Mafia Men: Nikolai's Inferno - Chapter 67: Chapter 67

.Evangeline.
We have been staying at Nikolai's Villa in Sicily for almost ten days now. He had barely been home. I spent most of my time by myself or with his relatives. I met with some of the Costellos, the ones that lived in Italy anyway. They were lovely until they started speaking in Italian, considering I didn't understand a single word. I always think that they are bitching about me. 2
Everyone here knew about our disaster of a wedding day. Some of the older women even said I must have seduced my way into his bed and committed fornication; that's why he married me.
When I told them that we hadn't consummated our marriage yet, and I had not seduced my way into his bed, they called me out on that too. They said I was an evil woman to keep my husband from bedding me. They said I'd go to hell with my long list of sins. 4
It was all so weird.
I wouldn't say I liked it at all.
This morning, the doctor finally opened the stitches, as my wound had healed quite spectacularly. I could now move my arm around easily, but the doctor advised me not to exert or overdo anything.
As usual, I was wandering around here and there mindlessly when I heard Nikolai's voice. I turned and saw him getting out of the car with a bunch of his soldiers. He took off the sunglasses, and his eyes wandered around before settling on me.
He gestured for me to come closer to him, which I did without a question.
"Get in the car," he ordered.
"Are we going somewhere?"
He raised an eyebrow as if he was disappointed in me for asking that question. I don't know why he has been in such a bad mood nowadays, "Just get in, Evangeline."
I sat in the backseat, and he slammed the door shut. A few moments later, the other side door opened, and Nikolai settled beside me, telling the driver to start driving.
"How's your arm?"
"Better."
"Good."
"Where are we going?"
He didn't answer me; he just wrapped an arm around me and pulled me closer to him. I rested my head on his shoulder for the rest of the car ride, staring out the window. He didn't want to answer that question; that much I understood.
"Your family doesn't like me; they don't like me at all," I told him as I watched the passing trees.
"Did anyone say anything to you?" his voice turned brusque, harsh like he was ready to light anyone on fire if they hurt me.
"No, but I could see it on their faces."
"Don't bother, baby girl. Fuck their likes and dislikes."
I laughed lightly. "They think of me as the other woman. The evil witch who seduced you and stole you away from Grace."
"Grace was the other woman, not you, Angel."
"Your family would disagree..."
The car came to a halt in a secluded area; Nikolai stepped out, and I did too. He took my hand in his and tugged me along with him deeper into the woods.
"Can you please tell me where we are going? I'm getting scared now," I said to him as I looked around the tall trees concealing the bright sunny sky.
"I thought it was time to teach you how to shoot."
"Shoot? Like with an actual gun?"
"Yes..." he just said.
As we walked further, I heard the faint voices of men. I frowned at looked up at Nikolai, "Is anyone here?"
He didn't say anything, and a second later, Scott and the rest of Nikolai's men came into my view.
Scott frowned. "What is she doing here?"
"She was the one who got shot."
"What is going-" my words got stuck in my throat as I saw Grace Russell tied to a tree, and then my eyes fell on the dead man lying on the ground. Involuntarily, I took a step back.
"You actually thought you could cross me and get away with it, Grace?" Nikolai asked her as she struggled to get free.
Grace turned feral as her eyes fell on me; I she had been free, she would have attacked me. She made a growling noise like an animal.
"Nikolai, what's this?"
"Give me the gun, Alessandro," he said, and one of the men stepped forward and handed Nikolai a gun. "Evangeline, I'm going to teach you how to shoot, and Grace will be our target." 4 He pulled me to his front and tried shoving the gun in my hands. "Nikolai, I don't think I can do this,"
"Of course, you can now come on. Let's aim for her left upper arm," he instructed.
He asked me to shoot Grace in the same spot; she had shot me. I wanted to shoot her for what she tried to do to us, but I was braver in my imagination. In reality, I was a complete wuss. "Nikolai, please..." I whispered as he curled his fingers around mine over the trigger.
"Focus, baby girl..." He whispered in my ears, his front pressed into my back.
Nikolai looked at me and I looked back at him, and then he applied pressure over my finger and then pulled the trigger.
A gunshot rang out in the forest, the birds flew off the trees.
My eyes went as wide as they could, and I frantically looked in her direction. Nikolai-and me-had shot her at the same spot where I had been hit.
Grace let a muffled shriek, tears leaked through her eyes, and she bit down hard on the gag in her mouth. I could see the pain on her face; she was dripping with sweat. Blood leaked out of her arm and dripped onto the forest floor. I could feel her pain, considering I went through the same trauma two weeks ago.
"I'm letting you go only with a wounded arm because your uncle as the next head of the family had offered me an alliance in return for your safe return. I heard this one is more violent than your father, I believe he can keep you on a tight leash."
Some of the soldiers went to her and started to untie her as Grace slowly started to lose consciousness. A man threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and put her in his car's trunk.
"So, you're the famous Evangeline," a guy turned to me and grinned, "The name's Alessandro," he said, offering me his hand.
If it were anyone else, they would have been traumatized by what they had just seen, but after living with Nikolai and marrying him, all of this seemed like a typical Saturday to me.
It was surprising as I thought about it. I just shot a woman, and I didn't feel bad about it. It barely affected me; I may not have shot her willingly, but I knew what Nikolai was about to do, and I let him. Does it make a horrible person?
I took his hand. "I'd tell you my name, but you already know that."
An arm wrapped around my waist. "That's my cousin, Alessandro Costello," Nikolai informed.
I raised an eyebrow. "How many cousins do you have?"
"Plenty."
"How do you have him wrapped around your finger?" Alessandro asked with a big smile.
"Who, Nikolai?" I asked, taken aback.
"Yup."
"You think I have Nikolai wrapped around my finger?"
"You definitely do."
I snorted. "I don't think so. He only does what he wants to do. I can't make him do anything; he doesn't listen to me."
He laughed at that. "Trust me; he listens to you a lot."
I looked up at Nikolai. "Do you?"
"Don't I?" he counter-questioned.
I rolled my eyes. "He doesn't."
"That's the most Niko would ever listen to anyone. He would have shot me if I had denied shooting anyone."
Nikolai punched him on the shoulder. "Fuck off."
Alessandro was by far the most charming Costello I have met. We talked some more until Nikolai decided it was time to go home. 1
I glanced back at Grace's blood and sighed. Nikolai and I walked back to the car, and once we were settled in, I said. "She is not going to be a problem now, is she?"
"She's still in my captivity; I won't let her go, not until I have everything in writing."
"So, I can go to college now?"
"How about we go home first? Then I'll think about it."
We made small talk about random things for the rest of the car ride. When we reached home, I went to my room to get some rest, and Nikolai went to his office. He had an office everywhere we went; he even had one in the private jet.
I read a book, watched a movie, texted Bianca, and played games on my cell phone. A knock resonated throughout the room; I got off the bed and opened it.
A maid walked into the room with a dress garment bag; I raised an eyebrow in question. "What is that?"
"Don Niko would like you to dress up and meet him at the roof of the Villa," she informed. "I'll bring you the heels and the jewelry too."
An involuntary smile spread across my face. I didn't know he was planning something. The maid went out to get the heels and jewelry as I walked to the dress and unzipped the bag.
There was a sticky note placed inside the bag over the dress. It read, "It's a date."
I giggled like a little girl and decided to take a shower first.
When I came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around me and my hair, I saw beautiful black heels that matched the dress and a diamond necklace. I gasped and picked it up from the bed. It was so mesmerizing; I was out of words. 1
I dried my hair, made an elegant updo, and did my make-up. I put on red lipstick because I was feeling bold. I put on the dress and wondered how Nikolai knew my perfect size. Every single piece of clothing he had ever gotten me hugged me like it was made just for me.
The black dress had a stunning deep v-neckline with off-shoulder sleeves and a side slit with a statement mermaid train. It was made from gorgeous stretch satin that clung to my body perfectly.
I wore the diamond necklace, which went perfectly well with my dress. Lastly, I put on the beautiful black platform heels and did a twirl before a ceiling-to-floor mirror.
I looked like a perfect lady.
I looked like Nikolai Costello's Wife.
The maid said he had asked me to meet him on the rooftop, but she didn't say when. I picked up my cell phone to call Nikolai but saw a text message from him instead.
Nik:
Waiting for you, Angel...
I smiled and decided to go up there instead. I headed out of my bedroom and went for the circular stairwell that led to the top floor of this villa.
As I got to the top, my mouth dropped to the floor. The whole area was decorated with little golden lights. To the right, there was a table set up for two, and to the left, I saw a huge, comfy white mattress filled with many pillows and silk sheets. The huge mattress overlooked the beautiful hills that surrounded Nikolai's villa.
My eyes wandered all over the place as I looked for him.
I found him standing just at the edge of the roof with his hands in his pockets; his back was towards me while he faced those beautiful mountains.
As I walked toward him, the sound of my heels resounded around us as it was so quiet and peaceful. He turned to look at me over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow. He slowly turned and faced me. I stopped dead in my tracks as his eyes met mine.
I took a tiny sharp breath; the muscles of my neck tightened and strained.
Eye contact with a man like Nikolai is a dangerous thing. His eyes dripped with a certain darkness; the darkness that made him who he is today; the darkness that held all the cruel secrets of the Cosa Nostra; the darkness that made him the most feared man in many countries but for me; those darkness-ridden eyes were my home. I could spend the rest of my life looking into this man's beautiful eyes.
"Nikolai..." I whispered.
A slight smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Evangeline..."