Page 163 of Pistols and Plush Toys

“I… I’m sorry,” Nikolai said, the words punched out of him. His phone, sitting on the table, started buzzing, but he ignored it. “I–I think about Vitale, how he treated you. Think maybe I’m like him. Hurting you.”

“You’re nothing like him,” Elliot said fiercely. “Even… even when we first met, when I was so scared, you were nothing like him.”

“And you… want to be with me?” Nikolai asked. Agonizing, tentative hope fluttered to life in his chest. “Even with my business, is okay?”

Elliot smiled, soft and sweet, hope blooming on his face too. “If being with you is an option, I’d very much like that.”

Nikolai took a breath and leaned forward in his seat. “I—”

Nikolai's phone cut him off, ringing loudly with the emergency tone.

They both froze, staring now at it. Nikolai cursed and snatched up his phone. Gerard. Who should beasleep,it was way past his bedtime.

He put the phone to his ear. “What?” He barked out.

“Our information was wrong,” Gerard said briskly. “Mattia landed two hours ago. But we know where he’s headed. You want me to deal with this, or do you want to take Elliot home and head the charge?”

Fuck.

Gerard had been up all night, and this was Nikolai’s score to settle. He felt the adrenaline pour into his veins, a calm readiness flowing through him.

“Wait for me,” Nikolai said. Then he hung up. Meredith and Gerard had his location, so they’d be able to track him back home.

He turned his attention back to Elliot, who looked concerned. “Is happening now,” Nikolai said apologetically, “I’m sorry, we need to go.”

“It’s happening–” Elliot’s eyes widened. “Mattia?”

Nikolai nodded, starting to stand. Elliot squared his jaw and stood.

“Okay. Okay,” Elliot said, like he was trying to psych himself up.

Nikolai dug out his wallet. Their food hadn’t even arrived yet, but he peeled out a few bills and dropped them on the table. Then his hand found the small of Elliot’s back and he ushered him from the restaurant.

Already his mind was compiling a plan of action. Get Elliot home, assemble his men, follow Vitale. Get Vitale and put a bullet through his head.

And don’t die while doing so. Meredith had stressed that last part.

“I’m taking you home and will leave you with Pyotr,” Nikolai said as they strode for the exit. “Okay? You will be safe, and I will finish this.”

Nikolai found the valet slip in his pocket as they stepped outside, guiding Elliot toward the stand.

“And… you’ll be careful?” Elliot asked. His face was full of worry again, and Nikolai hated to see it again so soon.

But at least now they were in the final stages. This would be over one way or another before long.

Before Nikolai could answer, a gun jammed itself into his spine. He was all too familiar with the sensation and so recognized it immediately. Suddenly there wasn’t just the valet there, but four men. Two had guns on them, and as soon as Nikolai felt the one pressing into the spine, his eyes went to Elliot, who he found in a similar position.

Rage flowed through him. Howdarethey. How dare they bring Elliot into this. Hadn’t Nikolai just promised that Elliot would be safe?

These men had made a liar out of him in minutes.

Nikolai would destroy them.

A third man stepped in to relieve Nikolai of his things, but he only had a spare set of lockpicks, his wallet, and his phone in his pocket. The fourth man, a man dressed in a valet uniform, was on the phone, talking in rapid Italian.

These were Vitale’s men.

Dread dropped through Nikolai so fast it was almost paralyzing. He’d never felt anything like it. He’d been in a number of dangerous situations before, but he’d never been there with someone like Elliot. Never been there with someone he was so worried about.

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