Nicolai
The only thing I've been able to think about since I left the park is Sutton. First, how she didn't back down from me, how she met my challenge and pressed that sweet mouth to mine.
To have her kiss me felt like the most out of reach dream I've ever had coming true.
But when she wrapped those thick thighs around my waist and pulled me against her...and I felt how wet she was for me, I was fucking gone. I could've stayed there all night with her and fucked her right on that brick wall for everybody and the NYPD to see.
But that fucking phone call that interrupted us is one that couldn't wait. As hard as it was (literally) to tear myself away from her, I had no choice.
And then, I couldn't just leave while I was ahead. I had to go and mention her father in a negative light and piss her off. I should've known better than to do that. He's the only parent she has left; she's not going to want to hear anything about him that could prove that he's anything less than the father she knows and loves.
And I can't fucking stand that prick Jason. I'll make an asshole comment about him anytime I get a chance. And that never goes over well either.
But that comment about her being a puppet? Being a dick on purpose should be a new side hustle for me because I am fucking good at it. That was a cheap jab that I knew would hurt her. Because that's what she's always been afraid of being. She's never wanted to just be another little porcelain doll for the Ring. And she doesn't deserve to be. She deserves to be free. I believe that probably even more than she does.
And fuck, I hated myself for being turned on when she smacked me in the face. What kind of fucked up shit is that? But to see her stand up for herself, for what she believes...to be angry enough to come after even me...it's sexy as hell.
And now, I'm meeting Ezra at some seedy warehouse in Queens so we can chase a lead he said was urgent and could not wait.
So I'm still adjusting my cock behind my zipper as I park my car a little way from the warehouse, trying to push all thoughts of Sutton Banks out of my head as I walk toward my friend.
He's hard to miss with his hulking, tattooed body and long, full beard.
"Hey man," he says, holding his hand out, and I grasp it, pulling him into a one-armed hug. "Thanks for coming."
"Of course. It better be good, man, because you cock-blocked the fuck out of me, brate."
Ezra raises an eyebrow as we turn in the direction of the warehouse. "Oh? Jillian? I didn't think you were seeing her anymore."
I shoot him a dirty look. "Not Jillian."
"Then who?"
Rolling my lips between my teeth, I look at my feet, at the night sky, across the street at some pigeons chasing a squirrel. Anywhere but at Ezra, who I know is already onto me.
"Who, Nicolai?" he prods.
"Sutton Banks," I mutter, not meeting his scrutinizing stare.
"What was that? I know you did not just say—"
I throw my hands up in the air and snap my head in his direction. "Sutton Banks. Yeah, I did."
"Oh, for Christ's sakes, Nic. You've got to be kidding me right now."
"I know, I know, okay? I don't want to hear it."
Ezra shakes his head but mercifully closes his mouth. He keeps walking for a few moments until he says, "Just let me say this one thing: you need to watch yourself. At the end of the day, she's a member of The Ring, just like they are. And you fucked her over, Nic. How do you know she's not still pissed at you?"
I scoff and run a hand through my hair. "Oh man, I know she's still pissed at me. No question about that. She smacked me in the right in the face before I left to meet you."
Ezra's eyebrows jump to his hairline. "Damn. Well, at least she isn't hiding it. That's a plus, I suppose. Just be careful."
I nod. "I will." Before I can say anything else, he stretches his arm out and stops me from walking any further. I look at him and ask, "Are we here?"
"Yeah. That's it right there," he mutters, gesturing across the street to a rundown, abandoned warehouse.
"Classy. Maybe now would be a good time for you to tell me what it is we're doing here, since you seem to be done doling out relationship advice," I say with a sidelong glance in his direction.
He ignores my smartass comment. "So, since Anthony thinks I have no interest in anything to do with the business anymore, he sometimes lets things slip in front of me. And the other night, when he finally answered my phone call, we went out for a beer. He may have had one too many, and he told me that Jason was running some kind of scheme out of this warehouse."
I raise my eyebrows. "What kind of scheme?"
"He didn't tell me," Ezra says, shrugging. "Just told me that it was something Xavier and the rest of them don't normally deal in, and that it made him pretty nervous. It seemed like it was something he'd tried to stop, but of course he'd been outvoted, as per usual where Xavier and Jason are concerned."
"They're idiots." I squint at the warehouse across the street and see that the parking lot is crawling with what looks like armed guards. "How the hell are we supposed to get in there?"
Ezra strokes his beard slowly, like he's coming up with the greatest plan in the history of plans. "That's the thing...see, I was hoping you'd have an idea."
I nearly laugh out loud and manage to stifle it behind my fist. "Me? I didn't even know what I was walking into until five minutes ago. How in the hell would I have an idea?"
He throws up his hands. "I don't know, man! You're smart! Figure it out! I got you the intel and got us here. The least you can do is figure out how to sneak us in."
"This is ridiculous. We are like fucking Beavis and Butthead over here with our heads up our asses," I say, bending over at the waist and placing my hands on my knees, nearly hysterical with laughter. "Okay, okay. Listen. How about this? We sneak around to the back and see if there's at least a window that's open and maybe we can hear something? That way we don't leave with nothing."
"All right, it's worth a shot." As we walk as casually and inconspicuously as possible around the block, Ezra shoots me the side-eye. "Why are you doing this?"
"What do you mean?" I ask, kicking at a rock on the sidewalk, avoiding his stare.
"I mean why are you doing any of this? Risking even being here right now? This is basically enemy territory for you. The Ring and the Gospodari don't exactly play golf together on the weekends. Why do you care what The Ring does?"
When I finally look over at him, the way he looks at me tells me he already knows. The fucker just wants me to say it.
I stop and lift my hands in surrender, slapping them against the sides of my thighs. When I speak, my voice is desperate, and I hardly recognize it.
"Because I'm in love with her, okay? I was when I left her, and I forced myself to forget her for the past three years because it's what I had to do. But the moment I saw her again..." I blow out a breath that rattles my lips. "It all came rushing back. Every feeling I ever had for her. It came back with a fucking vengeance. I can't let anything happen to her, Ezra. And I have this sinking feeling that whatever that shithead is up to...it's something that's going to affect her. And over my dead fucking body will he hurt her."
Ezra's shoulders lift and fall with his dramatic exhale. "Damn, brother. If she were standing here right now, I'd tell her that if she doesn't forgive you, I certainly would, and I'm not even part of this equation."
I huff out a laugh. "I wish it were that easy. I'm not sure she'll ever be able to forgive me. She is so pissed at me."
"Give it time. She'll come around."
"We'll have to see," I say. We continue walking until we reach the side of the building with no guards.
"Well? What do you think? See any possibilities?" he asks, craning his neck to see around the corner.
"Yeah, see that window?" I ask, pointing to the top of the building, where a pane of glass is barely cracked.
"Uh, yeah, I'm not that tall, though. How do you—"
I grin and he shakes his head, but I'm ready with an argument.
"Come on, Ez. There's no other way we're going to even have a chance. Just let me climb up there for two seconds and if there's nothing to see or hear, I'll come down."
"What are we, twelve? You're not getting on my fucking shoulders."
"Dude. You're like, 6'8 and I'm 6'4. Between the two of us, I'll definitely be able to see. If it doesn't work, I'll drop it, and we're out."
He tucks his lips between his teeth and glares at me.
"Fine. But we never mention this again," he grumbles as he walks over to a broken-down bench on the side of the building and gestures to it. "Get up here and hop on before I change my mind."
I do as he says as fast as possible, and after almost dropping me twice, we amble over to the window. "Ezra, dude, when did you learn to walk, yesterday?"
"You're not exactly the lightest person on the planet, Nic. In case you didn't know this before, you're kind of a beast."
"Aw, Ez," I say, ruffling his already messy hair. "Thanks for noticing."
He growls and I hold up my hands in surrender as we reach the window. I grip the edge and peer in.
"Can you see anything?" he hisses, gripping onto my legs so I don't slip off and break every bone in my body. This fucker is tall. And with how tall I am, I can nearly see over this building.
"Actually, yeah, but I can't hear shit," I groan, leaning in closer to the sliver of open space between the glass and the brick.
"What are they doing?"
"Just sitting around, looking like they're at a fucking AA meeting or some shit."
Ezra chuckles. "Maybe they are. Maybe this is some elaborate ruse."
"If I am sitting on your shoulders to spy on an AA meeting, I am going to lose my shit."
"Just get off of me before you do it."
"Very fucking funny." I'm about to jump off his shoulders when I finally hear someone speak up inside. A man's voice that doesn't sound familiar, but what he says rings a bell.
"There's a lot of prep to do for this, but the more hands we have on deck, the better."
Apparently, there's a lot of prep to do.
It's what Jason said that night at the bar, where I first figured out something was going on.
Prep for what? Come on, fuckers, say something important.
"How much prep could there possibly be for selling we—"
The loudest sneeze I have ever heard comes from below me, and the man stops mid-sentence to glance in our direction.
"Fuck!" I hiss, sliding off Ezra's shoulders and grabbing his wrist, pulling him away from the building. "What the hell was that?"
"Sorry, man, but your cologne is strong! Maybe Sutton smacked you in the face for wearing too much!"
I clench my jaw, too concerned with getting away from that building as fast as we can to punch him in the face. "Shut up, man. I am not wearing that much cologne. And even if I was, it's Dior Sauvage, so I don't wanna hear it."
"What did you hear before I almost blew our cover?" he asks when we finally get back to our cars, leaning against them and catching our breath.
"I think they're selling weapons on the black market. There were just a bunch of old fucks in there. I didn't even see Xavier. Just Jason in the back. I don't know who the guy was running things."
"That's sort of what I figured." Ezra rolls his eyes. "Jason being involved in a black-market weapons ring is not bad as far as making shady money goes, and I know Xavier loves all the money he can get. But it's not so safe for Sutton if she's doing their books."
I grind my teeth, and when Ezra pulls his cigarettes out of his pocket, I hold my hand out for one.
"You sure, man? I didn't think you smoked anymore."
"I don't really, but right now, I need something to calm me down before I bust in that building and kick his ass for putting her directly in danger."
"Fair enough," he says, pulling a cigarette out of the pack. I take it, put it between my lips, and he lights it for me.
The first drag of nicotine in my lungs is a shock to the system; I haven't smoked since a few weeks after my mom died, but as much as I hate to admit it, it's exactly what I need right now.
Well, what I'd rather have is Sutton with her thighs wrapped around my waist again, but I have a feeling that isn't going to happen tonight. So this Marlboro between my lips is going to have to do.
After we smoke in silence, Ezra promises me he'll let me know if he hears anything more, and on the way home, I promise myself that I will get to the bottom of this shit, and no matter what I have to do, I will protect Sutton.
Even if she ends up hating me even more for it.