The Carrero Contract - Amending Agreements (Book 2 of Contract Trilogy)

26

I cannot stop the image sliding into my brain of that man and all that blood—Stomach swirling with nausea and anxious despair. That infernal noise he made while trying to breathe will haunt me for a lifetime and I have no clue if he is still breathing anymore. How the hell they will clean this up is beyond me.

Mico shoves me a little harshly to the corner once inside, obviously expecting some kind of lash out when we are in confined quarters again. He seems annoyed, even if it's hidden under an air of authority, and stands between us lifting a finger to silence me impulsively when I open my mouth ... Glaring the lord of stone's way.

'Don't!' He warns me sternly, eyes narrowed under a very unimpressed frown, and I clamp my mouth shut before he turns to Alexi with a darker look.

'And you! ... What the fuck, Lex? You need to get your shit together and your head out of your ass. If this situation is fucking you up this much that you make dumb mistakes, then you either act on it, or let it go. You're the head of the family and you are acting like a juvenile asshole. You're going to screw everything up that you have spent years building.' Mico is mad as hell—voice tight, body as stiff as his cousin's—bringing my own simmering emotions to a weird sort of lull as more memories from the club start filtering through. I have been pushing them down the whole way over here, but now in the quiet of the hotel, and reality hitting hard, I cannot shake that man's face as he gets more invasive in my brain. It was horrible, non-recognisable as even a human head, let alone a face and Alexi has probably killed him. I think it's more than likely I just witnessed a second cold-blooded murder.

'What happened to him? The man at the club ... is he ...?' I blurt it out tearfully, anger giving way to some sort of delayed shock and inevitable crying as soft tears well up and threaten to pour down my hot cheeks. Mico just glares at me and sends little flickers of fear into my stomach.

'It's being taken care of, he will be fine. Forget about it.' There's more Alexi in his tone than the Mico I know, and it serves to remind me that they all have roles and masks in this world and I shouldn't forget that. Mico may be my friend, but he is and always will be a paid killer in the empire Alexi runs. I don't doubt that he has a soul as twisted and scattered with his evil doings as his cousin. He's not my Mico right now; he's a paid second in command cleaning up the mess the Mafia King created. And he's not happy about it.

Alexi laughs under his breath, an eerie evil chuckle which draws my eyes to him by Mico's side, bringing a strange cloak to the air. My body hits a new type of awareness, riled by him and my skin prickles in reaction.

'The girl who doesn't care, huh? He was nothing to you ... you said. Seems like it.' Alexi's sarcasm sets me off again, in a way only he can. So little but yet, I react in the extreme. That insta-flip of some inner crazy woman who has very little control and I fly to face him, pushing my body towards him in a show of hostility. Mico's arm blocks me from advancing further as he sticks it out.

'He did nothing, you complete fucking sociopath. He did absolutely fucking nothing. For once in my life, a guy bypassed groping me to help me stand up. He was a gentleman! Something you know nothing about! You killed a man for fucking helping me get up on my feet!' I spit venomously at him, straining to face him down over Mico's solid forearm, and he sneers back at me.

'Trust me, he's not dead. Yet! ... You seem to have a high opinion of him, for just being a nobody, who did nothing.' He spits back childishly. The fierce in him peeking up and raw hatred mirrored in his expression. He turns towards me so we are once again eye to eye.

'What, you jealous? I have more respect and concern for the guy you beat half to death than the arsehole who won't stop trying to fucking control me? Gee, I wonder why that is?' I ooze sarcasm, laughing at him as though he is insane, and roll my eyes for effect.