PERFECT PIECES {18+}

♡Niko♡

"What'd they find?" I asked as I sunk into the booth opposite Pierce, hoping his PI had found something I could use against the Bulgari's. His hair was swept and looked suspiciously askew like he'd had a certain blonde with her fingers in it but I tried not to focus on it because as soon as I did, I wanted to wipe the smile off his face.

Pierce shrugged, his Letterman jacket moving stiffly with his bulky frame. He nodded to the waitress, my sister Emma, ordering a coffee and bagel. I didn't give a fuck what he wanted for breakfast or how he wanted his morning coffee, I just needed to know what the PI had dug up on the Bulgari's. Pierce wasn't in the same hurry though and it was fucking me off. I had a minimal amount of time out of that witch's grasp and he was wasting it.

"Honestly? Not much. They're running everything deep so if anything is happening, they're definitely not going to be the ones getting fucked over it." Pierce said handing over a tiny folder. I opened it, pushing my hair back as it curtained my face. There were some photos of Sofia, her mother, none of her father and the typed paper of notes were a few bullshit sentences that didn't help at all. I slammed it shut and pursed my lips. Of course they were as clean as anything. I was an idiot to think I could take them on, get out of her grasp.

My sister brought over Pierce's breakfast and coffee then, placing a tea down in front of me despite not ordering one. She glanced at Pierce with a frown before looking back at me. I shook my head, telling her silently not to ask questions. Her own lips tightened before she gave us one last look and left back to the counter.

School started in ten minutes and I was meant to be already there, escorting my high maintenance puppet master to her locker, to her class, instead I was risking her wrath to find out I was just as screwed as before.

"Look. So the PI didn't find anything, doesn't mean there isn't anything to find and definitely doesn't mean you have no options." Pierce said, shoveling his bagel into his mouth. I gritted my teeth as I saw Taylor's name and a picture of her grinning, in her bikini pop up on his phone. I had to turn away before I threw it across the café.

"She's just wondering where I am, I didn't mention this to her. Not because I'm hiding it but because she sucks at acting and if Sofia confronted her, she'd drop us all in it." Pierce laughed, scoffing before eating more like he hadn't eaten in days. I sipped my tea, trying to find some calm but panic was eating at me. A cold sense of dread filled my body and all my darkest thoughts reached up through my body, trying to drown me in their shadows. Usually I used music so I couldn't hear those whispers but that was getting less and less of an option. Unless Pierce was to be believed.

"What options do I have? If I fight her, if I say no, she goes after my family, after Tay. You think I should do it anyway and put them in that kind of danger?" I hissed, leaning forward. Pierce chewed slowly before wiping his mouth with a napkin, frowning hard like he was thinking but I doubted that was possible for him. He had always been the typical jock with more cock than brains and now that he was with Taylor, that seemed even more true. But he was helping me and willing to share her so I kept my opinions to myself, begrudging him some respect for it.

"Find out what she wants more than you. I'm guessing it's not you specifically but the fact that you were Taylor's and rubbing that in is fun for her. She wants what she can't have so make yourself undesirable." Pierce shrugged and I hated that it was a good idea, but also saw a tiny slither of light.

"I'm already dragging the chain as much as I can without making it worse for everyone." I bit, her threats wearing thin and making me close my fists. I wanted to make her pay but I'd settle for just getting out from underneath her. Pierce smirked, shaking his head, ending his bagel in a bite way too big to be considered polite. He chewed it down then leaned back, his smirk growing.