INFIDELITY | Book I

23. Catch.

Chapter 23:

We all decided to meet in my room with majority of the men taking my bed. I rightfully sat in my chair with Alice sitting on top of my desk- with her notepad and pen- while Nicholai stood next to the window with his arms folded. "Alright let's get down to business."

"Don't you say it." Crixus eyed Sergio who had his mouth pried open to say the famous line. He shut his mouth with a sour look on his face before he played with the hem of his shirt, minding his business once again.

"Does anyone have an idea before I suggest what should be done?" The floor was theirs to take if need be, but seeing them clueless I continued with my theory. "We could use Bimbo- I mean Amelia-" I corrected myself. "For bait, now it's a stretch but we already have her hooked on Nicholai-"

He interjected. "That's the plan. We established that from the beginning when I took the ultimatum."

I ignored his ignorant comment. "If I could finish.." I cleared my throat. "If she's already planning the wedding, soon enough the engagement party, the wine testing, dress fitting and then the wedding will happen. She'll want this done less than a few months so that's what we will give them." They followed along with my words effortlessly and I was glad it wasn't rocket science for them to guess what was to come next.

"That'll give us time to scout them out. How many men, connections, and how we plan to attack." Crixus agreed. We already had more of us coming and just with our small majority we could take an army down.

"But that's the thing." Lorenzo spoke up. "Uccidere o Arrendersi?" And with that question all eyes went to Nicholai for the answer.

"Kill or be killed." He looked up from his device. "I don't want his empire, I want to burn it."

"What about their allies? Once word gets out, they'll come for us." Us. Sergio didn't single himself out, he used the pronoun that bided everyone together.

"I didn't take you to be a bitch Sergio, don't start now, if it's too much for you the door is right there." Nicholai tested him and something clicked within the young soldier, his posture changed. But he was right to ask the question that everyone, including me, had stored in the back of our minds. Sergio just brought it forward and into the light. "With a group like that I doubt their loyalty runs thick enough. Someone will be glad I put him to rest. And if not we fight."

"Until the end." Sage shot a look at his brother and they shared a nod of salute. It was a sign of respect from the two men.

"So we attack to kill." Alice concluded before she adding a sarcastic comment. "I take it the wedding day won't be the declaration of love."

"The declaration of my last name and what it stands for." For the first time Nicholai addressed Alice other than the brief moment they met. I watched her coil away, almost as if his voice alone frightened her, before he grinned seeing her shiver.

"Something wrong gattina?" Sage noticed it as well and Alice- unlike the reaction she gave to Nicholai- curled her lips up at him like a baby kitten. He really knew how to get under her skin unlike anyone I've ever known.

"When is this dinner?" I had to ask, remembering the conversation downstairs.

"Tomorrow at 6." He said before he looked out of my window. "Your father is here." He let the curtain drape back into its place.

"What?" I jumped up going to the window to see if it was true. I knew he wouldn't have a reason to lie to me- not about something minor like this. "Matteo's in the car." With another unfamiliar face but I l left that part out.