A Fated Night

by Kay Loren

  “Tell me where that fucker has my sister,” He growled. “Or I’ll send pieces of your skin to your mother so she can puzzle them back up.”

  The man shook his head and when Nikolai stood up to make another cut the man screamed, “Vermont!”

  Nikolai seethed upon hearing this. All this time she was close by! From Deep Falls to Vermont was less than an hours drive. She had been an hour away this whole time!

  “Vermont?” Sergei asked. He looked at Nikolai before replying in Russian, “Bastard told us at first he was hiding her in New York.”

  “Tommy is hiding your sister at his uncle’s house in Vermont!” the man sputtered. “Let me go now please!”

  Hearing that filthy name drove Nikolai insane. How his sister got involved with a low level drug dealer was beyond him. It took all of Nikolai’s strength not to kill the man quickly. Two hours of torture and it took he himself to get the information he needed in a matter of minutes. He still needed to know one more thing from the man before he killed him.

  “Where is Tommy?”

  The man sobbed before he replied, “I can’t.”

  Nikolai punched the man’s midsection as hard as he could, causing the man gasp and writher around.

  “He’s at his apartment… Lower district of Deep Falls. Coked out of his mind!” he finally yelled.

  Nikolai knew exactly where he was headed. He ordered Sergei to end the man’s misery.

  “You two… gather a few more men and head down to Vermont,” Nikolai commanded. “Kill everyone in that damned home and bring Svetlana back to the house… and I mean every single person living in that home.”

  Alek glanced at Sergei with wide eyes. A command from Nikolai was to be executed without question and exactly how he ordered.

  “Let me go with you boss,” Sergei said knowing Nikolai was going after Tommy.

  Nikolai shook his head, “No. He is mine.”

  Nikolai arrived at the apartment in the early morning hours before the sun came up. No one was outside or on the balcony of the shabby old building. The area looked abandoned for the most part even though Nikolai knew this area was a local hot spot for drug addicts and less savory occupations.

  Reaching into the coat of his pocket, he pulled his gun out to his side and made sure he had enough bullets. He put the weapon in the waistband of his pants and pulled his coat around tighter as he made his way up to the apartment.

  He found himself before the tattered door of Apartment 24B. He noticed the peephole at the door and stood to the side before knocking.

  “What do you want!” a voice growled.

  Doesn’t sound like Tommy.

  Nikolai lowered his voice as best as he could to make him sound weak and in need, “A fix.”

  The door opened a few moments later with a wide swing and Nikolai quickly wacked the guy -who was stupid enough to answer- with the butt of the gun in his hand. The guy tumbled down like a bag of bricks and Nikolai quickly shot the guy before he had a chance to grab his weapon.

  A shot flew over Nikolai’s head and he quickly went for cover behind a wall that housed the kitchen and another hall.

  “You made a mistake coming here asshole!” the raspy voice of Tommy called out. “You think you’re gonna rob me? I think not! Do you know who I am? Get the fuck out and let’s get this over with!”

  Nikolai chuckled. This guy talked a big game for such a low level criminal. He could see from the mirror on the opposite side of the wall, Tommy’s shaved head and manic expression as he searched for the one who came into his house. Nikolai smiled to himself, grateful for the advantage he had before he crept into the hall and waited.

  Tommy did not see it coming before Nikolai came out from the shadows and slammed him into the wall. Tommy roared and tried to reach for the gun that clattered onto the floor but Nikolai was quick despite his size. He had two guns pointed in Tommy.

  Tommy’s brown eyes widened when he looked into Nikolai’s eyes, “Oh you.”

  Nikolai nodded, “Good. You know who I am.”

  “Of course,” Tommy nodded, a bewildered look in his eyes.

  “Sit,” Nikolai pointed over to the couch with the tip of the gun.

  Tommy quickly went on shaky legs to sit on the tattered, old couch. He rattled off some lame apology and excuse but Nikolai would not hear any of it.

  Meanwhile, he gave a quick glance around the dingy apartment, shaking his head in disgust. No one should have lived like that, let alone his sister. The door down the hall opened and out walked a blonde haired girl with tired eyes. From her long, sheer t-shirt, Nikolai could see her hip bones protruding and the emaciated look she possessed. She was strung out.

  “Tom,” she whispered, rubbing her left eye that did bare a fresh bruise like the other. She gasped when she saw Nikolai holding two guns pointed at Tommy. She shuddered.

  “Get the fuck out of here,” Tommy growled at her.

  Yet she stayed frozen.

  Nikolai was at a loss. The last thing he expected was a girl to be in the house with him but he should have known. Tommy was a pimp as well.

  “Please,” the girl whimpered when Nikolai glared at her.

  Nikolai pointed the gun at her, not to hurt her but to scare her. “Get in there,” he said gesturing over to the closet by the couch. She looked at Tommy who too barked at her to listen, degrading her as she simpered off to the empty closet.

  The girl closed the door and Nikolai could hear her crying. Tommy was a real piece of shit in his eyes. He pointed the gun at him again.

  “Look man, I don’t know what Svetlana told you, but I was great to that girl,” Tommy said resuming the arrogant tone he had moments ago. “She’s a lair.”

  Nikolai shook his head in disgust. His body was frozen tight in fury yet he scared himself at how calm he was. “She’s so great that you beat her. Tried to hide her from me so I wouldn’t find out that you nearly killed her.”

  “I didn’t lay one finger on her!” Tommy growled. “She slipped!”

  Nikolai tried hard to contain himself. He didn’t see Svetlana just yet but from what he heard from a most trusted source, she was beyond recognizable. His heart clenched for the girl he promised to always protect.

  Pulling the trigger, he unloaded both guns into Tommy. He had heard enough. He stared at Tommy’s lifeless body. It wasn’t until he heard the girl wail that he recalled that he wasn’t alone.

  He walked over to the closet door and opened it a crack before it burst completely open. He caught the stick in his hand that the girl hurled his way. She tried to pry the stick out of his hand and when she couldn’t she tried to kick and slap him. He chuckled and pressed her into his chest when she began to cry. She was a fighter and he admired her spirit.

  “Is he dead?” she whispered into his chest.

  Nikolai ignored her as he led her away. The girl moved in his arms and cried out for him to release her but he kept his hold on her, shielding her eyes from the room until they reached the outside.

  “Let me go!” she protested.

  Nikolai quickly scooped her up into his arms and hurled her over his shoulder, leading her to his car. Something came over him although he did not know why exactly. He set her down by the passenger side and grabbed her chin to look up at him. He was met with her wide, blue grey eyes staring up at him.

  “I will give you two options,” he began. “I will let you go right here right now and you can go back to this life,” he gestured to the sidewalk. “Or you can come with me.”

  The girl shuddered beneath his gaze.

  Nikolai grabbed her gently and put his fingers to the track marks on her bruised arm. “I can help you.”

  “Why?” the girl whispered.

  Nikolai sighed. He did not know why but all he knew was that this girl could have been his own sister. She was small like Svetlana and the more he looked at her the more she resembled his sister. She could not have been more than eighteen.

  “Because I want to,” he said.
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  “In exchange for?” the girl asked.

  “Nothing,” he shook his head when he realized what she truly meant. “Or I can take you to home. Just choose.”

  “I have nothing,” she whispered looking down at her bare feet. “No one.”

  Nikolai took off his coat and placed it around her shoulders. She looked helpless and afraid of him as his fingers brushed up against the damp skin on her collar bones. He opened the passenger door and gestured for her to get in.

  She looked around the street one last time before she decided to get into the car. The black, leather seat swallowed her body it seemed. Nikolai climbed into the car and turned on the heater. She stayed quiet and only looked out at the dark desolate streets.

  “What is your name?” he asked.

  “What do you want it to be?” she asked.

  He gave her a narrowed glare.

  She sighed, “Emma… You?”

  “Nikolai,” He said before jumping onto the freeway.

  She whispered his name a few times to herself with furrowed brows. “Nikolai? Oh Svetlana’s brother… “

  “You know Svetlana?”

  “Yeah,” she smiled. “I met her a few times. She was nice,” she added. “Tommy would get upset every time she brought you up.”

  Nikolai gripped the steering wheel hard when he heard that name. He let out a deep sigh when he realized that the fucker was never going to put his hands on his sister or any other woman again.

  “You hungry?” he asked gently after hearing her stomach growl. She turned to him with a small smile and nodded. He didn’t know what possessed him but he drove her to his penthouse and made her something to eat while he waited for Alek and Sergei to retrieve Svetlana. The girl seemed decent enough for him to have her stay at his place for the night. She talked little and was happy to have a hot meal and clean sheets to sleep in for the night.

  Nikolai stayed up and poured himself a drink long after she had gone to sleep. He looked out the big window overlooking the city just as the sun came up. The night was too long and he didn’t realize that he had been up over twenty four hours.

  It didn’t even seem that he had just seen Audrina just hours before and had been with her. He would have done anything to be with her again. He smiled, still smelling the coconut scent of her hair that lingered.

  Chapter Ten

  “You had sex with him again!” Nikki exclaimed in horror. “Why?”

  Audrina looked around the restaurant making sure no one was in ear shot of their conversation. She felt as is everyone’s eyes and ears were on her the last few days.

  “I don’t know why!” she replied in a hushed whisper. “I was smoking on the terrace and he came and then…”

  “And then you both came,” Nikki stated with a laugh and a shake of her head.

  Audrina narrowed her eyes at Nikki for a moment before she too burst into a fit of giggles. A few patrons looked over at their table, shaking their heads at how crazy they must have looked.

  “It’s so good with him Nikki,” Audrina whispered. “Like a hundred times better than anyone I’ve ever had sex with.”

  Nikki chuckled. “I’m happy that you’re getting a good dick down but this is so out of character for you Audri. You’ve always been a good girl. I don’t even remember the last time you’ve done something bad.”

  “I know!” she replied. “But god Nikki, this man makes me want to do bad things!”

  “I’m still surprised Michael didn’t walk in on you both… or anyone else for that matter,” She sighed.

  “No!” Audrina was thankful for that fact. Michael would have been pissed and probably tossed them both over the balcony. He was not a man to be made a fool out of.

  “So are you going to keep sneaking around?” Nikki asked.

  Audrina shrugged. It had been a few days since that night and she had not spoken to Nikolai. “I don’t know. But if the opportunity arose, I have no doubt I would do it again.”

  Nikki pressed her lips together. “I know you might not want to hear this but maybe you should leave Michael before things get out of control.”

  Audrina looked down at her half eaten salad. She toyed with the fork in her hand as she remembered how well it went when she tried to leave Michael a couple of days after he had returned home from his trip.

  “You’re too controlling!” she had yelled. “I hate it when you tell me what to do!”

  Michael tapped his fingers against his thigh, reigning in his temper. He didn’t speak. He just glared at her as she paced around the room in frustration.

  “I think it’s best if we just split up Michael,” She told him. “I can’t be submissive and demure like you want me to be.”

  Michael stood up and walked over to her grabbing her by the chin sternly. She shuddered when she looked into his cold glare. “You’re not leaving me Audrina. We are going to get married and once we are, all this shit, you arguing with me for every little thing, is going to stop.”

  She did not understand what he meant by that. She tried to stand her ground.

  “I’m leaving.”

  When she grabbed her bag to gather her clothes and personal items from the closet they shared he came up behind her and ripped it out of her hands. He tossed it out the window and held her against the wall, glaring at her.

  “You’re not going anywhere,” he swore before slamming the bedroom door closed behind him.

  She had never been more fearful in her life than she was in that moment.

  She sighed, deciding it best not to tell Nikki what had happened since Nikki was already was voicing her strong opinions about Michael. Nikki noticed the frown on Audrina’s face making it look like all the life had been drained from her.

  “Look, just be careful,” Nikki said softly, placing a hand on Audrina’s arm. “Get it all out before you get married and regret it for the rest of your life.”

  Audrina forced a laugh and placed a piece of chicken from her plate into her mouth although she had no appetite. She didn’t want to think about her problems for a moment longer.

  “How’s it going with Sergei?” she asked.

  Nikki’s face lit up. “So good! Did I tell you he took me to the opera the other night? It was so amazing!”

  Nikki went on about Sergei gushing about him but all Audrina could think about was how she yearned for a normal relationship like Nikki. She recalled never being all gushy over Michael. It happened so fast between them both that it seemed like the romance and courting was brushed over quickly before he had proposed to her.

  The ring on her hand felt like a weight. She slipped it off over her finger and placed it into her purse for safekeeping. For some reason, she felt like she could breathe all over again.

  After lunch, Audrina walked down the street by herself, glancing into the windows of the stores as she passed by. Since she had time a lot of time on her hands, she thought to shop around for something she didn’t need just so she would be out of the house for a while longer. A small, little shop at the corner of the street caught her eye. It wasn’t nothing fancy like all the other shops on the street. It looked like a little knick-knack store. She entered the small shop and went straight to the display rack that was in front of the window, beaming inside when she saw what had caught her eye.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Are we almost there?” Nikolai asked Sergei, impatiently.

  “Almost Boss,” Sergei replied.

  Nikolai looked down at his watch. A few more hours until he would see her again. He was surprised when Audrina had called him the night before asking to see him. They had agreed to meet at his penthouse and he was nervous since that was the place where she had left him a year prior. If only she had stayed behind he thought. I would have claimed her as my own.

  “We’re here,” Sergei announced pulling up in front of the strip club. The building looked like any other but the big pink neon sign with the outline of a girl crossing her legs and opening her mouth gave it the touch of
sleaziness.

  Nikolai stepped out of the car and was greeted by a fat man in a beige suit.

  “Mr. Stratauv!” he smiled. “I’m Tony! Welcome to The Bing! Come in!”

  Nikolai shook the owner’s sweaty hand and followed him in.

  The club was dim with a subtle glow of red and pink lights. A wide, stage lit up the middle of the room as several dancers stripped away their cloths. Nikolai glanced behind him to make sure Sergei was following along. A few girls walked over to Nikolai asking if he wanted a dance but thankfully Tony interfered and shooed them away as he led them to a back room.

  The room in the back was less of an eye sore ignited in a cool light. Nikolai watched as a girl sat perched up on Michael’s lap -half dressed- playing with his collar.

  “Nikolai!” he called out, waving him over. He looked like he had one too many.

  Nikolai sat on the seat across from Michael and watched as the girl gave him a flirty grin. Sergei took the seat to his left and kept his gaze to the ground despite several girls vying for his attention.

  “Michael,” Nikolai greeted cooly.

  Michael slapped the side of the girls butt instantly making her squeal and stand. “Get my friends a drink.”

  “What do you want baby?” she asked Nikolai when Sergei turned down a drink.

  “Maker’s Mark. Neat,” he said without a glance her way.

  “Coming up,” she whispered, clearly annoyed that he wasn’t showing her the attention she craved.

  “So what can I do for you?” Nikolai asked Michael.

  Michael straightened out and looked around before leaning forward, his breath smelling strongly of liquor. “That fuckin’ D’Amuri bastard. I want to take him out.”

  Nikolai sat upright. “You know we can’t do that.”

  “Why not?” he asked. “He’s a fuckin roach compared to us both.”

  Nikolai inhaled deeply and then exhaled. “I agree, but I’m sure he’s licking his wounds after what you did to him.”

  Stroke his ego, Nikolai thought. What Michael had did to the D’Amuri family – taking out their underboss, a few capos and stealing their lucrative garbage company- was a big blow. A move that brazen and bold earned Michael more fear from the other families. Nikolai could care less. Back home it was considered another day of business.