My Childhood Bully is a Mafia Boss-Chapter 134

My voice trembled as I answered his question, "I live here, Nik."

Nikolai’s expression turned from confusion to shock. "What do you mean you live here? I thought...after Slava died, you went to live with your brother."

"I did, but then..." I hesitated, struggling to find the right words to explain how I ended up marrying Giovanni, his brother’s archenemy. "It’s a long and complicated story, but yes, I married Giovanni."

Nikolai’s eyes widened in disbelief before turning into a fiery rage. He bellowed, "Y...you...you married Giovanni Leones!?" The name rolled off his tongue like poison, and I could see the hurt and betrayal etched on his face. "How could you!" he roared.

He tried to get up from the bed as if to lunge at me, but Sam moved quickly to hold him down.

Nikolai struggled against Sam’s grip, his face contorted with anger and betrayal. "You married the man who killed my brother!" he shouted, his voice breaking with emotion.

I felt a pang of guilt but stood my ground. "Nikolai, please, listen to me. It’s not as simple as you think."

His eyes blazed with fury. "How could you betray Slava like this?"

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice steady. "Slava’s death was an accident. Giovanni didn’t intend for him to die. And marrying Giovanni... it wasn’t planned. It just happened."

"Just happened?" Nikolai spat, his voice dripping with disdain. "You expect me to believe that?"

Giovanni stepped forward. "She is right. Look, you don’t want to listen to me, but it’s true that I never planned on harming your brother. And I have no intention of killing you unless you force my hands to," he said grimly.

Nikolai’s glare shifted to Giovanni. His breathing was heavy, and his eyes were red with unshed tears. "You talk too much," he hissed. "You’re all the same. Liars and murderers!"

Giovanni stared back at him, his face hard and unyielding. "I may be a murderer, but I am no liar, Nikolai."

For a moment, the room fell silent. The tension was palpable, like a thick fog obscuring the air.

Finally, Nikolai seemed to deflate, and his eyes lost their fire. He slumped back against the bed, his body shaking with grief and betrayal. "I can’t believe this...how could you all...?"

I hesitated, not knowing what I should say.

"You were pregnant with Slava’s child," Nikolai broke the silence. "Where is it?"

"Her name is Elora and she is sleeping in her room. You could’ve killed her, Nik. What were you thinking?" I said softly. Slava’s little brother wasn’t like Slava. He was not a criminal, and he wasn’t violent. Slava kept him away from his business in hopes of raising him up to be a better man than he was. He loved his brother to a fault.

Nikolai fell silent, his eyes glazing over as he processed the information. I could see him grappling with the reality of the situation, trying to reconcile his grief and anger with the new information we had just shared with him.

"How did you find out Giovanni’s men killed Slava? How did you find this house?" I asked.

Nikolai hesitated, his eyes flickering between me and Giovanni. He finally spoke, his voice shaking with anger and anguish. "I...asked one of Slava’s men. "I couldn’t let him get away with what he did to Slava."

"Give me one reason why I shouldn’t kill you, Kid," Giovanni said through gritted teeth.

"Go ahead and kill me," Nikolai barked.

"No one is killing anyone," I said sharply. "Nik, if we let you go, you will have to promise not to try anything stupid again. I know you care about your niece. She is the last thing Slava left for me. And I know you care about me too. You once considered me your friend. If you kill Giovanni, you will hurt me and my children, too," I said, wiping the tears off my cheeks.

Nikolai’s face contorted with a mix of emotions—anger, sorrow, and confusion. He looked at me, then at Giovanni, and finally back at me. His eyes softened slightly as he saw the tears on my cheeks.

"Please, Nik," I pleaded, my voice trembling. "Think about Elora. Think about yourself. You are only fourteen. You have your entire life ahead of you. You won’t win against Giovanni."

Nikolai’s resolve seemed to waver, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "I... I don’t know what to do," he admitted.

Giovanni took a step closer, his expression still hard but his voice calmer. "I will let you live if you walk away and don’t come near my family again. I know you are angry, but I’ve lost people too. And I am not losing my family."

Nikolai looked down, taking a deep, shuddering breath. "I just wanted justice for Slava," he said quietly, almost to himself.

"Justice doesn’t come from revenge, Nik," I said softly. "It only leads to more pain. For you and for everyone else."

Giovanni nodded, his expression firm but less hostile. "You have a choice to make, kid. You can keep going down this path and end up like Slava. Or you can walk away and find a different life. A better life."

Nikolai looked up at Giovanni. Finally, he nodded slowly. "Alright. I’ll go. But I won’t forgive you," he said, his voice shaky but resolute.

Giovanni nodded. "I’m not asking for your forgiveness. Just your word that you won’t come after my family again. I would like to avoid having your blood in my hands if I could."

Nikolai glanced at me, then back at Giovanni. "I won’t make that promise. I will come back for revenge when I am older and ready. So, if you want to kill me now, go ahead. But I will have my revenge," he said with a tight jaw. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

I gasped. "Nikolai!"

He looked at me and gave me a tight-lipped smile. "Don’t worry, Ellie. I am not talking about murder. There will be other ways to take revenge by the time I am older and stronger. I will find a way to make Giovanni suffer then."

Giovanni sighed and stepped back, signaling to Sam. "Get him out of here. Make sure he’s safe but far away from us."

Sam nodded and moved to grab Nikolai. "Got it, boss," he said.

"Nik," I called out before they were gone entirely. "I hope you find peace, not more hatred."

Nikolai looked back at me, his eyes conflicted but determined. "We’ll see, Ellie. We’ll see."

After they were gone, I turned to Giovanni, my heart heavy with worry. "Do you think he’ll really come back for revenge?"

Giovanni sighed, his expression hardening. "I don’t know. But we’ll be ready for whatever comes. Right now, we need to focus on our family and keeping them safe."

I nodded, leaning into his embrace. "I just wish things could be different."

"We all do, Amore," Giovanni replied softly, kissing the top of my head.

A heavy sigh escaped my lips, filled with relief and lingering fear. "Oh, Giovanni," I whispered, "when that gunshot rang out, my heart stopped. I thought I had lost you today."

Giovanni’s arms enveloped me in a strong embrace, his heartbeat steady and reassuring against my chest. "My sweet Ellie," he murmured, "don’t worry. I won’t leave this world without seeing Elora and Lucas grow into the incredible humans they’re meant to be."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked into his deep brown ones. "Yes. And you can’t leave without seeing our own child grow up either," I added softly.

Giovanni’s expression shifted from tender to puzzled in an instant. He slowly released me from our embrace and took a step back. "What did you say, Amore?" he asked, his voice laced with disbelief and hope simultaneously.

"I am pregnant, Giovanni," I announced.

Giovanni’s eyes widened in shock, his hand trembling as it reached out to gently touch my stomach. His gaze flickered back up to meet mine. "Ellie, how... how can this be?" he stammered.

I smirked. "What do you mean, how? You won’t leave me alone every night. And you refuse to wear condoms. What did you think was going to happen?"

He grinned widely. "Mamma Mia, I am going to be a father? I mean, I am already a father, but I mean..."

"Yes, yes, I know what you mean," I said, rolling my eyes.

He suddenly grabbed me and lifted me up, making my feet dangle.

"Giovanni! Put me down!" I squealed.

Giovanni chuckled, his eyes sparkling with joy as he twirled me around in the air. "I cannot believe this, Ellie! A baby, our baby," he exclaimed, pure happiness radiating from every pore. "Lucas and Elora have another brother. Or a sister. Perhaps both? Maybe it will be twins."

"You are making me dizzy!" I protested, scrambling to get out of his grasp.

He finally set me down, his hands cradling my face as he kissed me deeply. "I love you, Ellie. I never imagined I could be this happy." His words were warm against my lips, filling me with a sense of contentment I had never known before.

We just stood there, wrapped up in each other’s arms. "I love you too," I said, smiling through my tears.