Angelo had unfortunately swallowed some, and as someone who had never smoked before, it made him cough until he went lightheaded and fell over.
This hadn’t been Nikolai’s intention but he couldn’t wrench his eyes away. Angelo was usually frosty cold, his face expressionless, his lips pale and bloodless.
But after his coughing fit, color had bled into his cheeks and Nikolai found himself unable to look away.
"For an assassin, you were quickly defeated by a little cigar smoke." He leaned close to say when Angelo finally stopped coughing.
The Beta glared at him but his coughing fit had made his eyes glassy, diminishing the effect considerably.
Nikolai fought the urge to laugh. How could he kill off the assassin? He was very entertaining.
"Is that going to be the case with alcohol as well?" He kept speaking, not caring that Angelo hadn’t given a response.
As he said that, he was reminded of the second time he had met Angelo and the sweet scent of red wine that had accompanied his presence.
He didn’t wait for a response, turning around to leave the room.
Angelo let his head drop weakly after Mafia King Nikolai left, it had felt like he couldn’t breathe for a good long while, he felt drained from his coughing fit.
This treatment from the Mafia King didn’t surprise him, he had been expecting worse. He was just relieved that Mafia King Nikolai had stopped talking about sex for now, he could endure anything but that.
The scent of smoke filled the room again to signal the Mafia King’s return. Angelo eyed him warily, he didn’t think his lungs could handle more smoke.
Mafia King Nikolai walked in with a bottle of wine and an empty glass, placing it on a table before going to the edge of the bed, an impassive expression on his face. "Sit up."
Angelo wanted to glare at him but he curbed it, if Mafia King Nikolai wanted to kill him, he would have done that already. If he aggravated the Mafia King now, he would have to bear the unsavory consequences.
He forced himself upright, gritting his teeth again at the bonds that tied him down.
To his surprise, Nikolai went behind him to undo the leather straps that bound his arms. Angelo became tense, pale green eyes focused as he braced himself. His legs were still bound but with his hands free, he could make a move.
"Are you thinking of attacking me?" Nikolai asked humorously. The Mafia King’s touch burned his skin.
Angelo swallowed with difficulty, it almost sounded like Mafia King Nikolai was looking forward to him doing just that, it was a trap clear as day. "If I do, will you kill me?"
Nikolai’s response was more laughter, he walked off to pour out wine into the glass he brought, leaving his back vulnerable to Angelo. "So eager for death," He murmured, approval in his voice.
Angelo didn’t dare make a move or even a sound, his hands were free now but his legs were still bound, and without the leather strap keeping his head upright, he could look around properly.
The restraints around his legs dug into the skin, compressing the tight pants even further. Angelo stared at it for a while, he was trapped here. If he tried to escape, Silvia would get the consequences.
A glass of wine appeared in front of his eyes, making him look up. The dark red liquid looked sinister, swirling elegantly in the slender glass.
The simple word was commanding, it gave no space for a refusal.
Angelo hadn’t been planning on turning it down. He still hadn’t figured out a plan to get out of the situation he was in, so he would play along for now.
He reached out to take the glass by its stem, his thin fingers almost the same width as the narrow stem.
Nikolai watched with amusement as Angelo downed the entire contents of the glass in one go. "You drank that rather quickly."
Angelo held some appreciation for the wine, it soothed his raw throat. "I’m not afraid of a glass of wine."
A dark light gleamed in Nikolai’s eyes. "Oh?"
"Can I get another glass?" Angelo said calmly, a bit irked at how affected he had been by a little smoke.
Nikolai took the glass from him but made no move to fill up another glass, he stared at the rim and then at Angelo’s lips, looking thoughtful.
"You’re not going to need another."
Angelo’s eyes widened in consternation at that, starting to realize how stupid it was to willing drink what Mafia King Nikolai had given him.
"So what’s your preference in women?" Nikolai stepped back and sat on a sofa, looking imposing on the otherwise harmless piece of furniture.
Angelo felt his throat close up, he still hadn’t been able to figure out what was in the wine, he didn’t feel any different but he knew better than to relax. "I’m not interested."
Nikolai’s stare was burning as he looked him over, like he could figure out the other’s sexual preference by staring at him hard enough. "How about a male Omega?" He double down.
Angelo was starting to get ticked off, was there anything else in the monster’s head. "If you’re not going to kill me, give me a gun, I’ll do it myself."
There was a strange expression on Mafia King Nikolai’s face when he said that, it made Angelo wonder if provoking the Mafia King would get him the results he wanted.
He reached up to his hair and twisted it, wrapping the sturdy length around his neck and tightened it. Angelo just did it for show, he didn’t fear death but he couldn’t kill himself, that’s why he planned to push Mafia King Nikolai into doing it for him.
Nikolai didn’t do a thing at this display, he just calmly watched him like he was putting on a show, white smoke obscuring his features.
Angelo cursed under his breath and let go off his hair when it felt like his head was going to pop from the lack of oxygen, glaring at the Mafia King across from him.
Nikolai was smiling so much his face was starting to hurt, the little assassin was so intriguing. He rose to his feet and closed the distance between them, deliberately not putting his cigar away so slender wisps of smoke darted between them.
"Do you hate sex that much?"
Angelo glared up at Nikolai, a cold tremble going down his spine that he tried to keep hidden by stiffening his back. "That’s none of your business-"
He choked on the end of his words when he felt Nikolai’s hands on his neck, instinctively leaning back.
Nikolai just went right after him, making a sound of disappointment. "I don’t appreciate you damaging my property."
Angelo felt like the hands on his skin were knives stabbing his throat, stopping him from taking a breath. Was Mafia King Nikolai actually insane? Angelo knew he had his shortcomings, but he wouldn’t even think about keeping an assassin that tried to kill him as a plaything.
He couldn’t even threaten the Mafia King with that, because Nikolai had looked downright enthusiastic at the thought of Angelo trying to kill him again. He suppressed a shudder, letting the Alpha touch the reddening marks on his neck for as long as he wanted.
"Lay on your back," Nikolai retrieved his hand when he was satisfied.
Angelo went tense, a condensed drop of fear pouring in the calm pool of his eyes. Without warning, he leaned back and connected his skull with Nikolai.
Pain flashed behind his eyes, making him crumple to the bed and hold his throbbing head. Angelo could feel something trickle down, he didn’t know if it was blood or part of his brain matter, that was how hard his head had been rattled.
Nikolai cocked a brow at this, other than a slightly red stain on his forehead, it didn’t seem like anything had happened. He hadn’t flinched, he hadn’t even budged when Angelo headbutted him.
Meanwhile the Beta was dazed from pain on the bed, the fog in his head didn’t clear up even after the pain dulled.
Angelo was lying on his side so Nikolai flipped him over unceremoniously. He had just wanted to take off the restraints on the assassin’s legs but he must have come to his own conclusions and attacked.
It should hurt but it just made Nikolai smile, the expression chilling. He didn’t care for men, Caspian hadn’t been able to change that and the male Omega passed completely as a woman.
It was fascinating to find an assassin that was so disinterested in sex, he wanted to know why.
He undid the straps and watched Angelo’s body gradually lose it’s strength. He had drugged the glass of wine earlier because tying him up all night would be uncomfortable. He planned to keep the assassin for a good long while after all, he had to make sure he was treated right.
And after he got bored of him? Nikolai looked down at the shirtless Beta on the bed, his hair was splayed out, his thin hands by his head. His thoughts then were than Angelo looked like he didn’t get enough to eat, his ribs were practically visible through his taut skin, his waist tiny enough to be held in both hands...
Nikolai turned around and walked out of the room. After he got bored of him, he would kill him like he wanted. He wasn’t a monster, he could do that much at least.