take her by force, The Wolf will consider it as a personal attack against him. He’ll go for your power in Italy first, then he’ll strike here in New York, where it matters most to you, Diablo. Choose wisely.”

And then Nickolai turns and casually hooks his arm around my shoulders. I glance back at the others. Romi and Ara look furious. But it’s Luca’s and Dante’s gazes that scare me the most. Luca calls out to Nikolai once again. “Was your boss close with The Lion? Is this retaliation for his death?”

Nikolai stops, and when I look up at him, there’s something in his expression I can’t read. Who is The Lion? And how is Nikolai connected to him?

Nikolai casually looks over his shoulder as he says, “The Lion is dead, and he failed here. Now there’s room for business and profit. Surely, you don’t think the bratva families so weak as to play into sentimental bullshit. We’ve come for a piece of the pie, Diablo. It’s up to you as to whether you’re willing to share. If not, there are consequences. It’s as simple as that.”

And then he continues walking, his harsh glare pointed forward, and I feel like I can’t reach him as hetucks me closer into his side. I don’t know this version of Nikolai.

Tears well in my eyes as Romi tries to wrestle with one of the masked men, as if trying to break free and run to me. Ara simply watches, her arms crossed over her chest, unimpressed.

I’m just grateful that for now, no one is dead.

22

SIENNA

Ilook up at my apartment building that I haven’t lived in for almost four months. The busy streets of New York are very different from the quiet of the island where I was held. All I can think is that what once was home, now just feels like another prison.

“I don’t like this. Anyone can see you coming and going. Gossip might spread,” I bite as Agata, Nikolai, and I sit in the back seat of the car idling at the curb. Nikolai sits across from me, his arms folded over his chest. Agata seems uninterested to everything that’s happening. I wonder how many times she’s followed him blindly. Andrei is in the front, a privacy screen separating him from us.

“You care too much what others think, little doll,” Nikolai comments. “This is all just a process. Besides, it’s not like we’ll be leaving that often, if at all. This willall be dealt with soon, then you can go back to your own version of an imprisoned life.”

“For someone who’s taken my rights away, you like to pretend you know a lot about my fucking life and desires.”

“And you seem to be avoiding the fact that we still have yet to leave the car to enter your building. So, why have you been staring up at it, terrified? What are you really so scared of?”

Nausea swirls in my stomach. I’ve become transparent to him, but it doesn’t give him any right to hold it over me, treating me as if I’m the crazy one here.

“I don’t know, maybe it’s the fact that I can’t see my friends. Or maybe it’s that I’m being held hostage by a man who seems to have no fucking soul.”