Kiss Of Death: A Dark Mafia Romance

Una

My back hits the concrete floor with a thud that resonates through my bones. The guy presses his knee into my chest and lands three blows to my face. I lift my guard, but it’s no use. My muscles are weak from being in an induced coma for so long. My body is soft and still recovering from the baby I had only a week ago. But this is what it is to be Elite, pain and suffering, because weakness is not tolerated. Nicholai is proving a point, and punishing me.

“I thought she was supposed to be the best,” my opponent says, grunting as he goes for another punch. A few of the other Elite snicker under their breath. The kid’s arrogant and lacking in respect. I allow him to land two more blows on me, leading him into a false sense of security before I break cover and summon all my strength, punching him in the throat. His eyes go wide and he coughs, trying to suck in a breath through his collapsed trachea. I shove him off me and his face starts to turn purple.

Climbing to my hands and knees, I spit a mouthful of blood onto the concrete. Normally, I would relish in being back on this concrete, fighting with newly trained Elite, because no one else can provide me with a good fight. But right now, every single part of my body hurts. My face is swelling and I’m pretty sure my nose and cheekbone are broken. The ribs on my right side throb painfully and my knuckles are split open to the bone. This is what it is to meet Nicholai’s standards.

His shiny dress shoes step into my line of vision, and then he crouches down, much the same way I’ve seen Nero do when he wants to drive home the fact that he is the one with all the power. His finger presses under my chin and he lifts my face. I make a conscious effort to wipe all trace of thought or emotions from my expression as I look at him through swelling eyes.

“You were once the best, Una.” Disappointment paints his features. I say nothing and he simply shakes his head before walking out the door. Sasha is leaning against the wall beside the doorway, thick arms folded over his chest. His brows pull together in a tight frown as he pushes away from the wall, moving past me. As soon as he stands in front of them the Elite all stand to attention.

“Adam, get back in line,” he snaps, and the kid who just beat the shit out of me gets to his feet, clutching at his throat. “Take note. You underestimate her because you see her as weak, and she is right now. But…” He steps back until he’s beside me. “Una Ivanov is the only soldier to ever be awarded the name Ivanov. She is feared by men much more lethal than any of you. By all means, take advantage of her weakness, it is what a good fighter does, but do not disrespect her. Even at her weakest she still bests you, Adam.” I bristle at the fact that he is continuously calling me weak. “Dismissed.” They peel away, heading to the barracks at the back of the training room. He turns and looks at me, eyes touching on various points of my body, assessing injuries. “You’ve gone to shit.”

“I just had a fucking baby,” I growl, even as I know it’s no excuse. Not in this place.

He sighs and tugs at the neckline of my tank top, revealing an ugly bruise that I know is settling into the deep tissue of my shoulder. I’m pretty sure I’ve torn a ligament as well, but honestly, between the broken bones and concussion, it’s the least of my worries. “Come on.” He heads for the door, entering a code on the pad before stepping into the corridor. I follow him to a door down the hall. When he opens it, I want to turn around and walk back out. “Sasha,” I groan.

He whips around, a stern expression on his face. “This is day one. If you don’t shape up fast, he’s going to let them kill you, Una. You will only get back into his good graces if you become what you were. You must be the best.”

He’s right. I know he’s right. He goes to the enormous metal tub and turns the water on before going to the steel chest freezer in the corner and scooping several buckets of ice into the water. Stripping out of my clothes, I step up to the tub and take a deep breath before I throw my leg over the side. The easiest way to do ice baths is to do it fast, so I quickly step in with both feet, sucking in a sharp breath before I drop below the water.

“I think I’d rather have the electrocutions,” I say through tightly clenched teeth. The freezing cold only adds to the throbbing pain rippling over every inch of skin.

“You’ll go numb in a minute.” He sits on the edge of the metal tub. Sasha and I have been naked around each other so much, I don’t think he even notices. “Has Nicholai mentioned anything about your child?” he asks, causing an entirely different kind of pain to settle deep in my chest.

“No. Why?” Green eyes meet mine and he hesitates for a second. “Why? What’s happened to him, Sasha?”

“He has been taken. Nicholai can only surmise that it must be a mole, someone Nero Verdi has paid off.”

I think about that for a second. What if it isn’t Nero? “Why does he think it’s Nero?” His eyes dart around the room and I know what he’s thinking, nowhere is safe in this place. Everything can be heard.

“Your Italian has been making quite the nice little bloodbath. He declared to Dimitri that for every day he did not have you and his child, he would kill a Russian woman and child. Though he stopped after I tried to kill him. We can only surmise that he fears the repercussions of his rash actions.” I fight a smile. Nero fears nothing and would welcome repercussions. Sasha made a deal with him. It’s the only plausible explanation. Which means Sasha helped get my baby out of here. He lied when he said he wouldn’t help me.

I sit up in the ice bath and pull him into a loose hug. “Thank you,” I whisper against his ear.

When I pull back, he nods. The idea that Nero has our baby, that he is safe, has that ache in my chest diminishing. And without it, the physical pain feels like an easy burden to bear. Now I must focus on my mission here. I must immerse myself in the Elite again, become the best, earn their respect, and then, with Sasha’s help, I am going to bring Nicholai down, surrounded by the very soldiers he trained.

“Okay, get out. We’re going to train,” Sasha says.

No pain, no gain, right? This is going to be plenty painful.