Kiss Of Death: A Dark Mafia Romance

Nero

I drum my fingers over the steering wheel and glance at the clock on the dashboard. Gio fiddles with the buttons for the air conditioning, tugging at the collar of his shirt. The sun glares off the hood of the car and I squint into the rear-view mirror at the car parked behind me. On cue, a cloud of dust kicks up from the valley below us. I pick up the binoculars and watch the convoy of black Range Rovers wind along the empty desert road, their tinted windows hiding their occupants. They pull over to the shoulder and all the doors open, soldiers clad in black climbing out and arming themselves. Sasha and Una stand at the head of what must be twenty Elite.

“Fuck, that’s a lot of Elite,” I murmur, a wave of unease creeping through me. It’s too many.

“How many?” Gio asks.

“Maybe twenty.”

“I’ll go tell Rafael.” The door opens and hot, dusty air fills the cabin.

I adjust the binoculars and smile when the back door of the second Range Rover opens and Nicholai Ivanov himself steps out. Una said he would come, but I didn’t believe it. He’s known for his sharp intellect and his strategic skill, but this—coming here—surely he’s not that arrogant? He’s completely exposed, ripe for the picking. Even with his Elite…this is cartel country. And, of course, he couldn’t possibly predict what Sasha and Una are about to do to his precious Elite, or maybe he could have, if he weren’t so obsessed with Una and the idea of having her child. It’s exactly as she said; he’s blinded by her. He’ll never even see her coming.

The band of Elite disperse, heading up the hillside and leaving Nicholai alone with only two Elite to protect him. Stupid. So very stupid. The door opens and Gio gets back in.

“He’s here. Only two guards with him,” I say.

“This seems too easy.”

I toss the binoculars in the glove compartment. “I’m not sure whether it’s a trap, or he really is that sure of his force.”

“It seems to go against his nature, but then he did come deep into Rafael’s territory once before to get Anna.”

This is too good of an opportunity. Sasha would have warned us if they’d brought more force. Una might be kept in the dark, but not Sasha.

“Lets go.” I glance in the rear-view mirror, meeting Rafael’s hard gaze as he sits behind the wheel of the car behind. Anna is beside him in the passenger seat, despite me telling him that Una wouldn’t like it. Apparently, he thinks she’s safest where he can keep an eye on her. If only Una were so easy to control. I start the engine and pull away, sending the Hummer down the steep hillside, kicking up dust and rubble in its wake.

I give it to Rafael, he has all the best kit. Armor plated Hummers with mounted .50 Cal gun’s on the roof. One of his men is hanging out the sunroof, ready to open fire on the Russian and his beloved soldiers. He has instructions not to kill Nicholai though. Una deserves that honor.

As soon as we’re on flat ground, we’re flooring it towards the parked Range Rovers. The two soldiers move in front of Nicholai, firing bullets at the car. Shots ping off the hood and I slam my foot over the accelerator. When they realize that their bullets aren’t doing shit, they run for the car, ushering Nicholai inside.

Gio reaches back and taps the knee of the guy with the big ass gun. He opens fire, the bullets leaving golf-ball-sized holes in the body work of one of the parked Ranger Rovers.

“Damn, I need one of these cars.”

“Might be a bit conspicuous in New York,” Gio shouts over the deafening bang, bang, bang of gunfire. The Range Rover screeches away, heading into the desert, and I follow. Rafael pulls up beside me. Bullets spray the back of the Range Rover, shattering the glass and tearing holes through the body work until one tire explodes. The car veers violently to the side, fishtailing before skidding sideways and tipping. It rolls over several times before coming to a stop on its wheels again. Palming my .40 Cal, I throw the door open. Gio and Rafael fall in beside me. I shoot the injured Elite slumped against the steering wheel. The other one already looks dead. Rafael goes to the back door, bracing his hand over the handle as he watches me. With a nod from me, he wrenches the door open and Nicholai falls out of the car. I’m sure he’s dead, before he groans and attempts to crawl across the floor.

If it were up to me, I’d tie him to the tow bar and drag him back to that villa for Una to end, but he might die on the way and she needs to be the one to kill him. He has taken more from her than anyone. I kick him in the gut hard enough that he lands on his back, gasping for air. His suit is covered in dust and blood trickles from his nose, pouring down his chin.

“Nicholai Ivanov.” I smile and yank him from the dusty ground. He sways and Gio grabs his arm, holding him up. “How the mighty have fallen.”

“Nero Verdi,” he says and then laughs. “And Refael D’Cruze. You both reach too far. You will die before you reach the border.”

Rafael laughs, toting a rifle over his shoulder casually.

“Who’s going to stop us?” I raise a brow and cup my ear, tilting my head. “I don’t hear anything. Oh, wait. That’s because no one is coming. You are all out of allies, Nicholai.”

His teeth clench. “I need no allies. I have an army. My Elite will end you, and your child will be mine.”

My fingers flinch, wanting to grab my gun. Instead I punch him in the gut hard enough that a breath wheezes past his lips. Gio holds him up and I cup the back of his neck, bringing my lips to his ear. “Your Elite are dying as we speak. Killed by your own…your best. After all, you did make Una quite formidable.” I step back and his cold eyes flash with rage.

“I made her strong. I made her the best…”

“You fucking broke her!” I shout, my temper spiking before I manage to fight it back. “But you’re right, Nicholai. You made her strong.” I search that soulless gaze and notice the drop of seat that rolls down his temple. “Strong enough to put an end to you.”

A sick grin spreads across his lips. “Una is mine. She will always be what I made her.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. Una is mine. And you’re about to see what happens when you try and take what’s fucking mine.” I nod at Gio and he drags him towards the car before I break my word and kill him right here. Gio shoves him inside next to our gunman who is now sitting on the back seat, pointing a pistol at him.

Rafael comes to stand beside me, a smile pulling at his lips. “I can’t wait to see this.”

My vicious little queen will finally get her revenge.