My hand instinctively darted to my lower abdomen, my heart drumming in my chest. The same man who had caused me so much pain was the father of my unborn child.
I’d messed up.
I’d messed upbigtime.
Chapter 16 — Nial
The long mahogany table dominated the center of the dimly lit room, the scent of tobacco and vodka wafting through the air. Bratva elders sat on both sides, dressed in impeccably tailored black suits.
“She’s a pain in my ass, and I want her gone,” Vika said, his gaze shifting across the faces in the room. “That fuckin’ bitch has to be put in her place.”
“You do realize who her handler is, right?” Ivan asked him, a subtle reminder that he was trespassing on dangerous territory.
Vika shot a quick glance in my direction, his jaw tightening in an attempt to mask his fear. “That’s why I’m here,” he continued, taking his eyes off me. “He won’t let me kill the bitch.”
My fingers curled into fists on both hands as an immense surge of rage coiled in my chest. If it weren’t for these elders, I would’ve beaten that prick to death already.
One of the elders, Petrov, turned to him. “What do you mean?”
He hesitated. “Nial has made himself her guardian angel or something.” His voice dipped, laced with disdain. “He’s always watching over her from the shadows.”
A man named Alexei smoothed his brown hair backward and chipped in. “Vika is right. If the girl is a problem, she should be treated as such.” His gaze swept across the table. “We must eliminate her.”
“Exactly,” Vika said. “Rules are rules.”
I hadn’t said a word since that brat began running his mouth. I just sat there in silence, listening and observing. The only reason Vika’s proposal might be considered despite my involvement in the case was because of his father.
The man, like my father, was feared and revered by every member of the council of elders. If he had his stupid son’s back, this would be a tough case to dissolve.
And that’s why I didn’t want her getting mixed up in this shit again. As powerful as I was, there were forces bigger than me, authorities and powers that could override my command in a heartbeat.
One of them was Vika’s father, my Uncle Vladimir. The chances of Kiera getting out of this unscathed were slim. At this point, I could only slow down the process, but eventually, they’d come for her head.
“What do you have to say about this, Nial?” Petrov asked me, his voice cutting through my thoughts.
I paused, remaining as calm as always. “This discussion is highly unnecessary.”
Vika groaned, letting out a low, frustrated growl.
I continued regardless, “Killing a lawyer mid-trial would draw unwanted attention to us. And we don’t need that right now.”
“So what?” the brat snapped. “You just expect me to sit back and watch her ruin my life?”
“Pretty much, yes.” My lips curled into a faint self-satisfied grin.
His frown deepened. “You son of a—”
“Enough!” Petrov thundered.
Vika was already on his feet by now, glaring at me as though he stood a chance. The idiot was a decade younger than me. And I was forty years old. I was older, stronger, and more experienced—that shit bag wouldn’t last five minutes in hand-to-hand combat.
For a thirty-year-old man, he had the brain of a fuckin’ teenager. His father’s influence was the only reason he even satat the same table with me, let alone the elders. Without Uncle Vladimir, Vika was nothing but trash.
“Is there a particular reason why you’re protecting this lawyer?” Petrov asked me.
“I’m not protecting her,” I said, “I’m trying to save the Bratva from a potential crisis.”
“Bullshit!” the dimwit snapped.
