Chapter 80: My Mouth Gets My Ass In Trouble (Again)

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Nikolai stared at me as I smiled politely, the perfect image of someone who had just conducted a highly scientific experiment.

"It seems your theory has some flaws."

His jaw tightened, a muscle flickering in his cheek. "You threw a shoe at my head!"

He looked at me as though he had finally accepted there was no reasonable way to win this argument, his professional calm shifting into mild defeat.

He walked over, picked up the shoe like it was a weapon, and handed it back to me.

"Put this on."

I took it back, the leather warm from its brief flight.

"I’m concerned about your mental state, sir." Nikolai said and I shrugged in response.

I slipped my shoe back on, feeling solid ground beneath my feet again. "Teach me."

"No." He crossed his arms, the fabric of his suit pulling taut across his shoulders. "Why are you so determined to learn self defense?"

I hesitated, the sarcastic responses lining up in my head like eager volunteers. "I don’t want to be helpless."

Nikolai’s expression shifted.

Just slightly, but I could see his eyes sharpen, the professional distance softening for a split second.

"I almost died a few days back," I confessed quietly, my voice softer than before. "I had a gun in my hand and didn’t know how to use it...and there wasn’t even a damn bullet in it. Someone had a knife at my throat, and the only reason I’m standing here now is because Dracula showed up just in time."

Nikolai didn’t respond, the silence filling with the distant sounds of the estate continuing its morning routines.

"I know I’m protected," I added, the honesty making me feel a bit uncomfortable. "I know there are guards everywhere. I know Dracula would probably turn half the city upside down if something happened to me. But I don’t want that to be my only option."

He studied me closely, the kind of attention that indicated he was actually listening this time.

"I want to know what to do if no one comes for me."

For once, Nikolai didn’t immediately counter.

I thought maybe I had finally gotten through to him, that a mix of honesty and the lingering impact of my shoe-related antics might have made a difference.

Then he said, "You still need the Don’s approval."

I shut my eyes, the morning sun warming my lids.

"Unbelievable." Then another thought struck me, bright and opportunistic. "You owe me, you know."

Nikolai frowned, his professional demeanor slipping slightly. "What?"

"You owe me."

"For what?"

I flashed a sweet smile, the kind that usually preceded trouble. "You reported my escape."

His expression flatlined. "That again?"

"Yes, that again."

"I was doing my job."

"You fucked up my plan!" Nikolai stared at me, the silence stretching long enough for me to point at him with newfound confidence. "Therefore, you owe me."

Nikolai looked increasingly frustrated, his calm beginning to crack under the pressure. "I don’t want to end up with my head on a spike because I spent too much time with you without the Don knowing."

I shrugged, unfazed by the imagery. "I don’t care."

His eyes widened. "You don’t care?"

"No."

"About my life?"

"Meh...you’ll survive."

"You have an incredible amount of faith in me."

"I have incredible faith in Lorenzo’s ability to make people regret disappointing him."

"That’s not reassuring."

"It wasn’t meant to be."

Nikolai stared at me.

I grinned, perfectly content with our current back-and-forth.

He shook his head, the motion resigned.

Then, perhaps running low on arguments and with the morning still stretching ahead of us, he asked, "Are you choosing me because I’m Japanese?"

I blinked, completely thrown by the question. "What?"

"Because you assume I’m naturally good at fighting."

I looked at him, weighing the idea and finding it as absurd as the traditional expectations he’d mentioned earlier.

"Um...no."

"Then why me?"

"Because you’re literally in the mafia, that’s my reason for assuming you can fight."

He stared back, as if the answer was both obvious and completely unexpected.

I shrugged again, casually. "Plus you carry a gun too, you’re gonna have to teach me that too...sensei."

"I am not your teacher."

"You could be."

"I won’t be."

"Coward."

"I am going back to work."

"Traitor!"

He turned away as I yelled.

"Snitch!" He kept walking. "Bad employee! Worst bodyguard in history! You still owe me, dipshit!"

He stopped for half a second but continued. I opened my mouth again. "You know what, I’ll just learn how to fight in my own!"

Then a familiar voice came from behind us.

"Is that so?"

Everything inside me went still. Nikolai stopped walking. The courtyard suddenly felt different. It wasn’t that the sunlight disappeared or the temperature changed.

Nothing obvious happened, but the atmosphere shifted so quickly that I felt it before I even turned around.

Nikolai’s entire posture straightened. His shoulders squared. His hands moved behind his back.

The long-suffering irritation I had bestowed upon him that had been on his face vanished instantly, replaced by perfect professional composure.

I slowly turned. Lorenzo stood beneath the archway. He looked as though he had been there for some time, listening to our conversation.

I almost rolled my eyes, sneaky Dracula as always.

Dark trousers, black shirt with the sleeves rolled neatly to his forearms, pale blond hair tied loosely behind his head, green eyes fixed on me with that calm, unreadable expression that always made me feel like I had walked into a room halfway through a conversation I wasn’t supposed to hear.

My stomach dropped. Oh. Oh, no...shit.

His gaze moved toward Nikolai. Then toward me. Then down to my shoes. His mouth twitched.

"I was wondering how long it would take before I heard my Omega yelling at someone"

Nikolai immediately lowered his head. "Don, I apologize... I should not have been s...speaking with your Omega for so long without informing you–"

Lorenzo lifted one hand and Nikolai stopped talking immediately.

"Teach him."

Nikolai blinked. I blinked. For a second, neither of us moved. Then Nikolai straightened.

"Yes, sir." His voice sounded slightly strangled.

Oh, so now he chooses to be obedient?

I couldn’t blame him, no one here had the halls to get in Lorenzo’s bad side. Yeah...noone except me of course.

I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face. I had won. I had actually won.

I turned toward Nikolai with a victorious look. "See?"

Nikolai looked like he wanted to say something deeply inappropriate about my personality, but he wisely kept his mouth shut.

Lorenzo began walking toward us. And suddenly my victory didn’t feel quite as satisfying. Because nothing involving Lorenzo was ever free.

He stopped in front of me, close enough that I had to tilt my head slightly to meet his eyes. His gaze lingered on my face for a moment before his hand lifted. His fingers brushed gently over my cheek, right beneath the fading bruise.

The touch was soft. Far too soft for someone who had spent the previous day holding a gun to my father’s head.

"You really want to learn self-defense, hmm, mio cuore?"

I swallowed. "Yes."

His thumb moved lightly over my cheek. "Why?"

"I don’t want to rely on you for everything."

Something amused flickered in his eyes. "Everything?"

"You know what I mean."

"I do." His lips curved. "And you think learning to fight will change that, love?"

"It would help." I straightened slightly. "I need to be able to protect myself."

"I agree."

I blinked. "You do?"

"Yes."

That was not the response I had expected. Lorenzo’s thumb brushed my cheek once more before his hand lowered. "I want you capable of protecting yourself."

I stared at him. "So you’re not going to stop me?"

"No."

My eyebrows lifted. "Huh...that was surprisingly easy! Thanks a lot, Dracula!"

His smile deepened. "Was it?"

Something about the way he said it made the victory in my chest disappear almost immediately.

I narrowed my eyes. "What the hell does that mean?"

"You wanted to learn."

"Yes."

"You’ll learn."

I glanced toward Nikolai. He looked almost sympathetic. That should have worried me.

Lorenzo’s attention returned to me. "Although I am curious about something."

"What?"

He leaned slightly closer. "Do you truly believe you could win a fight against an Alpha?"

I scoffed. "Of course."

His eyebrows rose. I should have stopped there. A sensible person would have stopped there. Unfortunately, I had never claimed to be sensible...

"Why the fuck not? Because I’m an Omega?"

"Yes."

And I laughed waving him off.

"Oh, please." Lorenzo’s eyes narrowed slightly as I was already enjoying myself again. "Alphas aren’t even that impressive."

Nikolai looked at me and I ignored him.

"They’re all built like mountains and act like they’re the kings of the damn world because they have a few extra muscles."

Lorenzo’s expression remained calm. I continued with a care free grin. "Half of them probably wouldn’t know what to do if someone actually stood up to them!"

Lorenzo was smiling. Slowly. Very slowly. That was when I realized I had made a terrible mistake.

But apparently my big ass mouth had not received the information.

"I mean, seriously," I continued, trying to recover. "It’s about time an Omega put an Alpha in their place, right? Everyone acts like all you Alpha bitches are these big and terrifying creatures who can’t be challenged, but honestly, what’s the worst that could happen?!"

Nikolai looked away and I frowned. "What?"

He said nothing. I looked back at Lorenzo as his smile had become even slower. My confidence began to evaporate.

Oh shit, my husband was planning something against me. Always two steps ahead of everyone...this man was.

Lorenzo tilted his head. "Oh, yeah?"

I swallowed, refusing to back down. If I wanted to defend myself without Alpha’s, that meant I wasn’t going to be a pussy and stand my ground no matter what.

"Y...yeah."

Yeah... I wasn’t gonna survive this one, was I?

He stepped closer and his hand settled lightly at my waist, not pulling me anywhere, simply resting there as though he had every right to occupy the space around me.

"If you feel that strongly about it..."

He pulled me and leaned slightly closer, his voice dropping into something almost amused.

"Perhaps we should make your training more interesting."

My stomach dropped as I stared at him.

"What kind of interesting?"

His mischievous, devilishly beautiful smile widened and suddenly I wished, with every ounce of my soul, that I had just kept my fucking mouth shut.