Page 41 of Kill Shot

Peace Offering

Nico

When Nico strode into the opulent Altamirano dining room, the first thing he did was look for Seb. However, he didn’t seem to be present. In fact, there was nobody present except for Pablo, who was sitting at the head of the table and savoring a glass of wine.

Was there a reason why Pablo had the guards waiting outside? It was the first time that Nico could remember being truly alone in the man’s presence.

“Good evening,” Nico said as he approached the table, keeping his tone as neutral and cordial as he could manage. “When you invited me to dinner, I assumed that Seb would be present.”

“Of course you did.” A ghost of a smile flickered across Pablo’s lips. “But we’re going to be talking business tonight. Please, take a seat.”

Nico did so, taking the only other chair at the long, long table that already had food set out. It would appear that this was just going to be a dinner for two.

“Seems you haven’t lost your edge,” Pablo said easily, taking another sip of his wine.

It was difficult to shake off the feeling that he was being tested, but the specifics still eluded Nico. Instead of answering, he just watched and waited.

And in response, Pablo’s grin grew a little more pronounced.

“The moment you walked in the room,” he said with a nod towards the door, “you did more than just look for Seb. You scanned the room for threats by pure instinct. Looks like you haven’t left your previous life completely behind you after all.”

“That’s not—”

But Pablo stopped his reflexive protest with a raised hand. “How many guards were stationed outside?”

“Two at each entrance,” Nico said instantly. “Plus three more patrolling the perimeter.”

Pablo leaned back in his chair, absently swirling his wine and considering Nico.

The seconds stretched out until Nico was nearly at his breaking point.

Had he made a grave error? He’d been trying to leave his habits behind, but it wasn’t easy to shake off a lifetime of training.

Perhaps he hadn’t made nearly as much progress in embracing normalcy these past few months as he’d thought.

But right when he was on the verge of asking what the hell this private meeting was about, Pablo gestured to the table.

“Let’s eat. No sense in letting the food get cold.”

Begrudgingly, Nico finally turned his attention to the food before him.

It was an exquisitely artistic presentation, with slices of bread arranged like the petals of a flower, sliced meat cooked to perfection and drizzled with sauce, along with a collection of roasted vegetables.

Tonight, it looked like duck with potatoes and carrots.

Nico was confident in his manners, but his taste buds were another matter.

Though he could clearly recognize that this was a sophisticated meal that must have taken hours to prepare and the best ingredients money could buy, he could barely taste a thing.

Truly, the food Seb enjoyed every day was wasted on a glorified thug like Nico.

Fully aware that Pablo’s watchful gaze was on him the entire time, Nico diligently ate and sipped from his glass of wine. When he was halfway through, Pablo resumed his interrogation.

“I trust that you’ve reflected on my offer during these past few weeks. So, what will it be?” Pablo asked. “Will you join the Diamond Brotherhood and work for me?”

Nico carefully set down his fork and knife.

This was a trap. That was the only conclusion that he’d managed to reach after considering this offer from every angle. The thorny question Pablo posed couldn’t possibly be a legitimate, straightforward way for him to find redemption and a place beside Seb.

No, Pablo would never want a vicious bastard like Nico around his son. He would surely only accept Nico if he turned down this offer in no uncertain terms, declaring that this chapter of his life was over… right?

“I…” Nico trailed off, suddenly struck by the most peculiar of emotions. For some reason, he imagined Seb’s precious, trusting face right in front of him.

Overwhelmed, Nico sighed and sagged back into his chair.

Even a man like him could only endure constant tension for so long before exhaustion won out, and he had been on edge for what felt like his entire life.

Far from being at ease since Seb’s rescue, he had only grown more and more anxious as reality sank in.

At the end of the day, Nico was who he was, and he was now too tired to play games. If honesty meant that he failed Pablo’s test, then so be it. He knew Seb wouldn’t mind whatever choice he went with.

“I would accept your offer,” he said aloud, his gaze fixed on the impossibly fine crystal of a vase in the center of the table. “It sounds ideal for someone like me.”

Nico glanced up, expecting to find Pablo wearing a mocking, triumphant smirk. Instead, he just saw that same faint grin as before.

“Well then,” Pablo said with a chuckle. “That’s all you had to say.”

He did not elaborate further as he picked up his cutlery and started eating once again, but his attention was still clearly on Nico.

The ball was still in his court then.

Was it really that easy? Was Pablo going to take that straightforward, obvious answer and finally accept Nico’s relationship with his son once more? Perhaps Nico had been overthinking everything, but maybe it really was that simple. Even after all the pain he’d caused Seb.

“I’m sorry.”

It took a moment for Nico to realize that the words had been spoken aloud rather than a figment of his tortured imagination. Then it took even longer to realize that he hadn’t been their source.

Incredulous, he stared at Pablo, but there was no trace of mockery there. In fact, even his amusement was gone, replaced by an introspective frown and a faraway look in his eyes.

Even so, Nico couldn’t suppress his reflexes completely. He still tensed as if he was still a hired gun in Bolero’s employ, and he still checked the doors to make sure this wasn’t an ambush. Even the food wasn’t spared his suspicion. Had it been poisoned?

Pablo snorted, and Nico looked up to find a humorless, wry grin. “So little trust. Did you really think I’d invite you to dinner just to kill you?”

Nico didn’t dignify that with an answer. Both of them knew exactly how their minds worked and just deeply ingrained the lack of trust was.

“But you misunderstand me,” Pablo continued. “I find that constant vigilance to be your greatest asset. In fact, it’s one of the two non-negotiables when it comes to accepting a partner for Seb.”

“And the other?” Nico asked before he could stop himself.

“That he loves my son,” Pablo said softly, the faraway look returning. It was disconcerting just how quickly this powerful man could be reduced to such fond contemplation, doubly so because Nico was quite sure that he looked just as foolish when he was thinking of Seb.

But then Nico realized that Pablo’s gaze was actually quite focused. He was staring at the seat at the opposite end of the table. With uncomfortable clarity, Nico realized that was probably where Pablo’s wife had sat.

The silence stretched out, and Nico returned to his food once more, just to give Pablo a chance to compose himself.

However, Nico found that the duck tasted much richer this time around, so much fuller of flavor and delightful in its tenderness.

Just like that, he was one step closer to seeing, feeling, and experiencing the world as Seb did.

“My apologies,” Pablo said abruptly, rousing himself back to the present. “I was just reminiscing.”

“That’s not necessary, you’re fine,” Nico said by reflex.

But Pablo was raising his hand once more. “No, it actually is very necessary. I’m not just apologizing for getting caught in a daydream. I’m apologizing for everything.”

Everything? One man couldn’t apologize for everything . How ridiculous.

But logic and reason stood no chance before the storm of emotions that crashed down on Nico, running him through and shaking him to the core. He had to grit his teeth and grip the table just to begin making sense of the complex web of guilt, fury, lust, and love that defined him.

Why was something so simple as an apology pushing him to the brink of sanity? Sweat beaded on his forehead, but Nico welcomed the sting.

It wasn’t fair. Nobody else should be able to dredge up these deeply-buried emotions.

Nobody had the right , save for perhaps Seb.

It was impossible not to resent Pablo just for reminding Nico, never mind intentionally dredging it all up.

It would’ve been one thing if it was a light, superficial apology, but this went deeper than that.

There was a heartfelt earnestness to Pablo’s tone and posture that left Nico reeling.

Steady, even breaths could only go so far. Nico was barely aware of the world around him as he desperately tried to avoid drowning under the combined weight of his uncle’s memories and the years upon years he’d spent doing Bolero’s bidding.

And then he’d been responsible for Seb being captured and tortured. How could anyone forgive him for that? Forget forgiving himself, why would Pablo even consider letting Nico be in the same building as his son?

Suddenly, a hand settled on his shoulder. Against his will, Nico felt a soothing wave of reassurance wash over him. That simple moment of human contact, so evocative of Seb’s tender touch, was enough to unman Nico.

But it wasn’t Seb at all. While Nico had been distracted, Pablo had risen and come over to stand behind him. He offered a comforting gesture, just a single moment of fleeting companionship.

And then he went a step further and continued on to one of the many beautiful wood cabinets that lined the edge of the room.

It was under the pretext of fetching a drink, but Nico instinctively understood that it had been a calculated move to spare his struggling guest the need to answer the comfort immediately.