Leads

Play list for this Chapter: Wolves by Sam Tinnesz.

* NICHOLAS *

I saw him raise his hand toward her and my blood boiled. I walked over to them in two long strides, grabbing his hand before he got a chance to hit her.

Coglione. (Fucker)

Anger rolled off of me in thick waves as I stared the guy down, and he got scared the way his lip quivered. I twisted him around so his front pressed with his car and I bent down to whisper in his ear.

"The way you look at me... I'm assuming you know who I am?" I asked him and he nodded his head. "Good. Then you'll know about my cellar, yes? Trust me when I tell you this. You don't want to be on my list, because if I see you around Dove again, or in my sights for that matter, I will not fucking hesitate to use the gun strapped to my waist right now." I hissed into his ear and he nodded his head. He might as well piss his pants.

I shoved him away from me and he got to his knees on the ground, shaking. I fucking hated it when people did that. "Get up." I grunted and he got up in one swift motion. "Don't fucking show your face ever again." And he drove off in his car quickly.

I looked over at Dove who looked at the retreating car with worry. I went to her and pulled her close to me, her back touching my chest. She didn't say anything or hesitate. Instead, she relaxed into my grip and closed her eyes, exhaling slowly.

"You okay?" I asked her and she nodded. "Come on. Let's get you home." I took her hand and led her towards the car. Jake stood there, worry etched on his face as he looked at us approaching. I told him we were headed to her house and he said he'd follow behind us in his car. We drove to her house in silence. I followed her into the house, Jake right behind me when we heard someone call out to her.

"Dove, you home?" Her friend Cole called out to her and came running down the stairs.

Well I guess now I know who stays up with her. Why it bothered me, I had no idea. He froze on the stairs when he looked at us, then Dove and then us again.

"Right... Cole, this is Nicholas' friend Jake. Jake, this is Cole, my best friend." She looked between them as if they'd become best friends in second. Jake looked at Cole skeptically then glanced at me, raising his eyebrows.

"Questo è l'amico, sì?" (This is the friend, yes?) He asked me.

"Si. E lui. Lo stronzo vive sul pavimento con lei." (Yes. That's the one. Fucker lives on the floor with her.) I told him, huffing out a breath.

"Are they talking about me?" Cole asked Dove who sighed.

"Cole I... I don't know honestly I can't tell." She looked at us, glaring at me. "Come on, you can sit in the living room." She led us to a large living room and both Jake and I made ourselves comfortable while she talked with Cole in hushed tones.

"What are they talking about?" Jake whispered, leaning towards me.

"Probably deciding whether or not its a good idea to kick us out." I told him, still looking at the two talking. Jake hummed in response and got up to inspect everything.

"You've got a nice collection of classics. They all first editions?" Jake asked her and she walked over to us.

"Yeah.. They're my dad's. He gave them to me last year." Dove told him. She never spoke of her family. Not that she needed too. I already knew everything I needed to know, and so much more. Funny thing is, I didn't even feel guilty. I did this all the time.

"You guys want anything?" She asked us and we both shook our head. She then looked over at the clock and sighed. "There's still more than two hours till my gig... So what are you guys going to do?" She looked at me and Jake with her hands on her hips.

"Oh we have some work to take care of anyway. We'll d that. You go ahead and do your thing." Jake told her and she nodded.

"Alright. I'll be in my room if you need anything... I have a few assignments due tomorrow so I'll be doing those." She looked at me and I nodded at her, giving her the green light. Just then Cole came back downstairs.

"I'm going back to college Dove. Abby and I'll see you at the bar, okay?" He told her and she went to him.

"Alright. She's still there?" She asked him.

"Yeah I had to get some things from home. Anyway, have fun." He kissed her on her head and looked at Jake and I before leaving.

Why did he kiss her?

It annoyed me more than I could fathom and there was this urge to wipe that kiss off of her head. Or wipe Cole off the face of the earth. Any would do. The latter would be more satisfying though. I shook away all thoughts, pulling up the sleeves of my dress shirt to get to work.

"Sembrano vicini." (They seem close.) Jake told me, typing something on his phone. I stayed quiet because I wasn't exactly in a mood to answer that question.

Closer than I thought.

"Qualche indizio su Giovanni?" I asked him. (Any leads on Giovanni?)

"L'uomo che hai minacciato ci ha dato una pista. Ancora in cerca. Non e esattamente molto solido." He told me and I grunted in response. (The man you threatened gave us a lead. Still looking. It's not exactly very solid.)

"Perche?" (Why?) I asked him and looked in his direction. He was now switching through the channels.

"Nessuna radione. Non abbiamo niente li. Ha fatto irruzione nel posto due volte." (No reason. We got nothing there. Raided the place twice.) He told me, settling on a sports channel. "La tua ragazza sta bene. Lei mi piace. Molto... esuberante." (Your girl's good. I like her. Very... feisty.) He told me and I looked at him.

My girl. I liked the sound of that.

"Non e per te che le piaccia." (She's not for you to like) I grunted and Jake chuckled.

"Cosi possessivo. Lei sa che hai il calore per lei?" (So possessive. Does she know you got the hots for her?) He asked me, looking at me from the corner of his eye.

"Non sono affari tuoi." (That's none of your business.) I said, earning a smirk from him. We sat there, talking about leads and contacting anyone who could give us a lead on Giovanni. Two hours passed and I took a deep breath, slouching in my seat.

"Hai chiamato tuo zio? Mi ha infastidito." (Did you call your uncle? He's been annoying me.) He asked me and I ran a hand through my hair.

"No. Lo faro dopo. Digli che sono occupato se chiama di nuovo." (No. I'll do it later. Tell him I'm busy if he calls again.) I told him, getting up from my seat and stretching.

"Bene." (Okay) He said and I looked around. It had been nearly two hours but she wasn't down yet. I decided to go and check on her.

"I'll be back." I told Jake and headed upstairs, and into the farthest room in the corridor. The door was slightly open. I went in and saw her with her head on her desk.

She must have fallen asleep working.

I went to her and stopped in front of her. And before I knew it, my thumb was stroking her cheek and tracing her jawline. I stopped at her lip, before pushing a stray strand that fell over her face, and pushed it behind her ear. She looked so peaceful. So content. So beautiful, like an angel. While I, the devil, corrupted her.

The devil and his angel.