Balotelli-Bale Series Book #6: Regina Mia & The Godfather Part 1

Chapter 22: A Laughing Matter

Nick's POV
A close shave with death is what I'll call my experience on the plane. I didn't know I was going to make it. I didn't think I'll see Kei or the kids again. My life did not flash before my eyes. It was a silent, painful moment.

"Are you sure about this?" I whispered to Katya.

"If you want mercenaries, Boris is the guy to go to."

Boris is the Serb boss. We know the Serbs to always serve where the money comes from. They have no loyalties other than bags of cash.

"Are you good?"

"Not the place for emotions." She refused to engage in conversation.

"Five million." One of the men announced.

And that's just what it costs to get an audience with the Serbs.

"Not a cent short." Boris remarked. "Does your papa know you are here?"

Katya responded with brutal silence.

"I'm not meddling." He shrugged. "How is your heart Balotelli? If I was to scare you, just a little, you will die?" He and his men started laughing.

Katya snapped to him in Russian. Boris gave me an apologetic gaze. It quieted down. "I own you." I made my point.

"No you don't own me. You own a small percentage of my men. But I like to remind all my clients that if you get outbid, even when we are in the middle of doing a job, we leave."

"Katya, that's flaky." I told her.

"Money talks. How loud will yours talk?" She asked me.

"Fair enough." I got closer to him.  "But if this turns out to be a money pit, you and me will have the kind of problems money can't solve."

He offered me his hand. I shook it. "I like you. But if you are ever late on payment, I will come to your house and I'll have your woman as you watch. I'll sell your daughters after that. I'll kill your son. Don't fuck with me Balotelli."

The chill left with him and his men.

I sighed heavily. I keep getting deeper into the mob. Is this the path I'm surely taking? All just to get to Mancini?

"From here it just keeps getting darker. Let's go."

"Wanna talk about your temporary fallout with Kei?"

"It didn't sound temporary. Kei  never shows that she's pissed unless it's that bad. I wish I could tell her the truth."

"We are way past being honest with her." We stopped outside the building. "She found the cash. I lied to her about it just like I lied about staying out of the mafia just like we are lying about this affair. It's too late to go back and change anything. From here on out, we proceed with our lies."

"She's the only true friend I've ever had. I feel horrible about this. Don't you feel anything?"

"Fear. Fear that if I give into honesty, we will be sitting ducks when Mancini strikes. Fear that either way, I'm going to lose her. I would rather she lives and hates me than she dies and hates me. Please..." I held one side of her face. "Don't come clean."

She nodded.

"What he said about coming to your house is true. Don't mess this up Nick."

"I won't."

"So who is your contact?" We began walking towards her car. She picked me up from the company on her way from work.

"Russo."