Love and Devotion (Born Bratva Book 10)

by Suzanne Steele

  “Is she living here?” Hex questioned, the accusing pointed finger changed directions and set its sights on the young woman.

  “My grandmother’s right. This place is a dump. If she had to pay eight-hundred dollars a month to live here, it would be half of her social security check.”

  Okay, tiny but in no way vulnerable. Hugh couldn’t help but smile at the woman who was standing with her hand on her hip, glaring at the slumlord. Her eyes were homed-in like lasers on the target of her anger.

  “You’ve got a lot of nerve, little lady,” Hex hissed as he slithered towards the open door.

  Now, it was time to step between them.

  “You’ll have to forgive my boss’ rudeness,” Hugh glared at Hex, “he’s had a stressful morning. I’m certain he means no offense.” Now it was Hugh glaring at Hex.

  Luna Narvaez craned her neck to look up at the man who was protecting her grandmother. She’d never been drawn to bald men, but this guy was good looking and wore it well. His face was a mixture of sharp angles and perfected lines as if hewn from granite. His eyes were blue but held the chill of anger that, if unleashed, would be dangerous, but when he looked at her, it was with the veil of protectiveness. His body was a mass of muscle that she was sure carried the scars of a warrior. He wore a dark suit with a maroon tie, and his hands were covered by stylish black leather gloves. After she studied Hugh, she immediately went back to verbally tearing into Hex.

  “You know people say you’re a devil and your own mother put a Hex on you, then left you in the swamps of New Orleans. That’s how they believe you got your name.” Nobody had ever said any such thing, but Luna couldn’t resist fucking with the landlord’s head.

  “That’s not true. Who said that?” Hex sounded a petulant child who had gotten their feelings hurt on the playground.

  Luna had succeeded. Now the pompous ass would think everyone was spreading rumors about him. Hex would labor over the idea of having a curse on his life, and it would lead to a heart full of fear. In her own way, Luna had put a curse on him.

  “Everybody says it. You’re cursed,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

  “Well, you just need to make sure you aren’t sleeping here at night, little-lady.” Hex was grasping at straws, and it was evident in the tone of his voice. He was shocked when the small woman stepped up and poked him in the chest.

  “I’m not your little lady, and if I have anything to do with it, you’ll be in court for not fixing all the code violations you have going on.”

  “I’m going to get my boss out of here,” Hugh used the chance to give Luna his card. This was going to be one little fireball he’d never forget. It was the first time he’d ever seen anyone stand up to his prick of a boss. He all but jerked his boss down the hallway. Hugh pushed away visions of throwing Hex down the steps. Hugh looked down on his boss and took a deep breath. “You can’t go around terrorizing people, especially senior citizens.” He stared at Hex, daring him to say something. When he didn’t, he changed the subject. “Don’t you have a property to go look at?”

  “Get off of me,” Hex brushed the sleeve of his jacket. “And, just what do you mean sticking up for that girl.”

  “Like I said: picking on people is unbecoming. You’re a bully.”

  When Hex couldn’t think of a good retort, he decided looking at the property in the east end would be a good idea. He would find out soon enough that trying to weasel in on Black Rose territory wasn’t a good idea at all.

  Chapter Eight

  Charles finished dressing by putting on a set of the many cufflinks he owned. This set was special because his wife had bought them—white gold with black roses imprinted in them. She’d smiled when she’d given them to him. “It will be a private joke between us.” She was special because she knew his darkest secrets, the things he could never share with people outside of his family. Melanie was the only woman he’d ever been able to open up to. She was his soulmate.

  “Are you ready?” Charles asked, looking at his wife and soaking in her strength and beauty.

  “Just finishing up. What is the property we’re going to look at?”

  “An apartment building. The man who bought it went under financially after he refurbished it. He just wants out from under it so he can pay his debts off.”

  “So, he’ll break even?”

  “Yes, I’m actually doing it as a favor to an old friend. He was a friend of my mother’s. I hate to see the man lose everything he has worked for.”

  Melanie stood on her tiptoes and kissed her husband’s cheek. “You’re a good man.”

  “He chuckled, “Well, that’s debatable. A killer with a heart is an oxymoron.”

  ***

  Hex’s face was beet red. He was screaming at the top of his lungs at the elderly gentleman. “That building,”—Hex pointed at the building as if the man didn’t know which building he was referring to—“is supposed to be mine.”

  “Sir, I told you on the phone it was sold.”

  Hex had called Carl Benson on the way downtown, and the man had indeed told him the building was sold. Hex wasn’t a man who was used to hearing anyone tell him no. He just figured the guy would change his mind if he offered him more money.

  Hugh looked up to see a pearl-white Mercedes SUV pull up to the curb. He watched as a man dressed impeccably escorted a woman who was equally adorned. He assumed it was the couple who had bought the apartments. They had beat his boss to the punch, and Hugh was glad.

  “Carl, is everything okay?” Charles’ deep voice cut through the atmosphere that was thick with tension.

  “Everything is not okay,” Hex spewed his words, unconcerned about being rude. “Are you the man who bought my apartments?”

  “My wife and I purchased the building yesterday. The paperwork has been finalized, Mr.” Charles waited for the man to give his name.

  “My name is none of your concern.” Hex stomped towards his vehicle. He looked over his shoulder, “This is not over by any means, Mr. Benson.”

  Hugh noticed a dark shadow pass over the man’s face, “I hope you’re not threatening Mr. Benson. I’d hate for things to get nasty. Take your loss like a man Mr. Slivers.” The heat of Charles's anger boiled beneath the surface like a threat waiting to be exacted.

  Hex may not have noticed, but Hugh did. Hugh already knew who they were and had probably done background checks on them. He used the opportunity to slip a business card into Charles’ hand under the guise of shaking it. Maybe he could secure an apartment for the woman he’d been smitten with. Charles’ nodded at the man. Clearly, he wanted to meet with him alone, and Charles would oblige him. He was curious about what the man wanted. Not much Piqued Charles’ curiosity, but this man did.

  Charles could hear Hex screaming out on the sidewalk as he pulled away. He had the keys to the building. He would wait until later to do a walk-thru again. Charles didn’t like drama, and Hex seemed to be the type of man who drew trouble like a magnet.

  “What a spoiled brat,” Melanie looked at her husband in disbelief.

  “The big guy gave me his card.”

  “What do you think he wants?”

  “That remains to be seen. I am curious, though.”

  “Maybe he wants to rent an apartment.”

  “Maybe he wants to do some business behind his boss’ back.”

  “Kind of makes you wonder why a nice guy like that would be working for an asshole like Slivers.”

  “Jobs don’t come easy.”

  “We could use some muscle.”

  “It’s dangerous. Bodyguards are privy to information, and we can’t risk the chance of anyone knowing we’re vigilantes.” Charles didn’t see himself as the authorities did. He was an enforcer, not a serial killer. Serial killer was a tacky term, and there was nothing tacky about Charles Wentworth lll.

  “The key to someone keeping your secrets is knowing theirs.”

  “My crafty little minx. Time will tell what part, if any, the man wi
ll play in our future.”

  “I love you, Charles.”

  “I love you too, Melanie. It’s nice to have someone I can trust as my wife and best friend.”

  “Ditto,” she smiled.

  “You may be onto something about us needing muscle. There are ways to achieve that without our secrets being revealed.”

  “It would be smart to have a man on security detail who was a decent human being.”

  “As I said: time will tell what part the man will play in our lives, if any.”

  That seemed to appease his wife, who was now looking out the window of the moving vehicle they were in.

  Chapter Nine

  Melanie was greeted like the owner when she graced the doors of the coffee shop she and Charles owned. The employees loved her. She was always pleasant and treated people as her equal. The people she employed were smart, young, and possessed creativity. They knew the business, and she had gleaned some great ideas from them. Who better to know the shop than those who were here day after day? She loved this little hideaway where college students, yuppies, and millennials came to work. Because it was the age of the internet, there were more self-employed people than there had ever been. The free wi-fi catered to the entrepreneurial spirit of those with big dreams, and the caffeine fueled every waking moment with the energy needed to make those dreams come true.

  Melanie smiled as she approached the seating area Kathleen and Katrina were in. She’d never met them, but she’d seen their pictures in the paper, so they weren’t hard to pick out of the small crowd in the coffee shop. Louisville Lattes had quickly gained a following and was one of the public’s favorite places to meet, hangout, or come get a bit of work done. Melanie was proud of the shop she’d helped her husband decorate in a blend of nostalgia and history of the area. There were pictures of Hollywood stars, jockeys, and horses that had won the Kentucky Derby; there was even a picture of Muhammad Ali who had been born in Louisville and had a street named after him. Melanie’s husband agreed that Ali was the greatest boxer of all time. Melanie and her husband were in some of the pictures with the famous people who had autographed the moment captured in time. She smiled when she thought about the memories this place held for Charles and her. She felt comfortable meeting the women here on her own turf.

  Melanie situated herself in the booth against the wall.

  “Does everybody have everything they need,” she asked, a way of breaking the ice.

  “It’s lovely here,” Kathleen replied.

  “We’re proud of it. I was surprised when you reached out. What can I do for you, ladies?”

  Kathleen got right to the point. “It seems our husbands have been vying for some of the same properties.” She looked at Katrina and then back at Melanie. “To be perfectly honest, I’m concerned about two high-powered businessmen being in competition.”

  “I think I might have a solution to that. I met the most dreadful man I’ve ever had the displeasure of making acquaintance with; a Mr. Slivers—Hex Slivers.”

  Kathleen and Katrina both laughed. “We know him. He throws a tantrum whenever Glazov buys a property he wants. He’s known as the biggest slumlord in the area. Somehow, he’s getting past code laws—must have somebody on the inside is all we can figure. Kathleen continued, “Well, I’ve been thinking about it, and I think if we can convince our husbands to run him out of town, it will give them a common goal. Maybe if they have the same enemy, it will forge a friendship between the men.”

  “The reverse of my enemy’s enemy is my friend.” Melanie shook her head in agreement. “Give them a common enemy. That just might work.”

  Katrina traced a manicured finger around the rim of her cup, “Now, we have the challenge of breaking the news to the men. We aren’t just dealing with our husbands. We’re dealing with the men they do business with too.” Katrina didn’t want to come right out and say they had peace treaties with cartel members.

  Kathleen looked back and forth between the women, “As long as we convince them it’s their idea, we’ll be fine.”

  All the women laughed because they knew it was true. It wouldn’t be the first time the women catered to the men’s ego to get the results they wanted.

  Melanie was struggling with how much she should tell the women she knew about their husband’s business practices. She decided being honest would be the best route to take.

  “I hope I’m not speaking out of turn,” she took a deep breath and continued. “I’m aware there are peace treaties between Bratva, Sinaloa, and the Colombian cartel. I’m concerned they won’t go along with the plan. There are only so many properties, and the land is worth more than some of the buildings.”

  Kathleen thought about what Melanie was saying. She had a point. “If we can push out the slumlord, we can take his properties. That would ensure everyone had a piece of the pie.”

  “I might feel guilty under normal circumstances, but Hex is abusing his tenants. If we could do it without displacing families, I would be okay with it.”

  Katrina looked Melanie in the eye, “Our husbands are cutthroat, there’s no doubt about that, but when it comes to our family fucking over the average citizen, we’ve got lines we don’t cross. Putting families in the position of being homeless is something we’d never do.”

  Melanie smiled.

  “What?” Katrina asked, her curiosity piqued.

  “I’ve heard that about Bratva, that they’re loyal to a fault, especially when it comes to family values.”

  Kathleen was smiling now, “It’s one of the things that drew me to Glazov. Our men are a contradiction in terms—a bit of sweet to balance the sour.”

  “I’m not going to lie; I’m scared of Glazov and Novak. This has to work.”

  “We’ll talk them into it,” Katrina said like it was no big deal they were dealing with killers.

  “I hope so because the last I want is to make enemies with your brigade of Bratva.”

  “You’re forgetting one thing, Melanie.” Kathleen studied the woman’s expression. “You still have to talk to your husband, and rumor has it he’s just as dangerous as our husbands are.”

  Chapter Ten

  “Where the fuck have you been?”

  “Well, hello to you too, Glazov.”

  His hand snaked beneath her dress and pinched her inner thigh just enough to relay how serious he was about wanting an answer to his question.

  “You snuck out of here without a bodyguard.”

  “Don’t you mean one of your spies. They tell you everything. I don’t need a babysitter, Glazov.” Kathleen’s chin was upturned in defiance.

  “You need what I tell you that you need.” His hand was now in her panties. He slid them over, and his finger slicked through her wetness. A sly smile curved his lips. It never ceased to amaze him how much they turned each other on. At times they were fire and ice, at others fire and gasoline. She still took his breath away when he saw her across a crowded room. The love they shared seemed to grow stronger with each passing day.

  Kathleen could feel her knees getting weak. Her body felt like it would slide down the wall in a puddle of need. She gasped when he thrust a finger into her depths.

  “You’re always sneaking around. What have you gotten yourself into now?”

  “I’ll tell you when you finish,” her breath was heavy, and her voice came out in a raspy tone.

  “Maybe I won’t finish.”

  “Maybe I won’t tell you what I’ve gotten you into, then.”

  “It’s not enough you get yourself in trouble, you have to pull me into it too.” His thumb was rapidly swirling over her clit while his thick finger pumped in and out of her. He watched her face as her mouth fell open, and she gave in to an orgasm.

  As much as he hated to admit it, he wanted to know where she’d been. He pulled her by her arm on unsteady legs down the hallway to his office. He placed her in a chair and sat opposite her at his desk.

  “I’m listening.” His eyes bored into her, deman
ding the truth she withheld from him.

  “Katrina and I met with Black Rose’s wife. She’s worried about him too. Nobody wants to see this issue of property break-out into violence.”

  “So, what did you girls hatch up? I’m just dying to hear what you came up with.”

  “Black Rose isn’t your competition—Hex Slivers is.”

  Of course, Glazov knew who the slumlord was.

  “I wouldn’t constitute a slumlord being my competition.” His expression showed his displeasure that she would put him in the same category as a man like Hex.

  “I don’t mean it like that.” She rolled her eyes and continued. “Hex is the man buying up all the property he can get his greedy little hands on. He has families living in deplorable conditions. Some of them don’t even have running water. Melanie met him today, and she’s the one who came up with the idea. We can beat him to the punch on future properties, and we can force him out of the ones he already owns.”

  “A man as greedy as Hex isn’t going to willingly let his real estate go.”

  “Beat the shit out of him and hold him captive. Make him see things your way.”

  “Well, haven’t you gotten brutal over the years you’ve been married to me.”

  Glazov steepled his fingers and thought about what his wife was saying.

  Kathleen knew she had his attention, so she threw another incentive at him. “Make Novak and Antonio do it. It’ll force them to work together and get past all the issues they have.”

  “You may have a point. How did you get so smart?”

  “I was trained by the best.”

  When he smiled, her heart swelled. They were a good team. Now there was just the challenge of making Novak and Antonio agree to their plan. She’d leave that to Glazov.

  Chapter Eleven

  “I’m surprised the women agreed. I’ve always wondered what kind of women marry gangsters. What were they like?”