Nicco - Season 2

21. Never Forget Where You Stand

NICCO

Aria clears her throat. "Everything okay, Nicco? You look a bit tense."

"I am fine," I mutter.

I check the time. Five and a half hours until my flight, and Newman's party has already started.

My eyes search for hers. "Actually, I am late to an event. It is hosted by one of the directors at the New York branch of Danmore."

Aria frowns. "Should I head out so you can get ready to go?"

"No," I reply. "I want you to come with me."

She blinks. "Me?"

"SÌ."

"Why?"

"You tell me," I taunt.

"Is this some kind of test?"

I arch an eyebrow, waiting to see if she has what it takes to impress me.

"You know I always do my fucking homework."

"Can you figure out why I want you there?"

Aria's gaze sharpens. "Does it have to do with the acquisition?"

"But of course."

"Then you want me there to rally Chase Newman and his men to our side. If you want Oliver's crown, the Danmore team in New York will be crucial in taking down the king."

"What if Newman does not bite?"

"Then he needs to go," she decides without hesitation, "so we can install someone else who will cooperate."

"You are merciless."

"Not merciless. Effective. I'm here to get shit done."

I smile in spite of myself, her savage side is so goddamn sexy, and it takes all of my self-control to resist hauling her into my arms so I can turn all of my sordid fantasies into reality.

"I assume you've pieced together Juan Pablo's next move based on what I told you just now."

"I think I have a few ideas on how we can handle him."

"I don't want to just handle him," she growls softly. "I want to obliterate every single one of his fucking lifelines so he can never rise again."

My cock throbs. "How do you propose we destroy him, principessa?"

The rest of Aria's answer comes swiftly, and it does not disappoint, "You build up the army, and I set the trap. Focus on acquiring Danmore before Oliver can take over Jackson & James. You know he's eyeing your banks like a bitch in heat. If you can acquire Danmore before he buys out Jackson & James, we'll have the influence needed to get the right people in government to do your bidding. I'll start investing Juan Pablo's assets in the shadiest ways possible. The profits will be insane, which will make Juan Pablo one happy fucker. I know him. Once the millions start pouring in, greed will make him careless. He'll trust me with more of his family's money to invest and turn a blind eye even as I'm setting him up for the perfect takedown."

I like everything about her plan except the part where she will be putting herself at great risk. "But what if you get implicated in the process?"

"It doesn't matter what happens to me," she answers with a sense of conviction that sends alarm bells ringing, "if I can put him away forever."

I will never let that happen to mia principessa. Lawyers exist for a reason. "And then what?"

"And then," she closes the gap between us to whisper in my ear and never in my life have I been so fucking turned on by the boundless expanse of her deviousness, "we're going to spend the next few years leaving a pretty trail of cookie crumbs for the SEC to seize all of Juan Pablo's hard-earned profits at J.M. Weiss, leading back to all of his illegal activities with the cartel. He'll lose his entire net worth and go back to prison."