by CR Robertson
Nicklas
The Vendetta Brotherhood 1
Copyright 2021 by C.R. Robertson.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons—living or dead—is purely coincidental.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Contact Information:
[email protected]
www.CRRobertson.com
https://geni.us/RobertsonsOtherworld
https://www.facebook.com/CRRobertsonauthor/
Publication Date: 19th January 2021
Cover Artist: Sweet 15 Designs
Thank you so much for reading my eBook. I really hope the characters touch your soul, and make your mind wander to a different realm for a few hours. If you enjoy Nicklas, please consider leaving a review and have a look at my other paranormal romance novels.
Books by CR Robertson
The Otherworld Chronicles:
The Gates of Hell Trilogy:
1 – Elements of Flames
2 – Elements of Dragons
3 – Elements of Fae
***
4 – Elements of Karma
5 – Elements of Light
6 – Elements of Souls
7 – Elements of Redemption
The Gaian Otherworld:
1 – Dragons of Destiny
2 – Dragons of Fate
3 – Dragons of Chaos
4- Dragons of Retribution
Dark Princes of Purgatory:
1-Curse of Seduction
2-Curse of Darkness
3-Curse of Deception
4- Curse of Vengeance
A Note on Language
Please note CR Robertson is from the UK.
Therefore, spellings and some turns of phrase will appear in British English.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to my mum.
– she told me to dream big, so I did.
***
Chapter One
Nicklas
(Ten years Ago)
I always thought a handgun was the size of your hand. Now that one was pointed at my head, it looked massive.
“Did you look in the case?” The man in the black suit and sunglasses asked Kyle.
He replied with a cocky grin that I wanted to slap off his face. Terror pierced deep into my chest. These men had guns. They weren’t the normal men that Kyle could rip off and laugh about later.
The bang was unexpected and left my ears singing in protest. Kyle slumped to the ground, blood pouring from the hole in the centre of his forehead, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly.
I took the moment of distraction to run. I wasn’t big or bulky like some of the others in our group, but I was fast. My heart pounded so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of my chest. The need to escape pulsed through me with the determination of a steam train coming into a station. I was that train, and my station was a few streets away on my left. If I didn’t stop, I’d make it back home to the safety those four walls represented.
The scent from that acrid smoke still surrounded me, and the sight of that blood pouring from the middle of his forehead made me want to stop and vomit.
Dead.
Kyle was dead. It was his eyes that I couldn’t stop thinking about. They stared up at the clouds without blinking, his chest unmoving. He’d been the brains of our group, and now he was gone. I would never forget how that man stared at us—memorising every one of our faces. Fear curled deep in my stomach, wrapping itself around the base of my spine, making my legs move faster, and my breath rasp out in gasps.
I darted behind a tree, pressing myself into it to hide from the thundering footsteps I heard behind me. My nails dug deep into the bark to camouflage myself. What the hell had gone wrong? Tonight had been about collecting our payment for finding that missing suitcase, and now Kyle…
Nausea burnt up my throat as the memory accosted me again.
Since the footsteps had gone in the other direction, I took another route home past Burger King. A man sat under the fluorescent lights at the window, biting into his burger as if the world was still the same. A piece of lettuce fell to the table in the same manner Kyle’s dead body crumpled to the ground. I could see it very clearly now. The world wasn’t the same. It would never be again.
When I was sure no one was following me, I finally looped back to where I lived. The door to my foster home slammed shut behind me, but I pressed my forehead to it in an attempt to strengthen it further.
“I was wondering when you would finally find your way home.” A male voice sounded behind me. I slowly turned to face the man with cold grey eyes, the man I watched murder my best friend in cold blood.
Every muscle in my body froze, my limbs numb. Defeated, I followed him into the back room where Matt had taught me to play Monopoly and Doris normally sat knitting in the corner. They’d been the first people to care for me, the only ones who ever hugged me. Both knelt on the worn carpet, their arms tied behind their backs, and gags in their mouths. Doris looked at me with pleading eyes, tears trickling down her cheeks. Matt’s face was red and swollen, blood stained his cheek.
Three men in black suits stood against the wall, watching us with disinterest.
“Did you look in the suitcase?” the man asked.
I opened my mouth, but no sound came out, so I shook my head.
“Your friend was foolish to demand more than the original recovery fee. He was stupid enough to look inside the case. My colleagues are visiting your other friends who were there tonight.”
I swallowed, my gaze locking on Doris.
He glanced over at her. “Your foster mother tried to tell me that you were a good boy with bad friends. She pleaded for your life.” He tapped his index finger to his lips. “I’m trying to see if she’s a liar or not.”
My speech may have evaded me, but I dived in front of the only mother I’d ever known, wrapping my arms around her. She leaned into me, her head resting against my neck. My hand grabbed Matt’s arm.
“It’s gonna be alright,” I said, squeezing her to me.
“How touching. You need to learn to keep your nose out of other people’s business, boy.” He d
ragged my head back to stare into my eyes. “I don’t tolerate that type of behaviour.”
He lifted his other arm and my eyes widened at the gun he was holding.
“Please,” I whispered in a desperate plea. “I didn’t look in the case. Kyle organised everything.” I’d only gone to make our group look tough and add to the numbers. We were going to use the money to get drunk in the old, abandoned warehouse.
The bangs deafened me. I’ll never forget the image of Matt and Doris’ bodies slumping backward lifelessly—their final moments forever ingraining in my mind. That acrid smoke burnt my senses, and the sickly-sweet smell of blood destroyed the last of my sanity.
I fought and struggled for freedom, and the only sound that I heard was his deep chuckle. They beat me until I stopped fighting. The man dragged my arm back until it cracked, then he kicked me in the head, leaving me gasping on the floor.
“Finish him,” he commanded, striding from the room.
I took that moment to run and never look back.
The solid frame of a man stopped me a few streets away, his hands gripping my arms with an authority that made me stop dead in my tracks. The sound of the feet chasing me halted. I wanted to scream at the agony pulsing up and down my arm and into my shoulder and fingers.
“I would suggest that you turn around and walk away,” the man holding me demanded.
Muttering sounded from behind me. Two men emerged from the black car that was parked at the side of the curb. They were dressed in black jeans and leather jackets. That seemed to make up the minds of the men standing behind me, deciding to take the opportunity to escape.
“Get in the car,” he said in a low husky tone.
I was going to object, but he shoved me toward his men, who physically bundled me into the back seat. The door on the other side was locked, and all I could do was huddle in the corner and hold my arm.
The man who stopped me slid into the car beside me. “You can run, but they’ll kill you, or you can stay and get your revenge.”
There was nothing to say to that. Instead, I stared out the window, watching the familiar landmarks of Edinburgh flash past, the castle illuminated high in the background. “Are they dead?” I already knew the answer, but the question burned a hole in my brain and demanded to be spoken.
“Silas never leaves witnesses, so I assume so.”
“Why did you save me and not them?” I demanded angrily. “They were worth saving.”
He sighed. “Because the Council cannot know that I directly opposed them. I was watching from afar and too much blood has been shed tonight. You were in the right place at the right time to be saved, and my wife always believed in fate. I may not be able to change the past, but I can help you change your future.”
He sounded like my social worker.
I winced when the car lurched over a speed bump, gripping my arm.
The man sat forward, deftly moving my arm. “Max, call my personal doctor. It looks like the boy has a broken arm.” He stared at me and I didn’t feel the fear like I had with the other man, Silas, in the house. “You have no reason to trust me, but all I want is for this whole sordid mess to end. Saving one boy might not achieve that, but something tells me you’re a fighter, and I need warriors in my army.”
I didn’t feel like a warrior. Right now, I was a cold, lonely boy who was in agony both from my arm and the fact that I lost the only family that ever wanted me. Vengeance burned deep in my chest, demanding a release. I wanted to pummel the man who executed my family and destroy everything he held dear.
“What’s your name?”
I glared at the man wearily. “Nicklas.”
“I’m Lucas Black, and from this moment on, I will be your guardian. My men will train and educate you. In our world, knowledge is power, and that begins with a basic education.”
I rolled my eyes, and he slapped my forehead with the tips of his fingers.
“Manners cost nothing, and I will not tolerate that type of attitude.”
“Adults aren’t allowed to hit you,” I muttered through gritted teeth.
He raised his eyebrows in question. “Who are you going to report me to?”
I opened my mouth, then snapped it shut again. He was right. There was no one left for me to go to, no one alive that I trusted. All that remained was me and my need for vengeance.
We finally turned into a long driveway that led to a massive old house. “This is my home in Scotland. My men stay here to keep the perimeter safe while I’m gone. You’ll be staying with them to learn how to defend yourself.”
I didn’t want to defend myself, I needed to protect the people I loved, but it was too late for that.
A woman was busy cooking in the kitchen when we walked in. Lucas spoke to her in a low tone, and when he finished, she engulfed me in a hug. Panic reared up inside of me like a gaping hole ready to consume all. My body stiffened at the strange embrace and my mind screamed at the pain radiating up into my shoulder, but her arms tightened, almost as if she knew what I needed in that moment.
“I’m Moira. Welcome to the family. Come with me and I’ll find you a room and then we’ll get you something to eat.”
The tears that had been trapped behind my eyes since that first shot was fired, finally emerged. Moira led me through the house and sat with me until the sobs stopped, tucking me under the fattest duvet I’d ever encountered in my life. She remained beside me in the darkness, a silent presence that made me feel safe.
Lying in Lucas’ posh house, I made a vow to myself.
One day, I would track this Silas down and tell him exactly who I was and show him the same mercy that he showed to Matt and Doris. To do that, I needed the help of the man who rescued me. As much as I hated owing anyone anything, I would swallow what little was left of my pride and accept the help he offered to me.
Then I would track that fucking asshole down and tear him apart limb by limb until he begged me to put a bullet into his head. That bastard would pay for killing my family.
***
Chapter Two
Sofia
Trepidation trickled down every vertebra of my spine as Papa paced through the house, barking orders into his phone. His fist slammed onto a wooden table and I jumped at the loud noise. Our home had been a sanctuary from the life he led, and the organisation he ran. He thought my sisters and I didn’t know that he was the head of an international organisation filled with criminals, but private school ensured that nothing remained secret. If he didn’t tell us, then the jealous girls decided it was their duty to inform us of our father’s alternative life.
I met my sister Lucrezia’s worried eyes as she set the orange she was peeling down. The need to run overwhelmed me since the real world had finally invaded our haven, so I left the kitchen in search of my Reebok trainers. I braided my long, black hair so it wouldn’t distract me and pushed my earbuds into my ears, turning up the volume as my music blocked out Papa’s rapid speech in the background.
My feet pounded the ground, sweat pooling at the bottom of my back with every mile that passed. My security guard kept pace behind me in yet another reminder of the current situation. When inside the high walls of our estate in Tuscany, I was normally free to roam and spend time by myself. Fear beat a tribal beat in my chest and my legs burned as I forced myself onward. Ever since Mama died when we were little, I prayed that Papa would stay strong in our home forever. This morning I heard his phone call when my sisters were still in bed. It reverberated through my head like a steam train rapidly approaching the station.
Another shiver raced through me at the image of the grim reaper and his scythe standing at the huge metal gate that protected the driveway into our home. I lost my footing on a twisted root of a tree that protruded from the ground and tumbled over, agony spiking up from my ankle.
“You okay?” Mario bent down beside me, his fingers gently touching my ankle.
I wanted to pull back and curl myself into a ball. Papa had strict rules for all his
daughters. No boyfriends sat firmly on the top of that list, unless they appeared with a declaration of their intention, and a portfolio to show their net worth. The only eye candy my sisters and I had were the guards at the estate. Mario had been the focus of my lust for a while and rebuffed me when I made a pass at him. I spent hours analysing all his comments and innocent touches before I presented myself to him half naked. Now everything felt awkward when it had been mildly flirtatious before. I thought he was interested in me when he was just passing his time and being friendly. I was officially a dumbass for even thinking he would go against Papa.
What I needed was a man strong enough to stand against Papa and claim what he wanted, and hopefully it would be me that he would want. Someone needed to perform an opening ceremony and use my vagina before she closed for business and my eggs were hard boiled and useless.
“I’m fine,” I said, gingerly pushing myself to my feet and testing my weight on my ankle. “Just a tumble. I’ve had worse.”
The battering my pride took after he turned me down was a testament to that. I still bore the emotional scars. I struggled to hide the wince when I tried to step forward.
“Sofia,” Mario chided me, his brow wrinkling in concern. “I am here to protect you. If need be, I will carry you back to the house.”
Over my dead body would he carry me home. I may not be able to walk, but there was nothing wrong with my hands and knees. Pride was a terrible thing, and mine was stronger than my sisters’. I may have zero experience when it came to men and no clue how to interact with them, but I knew when I wasn’t wanted. It didn’t matter if he was the last man on this planet, I would never offer myself to Mario ever again.
I hobbled over the rough terrain home, clinging to the trees, and ignoring the constant deep sighs from Mario. By the time I reached the front door, my ankle was badly swollen, and the pain was pulsing up my leg in horrendous waves. It was only when I finally hopped into the hall and toward the staircase that seemed to go up forever, that I realized we had guests. All attention fell on me in my bright pink running vest and black leggings. I was shivering as my sweat dried on my skin. Sickness burned up my throat in the same throbbing waves as the pain in my ankle.