INFIDELITY | Book I

21. Allegiance.

Not Edited, if you see something.. you know what to do. :)

Chapter 21:

"I'm glad you've accepted my offer." Gerardo cheered on speaker, while all six of us sat around the rectangle shaped table with the phone sitting in the middle. "Assuming I'm on speaker, I can hear someone's loud breathing." Crixus slapped his brother in his chest and Lorenzo looked offended while a woman- the nurse- patched up his broken hand.

"Sorry about that." I awkwardly mouthed to him but he waved me off telling me not to worry about.

"Tell me where to meet you." Nicholai continued the conversation, his voice was stern and clear. "This will only work if the boy has a safe return."

"To ease my curiosity.. what changed?" I could tell his attention went to me just by the way I felt his eyes bore themselves into the side of my face, but I didn't look back. He wasn't doing this for me, he wanted to rule two kingdoms.. maybe even more; that was it.

"I think it's time for me to call it quits." Nicholai forced out before he laid the rest of his lie out like the global map. "And my brother doesn't want this, and I would be a fool to hand it over to him. So why not you?" A part of me believed that lie, I truly did, but he sounded like he was telling the truth. Did Matteo force this on him?

"Smart boy." Gerardo praised him. "Amelia will be pleased to hear the news, you should see her dress."

"Grooms aren't suppose to see their Bride until the day of, you know that old man." While Gerardo laughed, we all cringed. So the girl was already planning, Nicholai must have been the best she's ever had.

"I'll send you the address, and Olivia I hope you can forgive me for putting you in this, it was nothing personal just business."

It became personal when you took something that wasn't yours. "Get the bullet out of him and I'll consider the offer Gerardo , I have no business in this." I had to act as if I was bowing out with good grace; it was painful to do.

"I would love to meet you in person."

"My voice will be enough."

He laughed. "Oh, it was nice meeting you." He sounded sincere. "I'll tend to your brother. But Nicholai." We waited for him to finish his sentence. "If you cross me again, it'll be your last." And with that he hung up.

"Well brother, looks like I'll have a sister in law I never wanted. Amelia out of all women?" Sage expressed his disappointment while he pushed his chair back to spread his legs out to get comfortable.

"I'm not marrying her Sage. Keep your thoughts to yourself it's unsettling." Nicholai grabbed the Android from the middle of the table after hearing it chime. Gerardo didn't waste time sending the address. "We're meeting at 7:30, we leave in 30."

"Wait a minute." Crixus turned in his chair. "So what's the plan moving forward if you're not getting down on one knee?"

"We need more backup not just the six of us. Unless you think we can handle what's to come." Nicholai responded.

"I mean.. what kind of war are we dealing with?" Sergio asked him.

"Civil."

It made sense really. The Civil War was primarily based around: Rights, Expansion, and for the slaves to be free- which was the right thing to do. And in this scenario Gerardo didn't want peace and harmony, he wanted control by any means necessary and he wants Nicholai to become his puppet.