Reckless Games (Reckless Mafia #1)

Chapter 22

Angela

“Get the diamonds to the safe,” Nikolai ordered, his voice calm but commanding. He twirled the wine in his glass, watching closely as Jacob. Jacob cast a wary glance at my relaxed posture leaning against the wall, hands in the pockets of my black ripped jeans. He grabbed the transparent box containing the nine diamonds and carried them out of the main hall.

We were currently in one of Antonio’s safe houses in Sicily. Thankfully, that bastard was finally dead for good this time. Nikolai had planned to get rid of him after the mission anyway. Poor fool could never differentiate between a friend and a foe.

“Don,” Sebastian, Nikolai’s most loyal dog in the Bratva, entered with a grim face. Nikolai’s shoulders slumped in annoyance; he could guess by Sebastian’s expression that the news was not good.

“Please, Seb,” Nikolai sighed. “I haven’t even started celebrating. You better not ruin my mood with any bullshit.”

“I beg your pardon, Don, but Jr. Don has hijacked our truck to Vanuatu.” Now watch the drama unfold in 3… 2… 1… and action.

“How fucking dare he?!” Nikolai tossed the wine glass, its contents splashing everywhere as it shattered into pieces. “And what did you losers do? Sit and watch?”

“Don, he killed your men,” Sebastian replied, referring to the Jr. Don, a.k.a. Mikhael Romano, the one and only son of Nikolai Romano and the sole heir of the Bratva. I hadn’t seen him ever in the sixteen years of my life I had spent with the Bratva. The hatred between the father and son ran deep. Simply because Mikhael was a rebel and his own father hated his guts. But that did not stop Mikhael from challenging his father at every opportunity he got. Neither did it stop him from trying to get rid of his father and take over the Mafia before it was time. However, I felt there was something more to the story. But did I bother digging into it? Absolutely not . I don’t dig into business that’s not mine.

The rumors were Mikhael was soulless, heartless, emotionless—everything-less. He did not think twice before putting a bullet between anyone’s eyes if someone so much as breathed the same air as him without his permission. A man of rules, he was. And territorial .

“That bastard. Find him!” Sebastian scurried off with a nod. This family feud was something I had witnessed for as long as I could remember, making me roll my eyes so hard I swear I saw my brain. “You,” Nikolai pointed his index finger in my direction. “Come here,” he beckoned, and I obliged.

“Yes, Master?”

“You really did prove yourself this time. I can finally say that I’m not disappointed,” he said, his voice dripping with condescension. His insults for not being competitive enough were something I had grown used to over time. Not once did he give me relief from the intense training that almost killed me. But Nikolai said, and I quote; What doesn’t kill you makes you strong . And if it’s not close to killing you, then you are not prepared for the worst. “What I had been trying to do for years, you made possible in just a few months.” I was not greedy for the appreciation or the hefty amount he would toss at my face for this mission. But there was one thing I was greedy for.

Freedom .

“Take the rest of the day off. We leave tomorrow,” he said, making me narrow my eyes.

“Why not today?” I asked instantly.

“Do not question me. Do I always have to remind you who the master is?” Nikolai hissed, and I nodded. “Leave.”

I did not stay a second longer after that. Walking through the familiar corridors, I didn’t slow my pace until I reached the room where I was supposed to stay for a while. Pulling out my suitcase from under the bed, I started packing my things up. I had nothing important to do with my day off anyway. Might as well use it to get my shit together.

My hands were on autopilot while packing my suitcase, but my brain was a chaotic mess, unable to focus on any single thought. Each fragment of my mind felt like a shard of glass, sharp and piercing yet too slippery to grasp. I ended up staring at the wall opposite me, my eyes fixed on a random spot, as if that small imperfection could anchor my sanity. Half-way through the process, something struck me. Something harsh and cold. I stood frozen as my mind became a swirling storm of thoughts and emotions. I paused, mid-fold of a shirt, and the memories came flooding back.

It was a cold night. I could still hear the rain drumming against the car roof and my childish insistence for ice cream ringing in my ears. It was my birthday and my parents had finally agreed to go out since I had begged them to despite the weather.

Who knew that would be the last ice cream we’d ever enjoy together? The scene played out in my mind, vivid and relentless.

The sudden glare of headlights, the deafening crash as the truck collided with our car. I could see my parents' faces, frozen in shock and horror, the front of the car crumpling like paper. I was in the back seat, the impact sparing me by some cruel twist of fate. But my parents were not as lucky. They were gone before the ambulance even arrived.

I was standing there, rain soaking through my clothes, as I cried and begged them to open their eyes. The blaring sirens of ambulances, the flashing red and blue lights, the policemen, nothing mattered since my focus was only on them.

And then, about the same age as my father a man approached me; his face kind but unfamiliar. “What happened? Why are you crying, dear?” he had asked gently. I could barely form the words, pointing to the ambulance through my sobs. “My mommy and daddy! They… they… are taking them!”

He had shielded me with an umbrella. “Do you want me to take you to mommy and daddy?” He asked. Desperate and confused, I nodded eagerly. “Yes.”

He took my hand, leading me away. The grip of his hand was firm, and there was something in his eyes that I could not quite understand then. But in that moment, I had followed him willingly, believing in his promise to reunite me with my parents. Little did I know, he would lead me into a different kind of darkness.

The memory dissipated, and I was back in my room, the wall in front of me coming back into focus. The suitcase lay open on my bed, half-packed, but I could not move. My past had a hold on me; the weight of it pulled me down, making it impossible to escape. I closed my eyes, trying to shut out the memories, but they clung to me, relentless and unforgiving. And then it happened again. Another flashback hit me like a storm.

I was running without looking back. I knew if I even as much as glanced behind me, they would catch me. There were two of them, chasing me like cats behind a mouse—an eight-year-old mouse. “Come back, you little wench!” One of them screamed.

“No! I will not! You’ll take me away from Mommy and Daddy!” I screamed back. I had learned my lesson after days of being trapped in a gray room, only fed bread and water twice a day. If they had not opened the room to take me to their master, I wouldn’t have had the chance to run away.

My little legs did not stop until I reached an empty lane. The atmosphere grew chilly instantly, goosebumps rising on my skin as I hugged myself. I took shelter behind a pillar. I realized I had lost the men behind me, but I could still hear them in the distance.

“I can’t believe you lost an eight-year-old!” One of them scolded the other.

“The kid bit me! Hard!” The other one fired back. “She has the teeth of a Dracula!”

“Well, find her before Don kills us!”

This felt wrong. I felt lost. Where should I go? How would I find Mommy and Daddy? Then I saw another shadow in the distance. My feet propelled me forward as I followed the shadow leading me to a man.

“Excuse me, sir,” I said with a smile, hoping he would take me back to Mommy and Daddy. But the moment he turned around with his yellow-toothed smile and the scar running down his left eye, I knew I had made a mistake.

“Yes, honey?” His smile was sickeningly sweet, almost nasty and evil.

“No...nothing.”

“What happened, dear? You can tell me. Are you lost?” He took a step forward, making me step back instinctively.

“N...no.” He did not feel welcoming. He felt... not nice. But he didn’t stop until I was cornered against a wall.

“You don’t have to worry one bit, sweetheart.” His lips curled up on one end, making him look scary. “I have some chocolates for you. Do you want them?” Mommy had told me never to take candy from strangers.

“No.” My response was instant.

“No?” He pouted. “Well, too bad. You still have to come with me!” He lunged at me, clamping his hand over my mouth, and lifted me off the ground. I used my ultimate self-defense move. I jabbed my teeth into his skin so hard, I could taste blood. I kicked my legs simultaneously, hitting his shin again and again. He stumbled back, pushing me hard into the wall and sending a sharp pain shooting up my head. “You little bitch want it rough, huh? I’ll have my fun before I rip your pussy apart!” He recovered from clutching his bitten hand and lunged at me again. But just as he was about to grab me, a gunshot echoed, and he went silent, dropping to the ground before me. I watched in horror as the man who stood behind him stepped forward.

Don.

The same person who had promised to take me to Mommy and Daddy last week but broke his promise and kept me locked up. I stared back at him, trying my best to keep my trembling under control. I did not break eye contact, staring back right into his soul, maintaining my facade of bravery. I would not be weak again.

He bent down to my level, giving me a surprisingly proud smile. “You are different from them. You have so much more potential than I thought,” he said, shaking his head as if he had solved a million-dollar question. “You don’t have to be scared, little girl. I won’t hurt you.” I knew I could not trust him, but the way he said it felt oddly comforting. “Come,” he stretched out his hand for me to take. “I can’t take you to your old daddy. Sadly, he is no more. Neither is your mommy.” The news felt like someone splashed a bucket of cold water over me. I knew what that meant. I knew what it meant the moment the ambulances arrived at the scene of the accident. I just did not want to accept it. Not until now, when he slapped reality into my face like that. “But I can be your new one! I won’t lock you up this time. I promise.” I eyed him skeptically. “If I do, you’re allowed to bite me.” I thought about it. The deal wasn’t bad. But I knew I could bargain for more.

“I want proper food this time!” I negotiated, making him throw his head back and laugh.

“Deal! Proper food this time.” And with that, I held my hand out to him, sealing our unbreakable deal.

“Do I need to get someone to fix that hole in the wall?” Jacob’s voice startled me, snapping me out of my memory. I glanced back to see him leaning against the door frame with his arms folded across his chest.

“What hole? And for the record, do you know how to knock?” I shook my head and continued folding my clothes.

“The hole your pinning gaze caused in the wall,” he said, clearly noticing my zoned-out state. “And for the record, yes, I do know how to knock. I was doing it for a whole minute, but someone was too busy carving holes with their eyes.”

“What do you want?” I asked in a monotone, keeping my back to him and focusing on packing my suitcase. I could feel his gaze hot on the back of my head, the silence growing awkward.

“Wait, is that a cockroach?” Jacob suddenly exclaimed, pointing at something on the wall opposite me. My eyes fell on the crawling bug. In a heartbeat, I drew my gun from its holster and pressed the trigger, hitting my target dead in the center. The bullet embedded itself in the wall, and the roach lay lifeless on the floor.

I stared at the bug, my mind wandering. Cockroaches could live without their heads for a few days, or was it weeks? I couldn't quite remember. I tilted my head to inspect the creature. Its head was still intact, but its body was severed. Would it survive for a few days like that? Who cares? At least it was not moving anymore. I would get someone to dispose of it later.

“Well, damn. How are your aims so perfect? You never miss, do you?” Jacob’s voice was filled with amazement, bringing a proud grin to my lips.

“ Never .”

“Uh-huh. Yet you missed Lorenzo when you had the perfect chance to kill him.” The grin vanished from my face. My hands paused mid-fold, the slight challenge in Jacob’s voice hanging in the air.

***