Mafia Men: Nikolai's Inferno - Chapter 61: Chapter 61

.Evangeline.
"DAD!"
"PAUL!"
Grace and her mother screamed in unison.
My entire body jerked to a stand still. Everything happened so suddenly, screams and gunfire sound resonated all around the place. I was stuck in my seat watching the blood gushing out of Grace's father's head, the blood filled the plate full of food that her father was eating earlier.
Gunshots rang out throughout the ceremony, and the guests were panicking, they were screaming and running here and there trying to find cover. Some people crawled under the tables while others were moving inside the building.
Nikolai stood up and pulled out a gun from behind, he gestured to Scott. "Scott, take them inside!"
I don't know when Scott pulled me up and dragged me inside the building. He slammed open the door and yelled at everyone to get inside. He hauled me inside the building with a few of the other guests.
I looked around and saw hysterically crying Grace, her mother, Nikolai's father, Grace's uncle, and a few more of Nikolai's relatives.
More gunshots were fired, and my face turned pale. My lower body trembled, as I tried coming back into reality, though I continued staring into the distance. I couldn't concentrate on anything. Mom, dad, gunshots, blood, dead...
People were shouting, screaming their lungs out and children crying but the gunfire didn't stop. I looked down at my shaking hands and saw my wedding ring that had Grace's father's blood on it.
Nikolai...
He was... he was outside.
Fear became a tangible, living force that crept over me like some hungry beast, immobilizing me; my brain, holding me captive.
The glass windows got shattered as the bullets hit them, Grace screamed, her mother screamed while I just stood there in the corner, trying to wrap my mind around the fact that this was happening. My ring was covered in blood, my dress was covered in blood and Nikolai was out there in the middle of the gunfight.
I heard his voice coming from outside, he was shouting something in Italian, ordering his men.
Then a second later, everything went silent.
Dead silent.
I waited and waited...
The doors burst open Nikolai entered with blood dripping from his arm. That is when I came to my senses. I forgot that we were surrounded by his friends and family. I forgot that he got married to Grace just half an hour ago. I forgot that his father was in the same room. I forgot that I was supposed to keep quiet.
I ran to him and wrapped my arms around his neck pulling him into a hug. "Are you alright? Are you hurt? Please, tell me that you're fine, please..."
"I'm fine, Evangeline, I'm fine. Are you okay?" his hand went to the back of my head as he softly stroked my hair.
I pulled back and held his arm, inspecting it. "Who's blood is that?"
"Not mine," he just said and that was enough, enough for me.
"I got so scared..." my voice broke as I felt a tear rolling down my cheek, I wrapped my arms around his waist, nuzzling my face into his chest. "So, so scared."
"Niko..."
I stiffened in his arms as I heard Grace's voice coming from behind me. My breath got caught in my throat as Nikolai's grip tightened around me. A cold wave embalmed me as the hair rose on the back of my neck and my mouth ran dry.
I slowly pulled away from Nikolai and looked up into his eyes. Panic filtered through my body as I realized what I have done and what it might look like to the people around us. Nikolai gave me a subtle shake, I don't know what it meant... was he telling me that whatever I did was wrong, or was he trying to tell me that it's fine and I don't need to worry. "You fucking bitch! You have some nerve!" Grace yelled out.
I turned to face her and she looked ready to tear me apart. She was trying hard to get herself out of her mother's grip to get to me.
"Niko, what is going on here?" his father snapped, his venomous eyes shifted between Nikolai and me.
"I'll tell you what's going on here, this bitch is sleeping with my husband! She had been sleeping with him while he was engaged to me! That backstabbing fucking whore! I'm gonna fucking kill her!"
I swallowed and took a step back. Everyone in the room watched me with disdain, and hate while Nikolai's grip on my hand tightened painfully. He wasn't saying anything but his eyes had warped into a dangerous darkest shade possible, a miserable black. He wasn't Nikolai right now, he was Don Niko, it was the monster.
"Niko, have some respect for your wife on the day of your wedding." Luciano turned to Scott. "Scott, control your fucking woman." 2
"That's not my woman," Scott answered, standing behind Nikolai.
"The contract you signed with Paul Russell clearly stated that if one of the two parties is eliminated, this contract would be void," Nikolai spoke for the first time. His voice was as impassive as his face. Luciano nodded. "Yes."
"Paul is dead," he declared. "The FBI got to him."
Luciano glared at his son. "Yes, but you're married now, it doesn't matter anymore if Paul is dead or alive. It's done, Grace
your wife!"
Nikolai took a deep breath, "You see, Pops, bigamy is illegal in the state of New York City," he wrapped his arm around my waist tugging me closer to his body, he looked proud as he held me. "I don't usually follow the law but there are certain things where even I, Nikolai Costello had to draw a line."
"What are you saying, Niko? What is this?" his father's patience was hanging a thread, I could see how enraged he looked.
Nikolai glanced at me with a smile, he leaned closer to me and pecked my lips before he faced his father again.
Watching this scene, Grace shrieked as she ran towards us ready to tear us apart but before she could reach me, Nikolai's soldiers got in the way and held her back, two of them pointed guns at her forehead. "Evangeline and I are legally married, which makes my marriage to Grace completely null and void. I can not marry someone if I'm already married, Pops. As for your contract, it's invalid now, and Gregory Russell-the chief of staff-signed a contract that gave us clearance all around the country's borders. He signed that willingly, in his senses. The signed documents are with my lawyers right now."
Grace pushed one of the soldiers back as she pointed a finger at Nikolai. "If this marriage contract is void then the other one is void too because this was supposed to be an alliance between our families. You can not-"
"Unfortunately, your father or your uncle didn't put such a condition in his contract, did you, Gregory?"
Grace's uncle looked helpless and extremely scared, he was shaking as two of Nikolai's soldiers moved behind him, cocking their guns.
"No, Niko, I didn't..." he said through clenched teeth and flared nostrils.
Nikolai's lips curved into a devilish smirk, shaking his head. He took off the ring and threw it in Grace's direction. "Now, if you will excuse us, my wife is tired and very scared. She'd like to go home."
Nikolai held my hand and walked out of the building. My eyes widened as I saw the mess outside, the whole decor was turned upside down. There were two to three dead bodies laying on the ground one of which was a child. 6
I glanced back at the table were sitting and saw Paul Russell still bleeding out on the table.
Nikolai opened the car door and made me sit inside. He walked around the car and settled in the backseat beside me. I don't know who was driving the car and I was too shaken up to even think about it.
I slid closer to Nikolai and placed my head on his shoulder. We didn't talk the whole ride home, partially because he was talking on the phone to someone, speaking fluent Italian that went over my head. The car came to a halt at the front door of his house and we both stepped out, we walked inside and Nikola grabbed my waist from behind.
He kissed my head from behind. "Go, freshen up, and rest. I have some work to do."
I looked back at him and nodded. "Okay..."
I made my way upstairs and then the first thing I did is to take off my bloodied dress. I stepped into the shower and scrubbed off every reminder of this evening that was on my body.
I wrapped a towel around myself and walked to the closet. I took out some comfortable pajamas and put them on. I dried my hair and then I slid under the covers.
As my head touched the soft pillows, I breathed out in relief, and then I started to list things in my mind. The thing that had been gnawing at my chest for days.
Everything with Grace Russell was over. She was out of Nikolai's life, she was out of our life.
I was no longer fake engaged to Scott and I wouldn't have to put up with his obnoxious self anymore.
I was now married to Nikolai. I was his wife. I was married to probably one of the most dangerous men on earth.
His father probably hates me. I could see the resentment in his eyes. He looked ready to blow my head off if it wasn't for Nikolai.
Then I kept thinking about the future. How it's going to affect our life. How all of it is going to work out?
All these thoughts kept swirling in my mind. I tried to distract myself as I played games on my cellphone but nothing seemed good enough. It would have been nice if Nikolai had spent some time with me now. I needed him. 1
I fell asleep at some point.
Sometime around the middle of the night, I was still in deep sleep when I felt the bed dip beside me.
"Nikolai?" I whispered.
"Go back to sleep, Angel" he whispered in my ear as his body pressed against my back.
An enticing smell of soap and after-shave filled my nostrils, I think he had just taken a shower before slipping into the bed with me.
His heavy arm settled over my waist as I snuggled closer into his warm embrace.
I woke up alone the next morning. Disappointment washed over me as I glanced at Nikolai's side of the bed. I placed a hand over it and realized that it was cold, he had left while I was still asleep.
After everything that had happened yesterday, we still hadn't sat down peacefully and talked about it.
I picked up my cell phone from the nightstand to see if he had left a message or anything but displeasure hit me like a tidal wave as I saw no text or call from Nikolai instead I found multiple messages and calls from Bianca. I had put my phone on silent last night that's why I didn't know when she called.
You:
Hey...
Bianca:
What the fuck, Evangeline?!
You:
I know...
Bianca:
Can you meet me for
breakfast? We need to
fucking talk!!
I contemplated if I should say yes to her or not because I don't think I'll be able to answer all of her questions. I don't even understand half of the things myself.
Bianca:
ANGIE!!
You:
Fine, send me the address
and I'll meet you there.
Bianca:
Paulie's café, 9 a.m.
You:
Done 3
Heaving a discouraged sigh I got out of bed and did my daily routine. I walked to my dresser and put on light makeup for my breakfast date with Bianca.
I slung the strap of my handbag over my shoulder and checked my cell phone one more time. My eyes lit up as I saw a missed call from Nikolai.
I immediately called him back. "Nikolai..."
"Sleep well?"
I swallowed. "Yeah, you?"
"Fine, baby girl..."
"Where are you?"
"Work."
"When will you be back?"
"Not sure..."
"Oh..."
"You needed something?"
"Not really, just wanted to talk to you..."
"We'll talk... tonight."
"Okay... Oh, and I'm going out for breakfast with Bianca."
"Okay, Marco will drive you wherever you want to go, just take care of yourself, alright?"
"Okay... I'll see you tonight"
"Okay..."
After that, the line went dead.