Heart of Stone - Stone and Fire #1 [17+] (REWRITING)

Chapter 40

heyyy

Nikolas's POV

I didn't wanna be here.

The mahogany walls around us shone with sunlight creeping in from stained glass, each shard hitting my tumbler. 

The Pakhan sat across from me, his black and silver streaked hair combed back with practiced precision, every strand in place as if anything else would be unacceptable. His eyes were hard, sharp, the kind that could both build and break empires with a single look. He wasn't a man who bothered with kindness or trust; he was a man of power, and that's all he knew how to understand.

He tapped his glass thoughtfully, his gaze never leaving mine. "You don't hesitate, Nikolas," he said, his tone laced with a subtle edge. "No remorse. That's useful... and dangerous."

I pondered, taking a long, measured sip of vodka. "Maybe I don't need remorse to understand consequences," I replied, watching him. "And I don't have time for it."

It wasn't a coincidence that the Pakhan had left me on his watchlist since Petrov's death. Hell, he didn't even know the fucker was dead.

I forced my grip to relax on the glass, even as the memory of Petrov's blood soaked my mind, as vivid as it was satisfying. The scent of burnt flesh, the weight of finality as his body lit up, reduced to ashes with a few snaps of gasoline-soaked cloth. 

Torturing him had been Adriana's right. 

And mine? 

To ensure he'd never get a funeral.

But, like I said, I didn't wanna be here, and Adriana's presence was like a rock between me and the man five feet away- big, rough, and evading the truth.

"Petrov," he said at last, the name slipping from his mouth with a mix of disdain and curiosity. "I've yet to hear an adequate explanation for his disappearance."

Explanation?

His dead body was the fucking explanation.

But, he didn't know about that yet, and it was my purpose to keep him on the edge of his seat.

"He might be off the board." I shrugged, watching his eyebrow raise from behind the glass.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning I don't know what the fuck happened to him, and I don't care."

He leaned back, that lazy expression goading his face with amusement. 

"Give me one good reason why I should believe you."

"He's always been on my bad side, ever since you assigned him a role next to mine."

"Fed up, are we?"

I adjusted my suit, feeling the cold, inching apathy roll through my muscles. 

I really didn't wanna fucking be here.

"Maybe he crossed a line he shouldn't have."

The Pakhan's eyebrows lifted in mock surprise. "You think you have the right to decide which lines matter?"

I leaned forward, meeting his gaze head-on. "When it comes to Adriana, yes." I let the words hang in the air, cold and cutting. 

"Funny," he said, his voice a low rumble. "For a man claiming no weaknesses, you speak as if you have one yourself."

I didn't flinch. "Adriana's not a weakness. She's precisely the only reason why I'm here right now."

"So she's the reason he's gone." He stated, his eyes wandering to my glass.