Chapter 52 Nikki

I’ve been crying inside my room for well over an hour now. It started with anger and has now morphed into something I have not felt since my aunt came to me one fall afternoon to explain, that my life wouldn’t never be the same. I felt hopeless that day, I felt lonely and afraid and those emotions are mimicked this very moment, enhanced by the feeling of stupidity.
He has a fiancé. Someone he plans to someday marry.
And she’s stunningly beautiful.
A frustrated groan leaves my chest as I sit up and wipe at the stray tears that flow down my cheeks. I’ve been hidden up here in my room for over an hour. To say I was devastated to learn that not only was Bronson seeing someone else, but that he intends on marrying the woman, would be an understatement. It’s the woman from the charity event, the one woman that appeared on his phone.
How could I have been so stupid? Never once did I think he was engaged; never once did he mention her.
Broken. I feel completely broken.
Now everything makes sense.
The rejected kiss, what he kept wanting to speak to me about this morning. He was breaking down my walls, only to devastate me with an internal blow so powerful, I don’t know if I’ll ever recover.
Engaged. He’s engaged.
My phone chimes beside the bed and I reach for it automatically. My hands shake as I see my collar ID displaying my brother’s name on it. How is he calling me? I answer without any hesitation, whispering his name and hoping it’s not some sick dream.
Please don’t wake me up.
“Brody?”
“Nik?” A sob nearly wrecks my body as I stand and hold my hand to my face, wiping at the new tears falling. It feels like it’s been years since I’ve heard my brother’s voice.
“How…. I thought….”
“I know. I got out Nik, I’m back home at the Serendin. Mick kept his word, he got me out. Him and Alfonso.”
“That’s great Brody. Listen, I need to talk to you about something.”
“Wait, before you do that, Mick wants to speak with you. He says it’s important. I just wanted to tell you before you guys speak, that I’m sorry. I’m so sorry you had to clean up my mess like always. Mick and Charles told me where you are, what you’re doing, and I know you’re doing it for me Nik. Thanks.”
“Wait…. Brody I–"
“Nikki?” Mick picks up and my angers rises. He got Brody out, but at what cost? My brother is still clearly being dangled by a string.
“Mick.” Once again, my Bandit mask is placed back on.
“I wanted you to see that my side of the bargain has been paid, we are all awaiting yours.” I cringe and shut my eyes, my fist shaking with anger. He used my brother as a shield and now wants me to grant him the information I’ve collected.
“I don’t have much to go on Mick, but Bronson has ties everywhere. In every major city, attached to every type of industry.”
“And you’ve met many of these people?”
“Yes. I think if you devise some kind of plan to get Bronson to give us all the acquired accounts for each of the mergers he has, we can get into some pretty interesting amounts of money.” My mouth feels salty speaking about Bronson this way, then I remember the way I felt the moment his gorgeous fiancé walked into their home and I shake my head of any and all guilty thoughts.
I’m doing my job. He was a fool to allow me into his house, into his life. He was a fool to invite me near his company knowing what I was capable of.
“Good. I’ll keep in touch Nikki. For now, keep by his side until I come up with a plan.”
“Mick, I really would like to come home now. I don’t think I need to be here any longer.”
“No, it’s best if you’re there. You have his ear at the moment Nikki, and don’t forget, you told him you were kicked out of the Bandits. You can’t just come on home. We need you there. At least until we can come up with a plan.” I nod my head even though he can’t see it.
He’s right, according to both Rand and Bronson, I was nearly beaten to death by Mick and Charles and kicked out of my former home. I can’t just tell him off for practically lying to me about his life and go back to them. Not yet.
“Fine, but please Mick, at least keep Brody away from drugs until I can get back there.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” He states then I immediately here the unmistakable sound of the dial tone. Looking at my phone clutched to my hand, I see Mick has hung up on me.
Rolling off the bed, I head for the en suite bathroom and splash cold water on my face. I cringe at my appearance in the mirror. My makeup is smeared, and my hair looks like birds have been sleeping in it. I straighten up and head for the door, intending on speaking with Bronson. If I’m going to be living here longer than I want to, I need us to have some kind of talk, preferably before I choke out his little fiancé.
“I don’t care Bronson; you cannot just do things like this without speaking to me. I’m going to your wife.”
I duck when I hear Cassandra rounding the stairs and stomping up them like a diva. Bronson trails directly behind her, stopping her with his hand reaching out and pulling her arm. She gets pulled into him and pinned against his hard chest as his next words destroy the small particles left over of my heart.
“She doesn’t mean to me what you meant to me. Cassandra, I had to help this woman, she’s the one that saved my life and if I choose to put her into my home to give her a better life, I have every right to do that.”
“Then why keep it from me? Why do something so sneaky Bronson?” She’s baiting him. And by the look of pride she emits as she crosses her arms at her chest and smirks his way, she’s a pro at it.
“I don’t know.”
“I do. You have feelings for this woman Bronson. Any fool could see that.”
“Cassandra.”
“No?”
“No.”
“Then prove it.”
It takes only three seconds for my breathing to become haggard and hard. Bronson takes those three seconds and grabs his fiancé’s hand, leading her to their bedroom and slamming the door shut. It also takes only three seconds for me to fly down the stairs, into the penthouse and out the door.
I can’t do this anymore.