My Beloved

Chapter 31

The men stood in the large room with their arms raised above their heads as Nikolai's armed men searched them. "As if we'd be stupid enough to pack something on us," Gianni growled. "It's just precaution," one of the men said to him. The men led them to a large circular table in the center of the warehouse.

"Have a seat. Don't move," one of the men said as he took a step back. They sat next to one another anxiously waiting. Soon Nikolai came bursting down the stairs with an entourage of his men behind him. "Fuckin' A, the Petrillo boys actually came," Nikolai said grinning as he walked right up to them with a confident air. "They must have pussies of gold."

"Where are they?" Luca asked impatiently. "...they are relaxing in a spa," Nikolai taunted. "There will be no negotiating unless we have proof that they're still alive," Gianni said sternly. Nikolai analyzed Gianni and rolled his eyes before motioning with two fingers. Gianni and Pietro briefly sighed with relief when the two men brought Rachelle and Cara Mia into the room and sat them across their respective men.

"What the fuck did you do to them?" Pietro said angrily looking over their wounded and bruised faces and arms. "Years of pent up aggression for all the times the Petrillo family has screwed my family over," Nikolai said looking back at him with a smirk.

"Where is Ava?" Luca asked frighteningly calm. "Oh, my pet won't be any use in these negotiations. She's no longer your concern." Luca looked as if he was going to rip out Nikolai's spine in that moment. "No Ava, no deals." Gianni said matter of fact. He needed to remain in control of this meeting before everything went to shit.

Nikolai groaned and motioned with a finger. What the men saw angered them, while the women began to shed quiet tears. Ava was brought downstairs wearing a satin white negligee that left little to the imagination. She looked at Luca with tears in her eyes and an expression that said 'I'm sorry.'

She made a move to run to him when she got closer, but Nikolai yanked her back by her hair causing her to scream. "No, no sweetheart." He cooed as tears fell from her eyes. "Remember, you're mine now and in exchange he gets to live." Luca looked on as the woman he loved cried by the hands of the man he hated.

He made a decision in that moment that the Black Lycan would make an appearance, but for now he needed Giovanni to get there so they could take care of the remote that was so casually in his hand. "You brought us here to talk. So, let's talk." Gianni said feeling the anger radiating from his best friend.

"Straight to business. Right then, I want you boys to right the wrongs done to my family. You killed a good man all because Sticky couldn't hold up his end of the deal." Gianni laughed. "Your father tried to take down my father. He is lucky we granted him death. What is this really about, Nikolai?"

Nikolai smiled as he sat down across from them and pulled Ava onto his lap. "I want full access to all of your southeastern trade posts. That means I can trade whatever I want. None of your lame pussy code trade restrictions." His eyes slit over to a fuming Luca. "And no Black Lycan mauling my men...keep your wolf on a leash," he said with a smirk as he pulled Ava closer to him. Luca growled trying to contain his anger.

Gianni tried to think if Nikolai was being serious or not. There was no way he was going to give him access to their territories his father would never allow it and would rather the women die than seem weak. He looked at their faces and wallowed in their decision to keep so much from them. They were in danger and it was their fault.

Nikolai could see the confusion on the girls faces and laughed heartily. "I'm so sorry ladies, how rude of me. I told you answers would come in time and I didn't deliver." He got up and sat Ava down as he paced behind them.

"I'm sure you are dying to know what a Russian mafia man like myself would have to do with three reputable businessmen like the Petrillo boys here, huh." He chuckled to himself. "I know you all are strong, intelligent Black women and have probably figured it out, but it seems your sweet little hearts can't process the truth, so I'll spell it out for you."