CHAPTER 15 | Nicotiana Black
The five young men paled upon seeing her, except Axel whose face was rather surprised than frightened. He never thought he would see her again like this.
Nicotiana Black was a wildflower in the world of the mafias. She was a tall redhead in her early forties, known for her intimidating yet stunning looks. Her curly, shoulder-length red hair was the symbol of danger; her deep set cold gray eyes were always sharp and daunting – her stares haunting that no one would dare stare back into her heartless gaze. She smirked at the six of them, her presence giving off a dangerous aura.
Nicotiana clicked her heels on the tiled floor, slowly approaching the six young men. “Three months ago, a goon of mine ran off with my diamond ring.” She smiled noxiously, her eyes fixed on her nails as she spoke in her cold and raspy, vicious voice. “It’s okay now. I got it back anyway. This ring is worth millions,” she paused and placed her hands on the table, “and a corpse.”
“Corpse?” Gin breathed nervously, his eyes fixated on the diamond ring on Nicotiana’s ring finger.
“That’s what happens to anyone who runs off with my possession.” Nicotiana smirked and moved her head close to Gin. The poor boy was scared to match her gaze, yet he couldn’t look away either. “They either surrender or die,” she whispered coldly to Gin’s ear.
Felix placed a hand on Gin’s shoulder and pulled him closer to his side. “Stop it, you’re scaring him,” he bravely said though he was frightened himself. Chills went up his spine as he heard Tiana’s words, but seeing Gin afraid scared him more. The need to protect their youngest made him bold enough to ignore his fright.
“He should be,” Nicotiana replied with a taunting voice. She pulled herself up from crouching and stood straight, glancing at everyone around the table. Her eyes landed on Axel whose emerald eyes seemed to be calling her, telling her to stop. “Don’t be surprised, Axel. This is who I am way before you were born.”
“You still love him,” Axel suddenly said, stunning Tiana. Her sharp eyes softened for a moment, but she quickly masked the surprise she felt with a stern look. “You still do, don’t you? Why else would you keep wearing that ring?”
“Love?” she sneered; her gray eyes sharper and colder as she said the word with disgust. “Love couldn’t bring me anywhere in life. It only served as a weakness. Why feel it?” She shifted her gaze to Nick, glaring. “My time is precious. Hand it now.”
“Well…” Nick laughed nervously, unable to look away. “We don’t have it, ma’am.”
Nocotiana harshly grabbed his collar. “Stop lying and hand me my money now.”
“I’m not lying.” Nick struggled between her tight grasp on his collar, but the mad woman before him only tightened her grip. “Believe me, ma’am. We don’t have your money.”
Felix stood up and tried to pull Nicotiana from completely choking Nick, but before he could touch her, she already grabbed her gun from the strap on her thigh and pointed it on Nick’s temple. Felix fell on his seat in surprise. Everyone in the booth froze on their seat as they watched Nicotiana release Nick.
Nick panted, catching his breath as he held his chest while his eyes were shaking in fear as he stared nervously at the very center of the gun’s muzzle. He couldn’t move. He was frozen on his seat while breathing and panting nervously.
Nicotiana scoffed. “How bold,” she said and turned her head to see Felix whose eyes were wide in shock, “but still a coward.” Nicotiana racked the gun slide and pointed it to Felix, ready to shoot anytime.
“Aunt Tiana,” Axel spoke as he stood from his seat in surprise. Her sudden change of target startled all six of them. “Please put the gun down. Let’s talk this out.”
“Ha! Talk?” she sneered. “Stay seated. Talking doesn’t work for me.” Nicotiana never hesitated even for just a second. She shifted her stance and pointed her gun at Axel who quickly held hid his hands out in defense. He was confused as he gulped nervously. He couldn’t believe that his aunt was heartless enough to point her gun towards her own nephew. “To answer your question,” she paused and showed him the diamond ring on her finger, “it’s a no. Love? I don’t feel such thing anymore. This ring is solely an accessory.”
“Aunt Tiana…” Axel breathed hesitantly. “Calm down, please –”
All of a sudden, Felix launched at Nicotiana, bravely grabbing her gun; but Nicotiana had a tight grip on it. Nick stood up and helped Felix get the gun from Nicotiana. He held the barrel upwards just in time when Nicotiana had just pulled the trigger. The gun flew out of her hands and landed on the table. Nate quickly grabbed it and stood up. He pointed the gun on Nicotiana’s direction. She was not stunned at all. It seemed like she was used to being pointed t by a gun. She was danger herself, how could she be terrified of her own gun?
“You guys go first,” Nate said as he held onto the gun with both his hands. “I said go!”
Jackson stood up and took Gin with him. Nick, Felix and Axel followed them outside. Only Nate and Nicotiana were left inside the store. With the gun pointed at her, she was still unbothered and indifferent. Her dangerous gaze never once faltered.
“You will regret this,” Nicotiana casually said and clicked her tongue. “Where’s my money?”
Nate did not answer. He tightened his grip on the gun as Nicotiana began to move towards him. He wanted to shoot her, but he couldn’t get himself to do it. He never held a gun before. Holding one for the first time was surreal to him. However, he was not someone who hesitates. He was the adventurous type and a risk-taker. Nate was never afraid of the consequences of his own actions, but something about shooting Nicotiana made him think of what would happen onwards.
Nicotiana jumped on the table and grabbed her gun from Nate’s grasp. Nate was distracted by his own thoughts and unconsciously lowered his guard. Nicotiana was on top of the table, her gun pointed directly on Nate’s forehead. Nate only matched her cold gaze while he kept a straight face.
“Where’s my money?” she asked once more.
“You fooled us,” he replied sternly. “We won’t let you get away with it.”
Nicotiana laughed. “Don’t bother. I always have my way. Now, where’s my money?” She pressed the gun harder on Nate’s head as she spoke the last word with emphasis.
“We weren’t paid,” he answered. “We got busted before we could get away with the money.”
“You idiots,” she muttered in annoyance and pressed the gun further on Nate’s forehead.
“Blame yourself. You should’ve done the job yourself.” Nate scoffed. “Were you scared after all? Is that why you let some teenagers do the dirty work for you?”
“You little…” Nicotiana racked the gun slide for the second time and pointed the gun on the center of Nate’s forehead. “Shall I grant you a death wish?”
“Grandma would be sad...” Nate trailed off as he smiled at her, staring right through Nicotiana’s dark grey orbs of fiery danger, “…that I’d die before her.”
“I’ll grant your wish, then.” Nicotiana smirked. “Any last words? I’ll tell your friends to include it in their eulogy for you.”
Nate smiled and nodded. “I’m just happy that I won’t see my grandma dying. She’ll never see how I’ll die, too. That’s good enough for me if I die now.”
Nicotiana scoffed. “You heard me. I don’t feel love, nor mercy. Dramas can’t pierce me. Now, prepare to die.” She smirked. “Don’t worry, your friends will join you later in afterlife.”
Nate closed his eyes and waited for the moment of his death. However, instead of a gunshot, a loud thump was what he heard. He opened his eyes and saw Nick holding a stool. He had just hit Nicotiana with it who was now on the floor, unconscious.
“Are you dead?” Nick joked. Nate only laughed and shook his head. “You can laugh later. Let’s get out of here.”
Nate hopped out of the booth as Nick placed the stool down on the floor. Axel suddenly appeared and pushed Nick on the side from where the booth was. A gunshot was heard, followed by Axel’s hisses and grunts of pain.
“Axel, no!” Nate yelled worriedly as he helped him get up from the floor. Nicotiana was surprised by Axel’s sudden appearance. Her gaze was fixed on Axel’s bleeding thigh. She couldn’t believe that she had just shot her own nephew. Nick quickly got up and kicked Nicotiana’s hands while she was distracted. The gun flew out of her grip. He flipped the table over and trapped Nicotiana with it while she was still lying on the floor. Nick hurriedly helped Nate assist Axel and they got out of the convenience store together.
“To that car,” Nick told Nate as they guided Axel to walk.
Felix opened the door of the car’s backseat as he saw the three approaching from the back window. Nate assisted Axel to get in while Nick proceeded to the front seat next to Jackson who was the only one among them, excluding Axel, who could drive. Nate pulled the car door shut as he entered. Jackson immediately stepped on the accelerator and drove into the highway.