Page 75 of Niccolaio Andretti (The Five Syndicates)
Despite my curiosity, I don’t ask him where he went. I’m too focused on stifling the burn of my cheeks at the memory of what happened and the anger simmering inside me at being left without a word.
I’m usually never so bashful after a hookup. Then again, it doesn’t help that he left me sitting on the island, naked and wet, without even a goodbye. Plus, I’ve been with my fair share of men, but none of them have been like Niccolaio.
There’s always been an agenda for me, but yesterday was purely about pleasure.
My pleasure.
So, I suppose that makes this my first real morning after, as unconventional as it is. And that, along with my anger at being left, is why it takes some time for me to register his words, but when I finally do, my discomfiture and anger quickly turns into an all-encompassing fury. Who the heck does he think he is, bossing me around like that?
I scowl at him, and my voice is mocking when I say, “Oh, sorry, Dad. I must have missed it when you became my caretaker. Did you sign some adoption papers and everything? Am I grounded? Shall I call you Daddy, too?”
“Is that another fantasy of yours?” he asks, obviously referring to the student-teacher roleplay from yesterday. The edges of his lips tilt upward and his voice dips lower into a seductive lull. “You can call me Daddy whenever you want.”
I ignore his words and change the subject, because I pretty much asked for that. “You can’t tell me what to do. Don’t bother trying.”
He studies me, his intense eyes on my face, looking for I’m not sure what. “You’re free to do whatever you’d like. I’m not telling you what to do, Minka. I’m reminding you that your actions have risks and consequences.” When I open my mouth to speak, he cuts me off, “You know I’m right. What happens when you go to Mina, and you’re followed? Is it really worth it?”
He’s right, of course.
But that doesn’t mean I like what he’s saying.
Or that he’s the voice of reason right now.
I shouldn’t have made any promises to Mina, but this is huge. She’s auditioned for school plays several times before, but other than a few roles as an extra, she’s never had an opportunity like this.
If I’m not there for her when she needs me, then what’s the point of working so hard to be in her life?
But deep down, I know I can’t go.
Not unless something about our situation changes.
I run my fingers through my hair, trying to reign in my anger. It doesn’t work. “Gosh. How socially inept are you? It’s not okay for you to give me unsolicited advice on my personal life without an invitation. Do you see me sifting through your life, demanding to know why there’s a hit out on you?”
He’s quiet for a moment, his brown eyes glaring at me before they’re overcome with a look of resignation. “I killed someone I loved.”
“What?” I say, taken by surprise. “I-I… How does this end?” I ask him, finally settling on an appropriate reaction to such a revelation—one where I ignore what he just said because I’m not quite ready for him to confide in me. “How do we end the hit on you?”
For the first time since I met him, he looks uncomfortable. “We can’t.”
I shake my head adamantly. “No. There has to be a way.”
He sighs heavily, and I can almost picture the weight of the world on his shoulders. “There are two ways. One is impossible, and the other involves bloodshed.”
I think about it, a sick part of me entertaining the idea if it means I’d get to see Mina play Juliet. “Tell me about them.”
“The first way—the impossible way—is for the person who called the hit or someone higher than the person who called the hit to call it off.”
“Why is that impossible?”
“Because there’s no way the person who called the hit is going to call it off. And there’s no Andretti higher than the one who called the hit.”
My jaw drops. “How in the world did you piss off the head of the Andretti family? How do you even know the head of the Andretti family?”
From what I know about the Romano family, they’re a massive organization, and with massive organizations, the big fish don’t know the little fish. Just like I doubt the CEO of Starbucks knows all of his employees, I doubt the head of the Romano family knows all of his.
I don’t know much about the Andretti family, but I assume the same logic applies. And for some reason, I thought Niccolaio was small game. Yeah, he’s intimidating as heck and obviously wealthy enough to be at the top.
But at the same time… it just didn’t make sense in my head for him to be a big dog from the Andretti family. After all, he’s an Andretti in Romano territory. If he’s truly important, wouldn’t he be living in Andretti terri
