His Identity

36

|Nick's POV|

Carter's little slip would not only have caused him issues, but me as well. That's why I had to cover it up although I didn't want to.

Him almost calling Aveline a mission made me so fucking mad. I wanted to kill him right then, right there on the spot. It angered me more than the fact that he had the audacity to walk in my house as if he owns it and raise his voice at me, on top of that.

Regardless of our ages, in our world, I'm higher than him— both in status and height. And he'll always be below me. He knows that yet he chose to cross that line.

Growing up, my family made sure to remind me of the fact that I will be the Italian Mafia Boss one day. I don't have a choice. I'm my dad's eldest son, thus this rests upon me. I didn't have a problem with that, I still don't. 

My parents would never cease to tell me how I should never let other people bring me down, and how I shouldn't let others order me around— except them.

If Aveline was to find out that my dad literally killed his dad then had the godforsaken audacity to send a replacement because he felt bad for leaving a little girl alone, she'd be super pissed. I don't want that. She'll be mad at me, at Carter and everyone else.

She'll also find out that Rhys isn't her brother. Overall, she'll know that she actually doesn't have any family left. Everyone who she thinks is related to her, who she thinks is family, is not. They're all strangers who were thrusted in her life by my father. When you put it like that, it sounds evil. I hate him for that. But at the same time, I hate him a little less for not leaving her completely alone.

Which is why Aveline can never find out about this. Neither can Rhys because he has absolutely no idea about it either.

The figure on the screen of my laptop is staring back at me tauntingly. I've never seen that guy before.

Who the fuck breaks into someone's house and doesn't bother to cover his face? Either someone who thinks he's in untouchable or he's just simply really dumb.

"Do you know him?" I ask when Aveline makes her way over so she could look at the screen. I don't bother waiting for a reply because the way her eyes widen and her face pales answers my question.

"Yep," Ryver speaks from the couch across me as he stands up, "she does." He comes to look at the paused good rage footage as well, "never seen that fucker. But I have a feeling we'll be seeing him soon, hmm?"

"Yeah," I mutter, my eyes flickering to Aveline. She's biting down hard on her lower lip, there's a distant look in her eyes as if she's deep in thoughts.

I can't help myself as my hand goes up to her lips and I slowly separate her bottom lip away from her teeth.

That seems to have snapped her out of her daze. She blinks. Once. Twice. Then her entire face flushes.

Ryver coughs and mumbles something incoherent under his breath. We both ignore him.

I don't know why I even asked him to help. I didn't need it. But there's something about him that bothers me. I have this weird feeling that I need to keep him close. Or I'm going to regret it.

I can't stop the twitch of my lips when Aveline looks away and takes a deep breath, looking like she is mentally scolding herself to get her shit together. "So I'm taking it you know him, yeah?"