“You and Novak must have really tied one on last night,” she said when she’d regained her breath.
“Yeah. I wonder if the fucker has a hangover?”
“Surprisingly, you don’t have a worse one.”
Unmoved by her assessment of his evening out with Novak, Antonio continued talking.
“The guy’s not the asshole I thought he was. I can’t figure out why I hated him so much.”
“Gangster’s ego syndrome,” she smirked.
Antonio wasn’t offended. He knew she was right. He’d grown up cartel, and more than once, he’d seen fights between brothers in arms. The bosses would usually let the guys fight it out. As long as nobody was killed and no wars were ignited, it was all good—just boys being boys. The ones who started out as enemies ended up being closer than normal cartel standards. It didn’t mean they would ever quit busting each other’s balls, but when peace was obtained, it was always a good thing for gaining gangster ground; what they lovingly referred to as territory sometimes.
“So, where’s the slumlord?”
“Lied and said he was on a Greyhound when he really drove his SUV.”
“How’d you know he was lying?”
“Why. So, you can learn how to lie to me. I don’t think so.”
“Your powers of perception are far too advanced for little ol’ me to get by.”
“I’ve got your advanced perception, you little liar. You are the one thing that will never escape me.”
“Well, I’d have to get the chip you implanted in me out first.”
“Chip, or no chip, you’re mine. Always have been, always will be.”
Roxanne didn’t have a comeback for that because Antonio was telling what God loved: the truth.
“Antonio, be careful. You wounded Hex’s pride. When a man’s pride is wounded, it makes him do crazy things.”
A chill slithered up Antonio’s spine, making him ready to strike. He’d learned to listen to his gut over the years. He’d also learned to listen to his wife. Something about what Roxanne said rang a bell of truth. He should have killed Hex when he had the chance. Antonio didn’t like loose ends, and Hex Slivers was a loose end.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“I’m telling you, Glazov. We should have killed the guy while we had the chance. I’ve got a bad feeling.” Novak leaned in towards the desk and locked eyes with Glazov. Most of the time, he was a smart-ass who loved busting balls. This morning the air crackled with the intensity of Novak needing to be heard and taken seriously.
“What you’ve got is a hangover,” Glazov chuckled.
“Don’t have one. What I’ve got is a nagging voice in my head telling me this thing with Hex isn’t over.” His mind was running like it was stuck on a loop, and it wouldn’t stop until Hex was fried to a crisp in the cremator, and his ashes were thrown to the winds of nobody cares.
Now he had Glazov’s undivided attention. Glazov leaned back in his office chair and studied Novak. Regardless of the years you had in the game, or how educated you got in the process, a true gangster knew you always listened to your gut. Always.
“You’ve got my attention. Double down on security.”
“He won’t come after us. He’s too much of a pussy. He’ll come after Hugh, the guy who set him up.”
Glazov rubbed his thumb over his bottom lip. Novak smiled. He knew the Pakhan was thinking. Novak knew every tell Glazov had. The man was a rock to an outsider, but Novak had grown up with Glazov, and the two could communicate without one word being spoken between them. Glazov looked up through hooded eyes— his body was motionless, like a predator that doesn’t move a muscle before it strikes.
“What’s your take on Hugh?”
“He’s muscle and knows how to keep his mouth shut.” Novak answered with no delay. He’d done his research and mental meandering on Hugh when he’d investigated Hex.
“I think it’s time you had a sit down with him. Cut out the middleman. Black Rose doesn’t need to be there. In fact, take Antonio Wayne with you.”
“Sounds good to me.” Novak eased out of the chair with the swagger of a man who knew how to get the job done.” Novak turned and looked over his shoulder at Glazov. The look on his face resembled a kid with mischief in his eyes. “Want to meet at the warehouse when I get my hands-on Hex? We can use the Resomator for the first time.”
Glazov, smiled revealing his perfect porcelain veneered smile. “Hell yes. About time I had some fun. This whole thing of not letting me get my hands dirty is enough to make any gangster want to kill. Some days I feel like I’m going through withdrawals.”
Novak chuckled, “Glazov, only you would admit to being addicted to violence.”
“I bet you Antonio Wayne would.”
“That says a lot about you. Antonio Wayne is a sociopath.”
“Like I said: Antonio and I have a lot in common.”
“You never said that.”
“Well, I’m saying it now, motherfucker. Now go get Hex so I can try out my new body liquifying machine.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Luna and Hugh were hidden in a corner of the house, whispering about their latest issue. She was protective over Isabella being stressed out. She didn’t need to be because her abuela could woman-up with the best of them. It didn’t stop Luna from protecting her against bad news, though.
“What do you mean one of the head guys of Bratva wants to meet with you?” Luna hissed.
“Pretty self-explanatory, isn’t it?”
Luna stood on her tip-toes and shoved a finger in his face, “That lopsided grin of yours isn’t going to work. Those people are dangerous.”
“So, you’re worried about me. That means you like me.”
“This is not about me liking you. It’s about whether you come home from the meeting.”
“So, this is my home now. That’s a good sign.”
“Damn it! Be serious.”
He picked her up by her upper arms and gave her a quick peck on the lips, “I’ll be back before you realize I’m gone.”
Hugh didn’t give her a chance to say anything else. He looked over his shoulder and waved, “I’ll be back soon, Abuela.”
“Be careful,” the standard goodbye from a woman who knew how quickly things could go South.
Isabella didn’t need to turn around to see something was wrong with her granddaughter when she stomped into the kitchen and sat down with an overly dramatic sigh.
“You wouldn’t be mad if you didn’t have feelings for him.” Isabella wiped her hands on her apron and slowly turned around. She couldn’t help but smile. She’d never seen Luna this smitten with a man, and the fact the girl had no idea what she was feeling was kind of funny. She poured two cups of Colombian coffee and sat at the table with the girl she’d she raised as her daughter.
“You know you can talk to me about anything. There’s not much I haven’t seen in my old age. No matter how old I get, I’m still a woman.” The light in Isabella’s eyes illuminated the truth she was a wealth of knowledge.
“Alexander Glazov wants a meeting with Hugh. Alexander Glazov is a psychopath with no redeeming qualities I might add.”
“Your future husband is too, but he’s still a good man.”
“I’m not marrying him, and he’s a friend, that’s it,” Luna swiped her hand through the air as if would solidify her determination to not develop feelings for Hugh.
“This could be a good thing. Coming from where we come from, you already know that.”
“Well, I was hoping for a white picket fence, not a Glock and a chainsaw.”
Isabella chuckled, “White fences are for people who don’t grow up with the cartel as neighbors. Better for Hugh to be associated with a smart gangster than one like your uncle. That man couldn’t keep his mouth shut for anything. When he started drinking and using his own supply of cocaine, he got shot and killed. Glazov has never caught a charge, and very few know what the man looks like in person. The only time you see hi
m is in the paper when he’s doing something for the community. Everybody knows the man is a gangster, but nobody can prove it. Word on the street is he’s gone mostly legit.”
“How in the world do you know what word on the street is?”
Isabella gave her a ‘are you seriously asking me that’ look. The doorbell ringing provided the proverbial save the bell moment.
“Hugh must have forgotten something,” Luna bounded to the door with a little more spring in her step than normal. She was glad she had a grandmother who understood the ins and outs of a gangster’s life. What society considered to be dysfunctional was a normal day for them.
“What’d you forget?” Luna swung the door open, prepared to see Hugh.
Hex pushed his way in before she could slam it.
“You fucking bitch! You think you can have your goons run me out of town? What did you do, fuck all of them so they’d help you?”
Hex had his hands wrapped around Luna’s neck, squeezing.
He was holding her up against the wall, and she was frantically kicking her legs. It was the worst thing she could do, but the will to live wasn’t something she could reason with.
She didn’t realize Hex was shot when he dropped her on the floor. It wasn’t until she looked up that she saw her grandmother with a gun trained on the man like an episode of a cop movie.
“Thank God you had a silencer on that thing.” Luna rubbed her neck as she looked at her abuela in disbelief.
“Yeah, now all we have to do is get rid of the body.”
“I’m on it,” Luna replied, fishing her phone from her back pocket. “Maybe you were right about Hugh’s new friend. It’s going to take that caliber of gangster to get us out of this shit.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Hugh resisted the urge to squirm in his seat. Anything was better than looking into the iceberg eyes that were staring a hole in him. He thought he’d mentally prepared himself. He’d been sitting for five minutes, and Glazov hadn’t said anything. Hugh knew it was a psychological thing, but it didn’t stop his heart from hammering against his ribs.
“No need to introduce myself, the look on your face, and the way your resisting squirming in my office chair says it all. I could use some muscle like you. I could also use an in with psycho boy Black Rose. How do you feel about owning that apartment building you’ve got your girlfriend shacked up in?”
“With all due respect, Sir, Charles Wentworth owns that property.”
When Novak chuckled, Hugh looked in his direction. Was there an inside joke he wasn’t getting? He watched the guy weave a coin through his fingers. Damn, dude must possess some serious dexterity. The stabbing in his gut informed him Glazov was lasered in on him again. He felt like he was swallowing a bowling ball when the oversized Russian leaned in towards him. Hugh wondered if the guy was going to leap over the desk and strangle the shit out of him.
“Do I look stupid?” Glazov stared.
“That’s a rhetorical question,” Novak smirked.
“Do I look like a man who would make an offer with property I don’t own? Now answer my fuckin’ question before I run out of patience and have you carried out of here in a body bag.”
There was the smirk from the smartass in the corner again.
Hugh looked down at his phone when it vibrated. “Son of a bitch!”
“Excuse me?!” Glazov growled.
“Not you. My girlfriend’s grandmother just killed Hex, and she needs help disposing of the body.”
A sly smile crept over the Pakhan’s face. “Looks like you’re starting work early. We’ll finalize the paperwork after we finish disposing of the body.”
Hugh looked at Glazov in disbelief. It was the first time he’d seen Glazov smile. It was a sinister one but baby steps when dealing with the head of the most dangerous brigade in the city. He didn’t hear Glazov when he told Novak to go with him. His mind was too preoccupied with how the hell they were going to avoid prison.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“You didn’t have to kill him, Abuela.”
“Well, if you think I was going to let him kill you, you’ve got the wrong grandmother. It’s better he’s dead. The anger he had inside would have seethed, and sooner or later, he would come back. Now, we don’t have to worry about that,” she flicked her wrist like a dead man on her floor was no big deal. “The people you called know how to deal with these things. I told you they were good friends for Hugh to make. It’s important for a girl to have connections in today’s world and because Hugh has connections, now we do too.”
“I didn’t call them. I called Hugh,” Luna looked at her in disbelief. Her grandmother was crazier than she’d initially believed. Had the whole world gone off the deep end?
“Do you want some coffee, dear?”
“Abuela, are you seriously asking me that? My heart is pounding out of my throat now. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”
“Tea then?” Abuela smiled at the granddaughter she loved like a daughter.
“Please tell me nobody heard Hex when he fell to the floor like the sack of rottenness he is.”
“Of course not. We’re the only tenants unless you count your new boyfriend, Hugh.”
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
Isabella shrugged, “Not true. You’ve killed together, and now you two are going to bury a body in the sea of forgetfulness.”
“I didn’t kill him. You did,” Luna shrieked.
“You say tomato, and I say…” she flipped her hand as if it didn’t matter. “Meer semantics, my love. That’s an American saying. I’m better with dichos Latino, Latin quotes,” Isabella translated as if her bi-lingual granddaughter didn’t understand. “Oh, and by the way, he’s your boyfriend now.”
Luna followed behind her grandmother, “How do you figure that?”
“Because you killed a man and hid his body together. It’s the cartel way. Nothing binds two people together like committing a crime you could get life in the penitentiary for.”
“You’re as crazy as Hugh is.”
Isabella smiled and patted Luna’s hand, “You have no idea, dear.”
Luna’s fingers moved, making the sign of a cross across her chest. She didn’t know what else to do because getting out of this was going to take a miracle.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“I thought you were going to jump out of that chair and run out of Glazov’s office,” Novak laughed, he looked at the huge man driving. Glazov had given them one of the abduction vans, and Novak had Hugh drive because he wanted to get a feel for the guy, and this was a great way to do it.
“Meeting the Pakhan was harder than I thought it would be. The guy’s intense, isn’t he?” Hugh looked at the man in the passenger seat. Word on the street was Novak was as crazy as his cousin Glazov.
“One guy pissed in his pants. Fucking-hilarious.”
“Did Glazov kill him for pissing on his office chair?”
“No, the guy got lucky, we were standing in an alley interrogating him. We don’t have interviews for potential employees. We have interrogations. Glazov didn’t hire the guy, though. Said he was too big of a pussy. You made it out of your first meeting alive. That’s a good sign. It means your career’s going places.”
“If I can get rid of a dead body, it is.”
“You don’t have to worry about it. Hex has the honor of being the first body to be liquified by the Resomator—or as we refer to him ‘Mr. Green’.”
“What the fuck are you talking about.”
“I’m talking about the future—an environmentally friendly way of cremation. We have a crematory too. Mr. Green liquifies bodies down to a skeleton. It’s a new day for those of us in gangster-land. No body—no murder—no murder—no doing time. It works out well for everyone involved. Face it, dude, you’re part of the pack now.”
Hugh took his eyes off the road for a second, “We still have the issue of cleaning up the crime scene. It’ll be me and a bottle of bleach burning
the midnight oil.” Hugh shook his head, disgusted by the thought of cleaning blood and brain matter off the wall. Oh well, it wouldn’t be the first time he’d had a date with blood, guts, and gore.
“Got that taken care of too. Glazov’s daughter-in-law is a cleaner. Just another workday for our family, Hugh. Welcome to the crazy train. Your life will never be the same. You have some exciting times ahead of you.”
“Got any advice for talking my woman off the ledge?”
“She came here from Sinaloa, so she’s immune to trauma. That ship left the harbor long ago, my brother; no PTSD for those of us who grow up in the hood. They say babies in Sinaloa can hold a gun before a rattler. That’s some cold shit, man. Gotta respect people who grow up like that.”
“How do you know she came from Sinaloa?”
“The Born Bratva Brigade is all-knowing. You’d do well to remember that. Glazov gives new meaning to having eyes in the back of your head. We’re here. Park in the alley.”
“How do you plan on getting him out in broad daylight?”
“The suitcase I brought with wheels on it. This is an abduction van—has everything needed to kidnap somebody right off the street. Just think of Bratva as boy scouts; always prepared. Forget the other shit—just the prepared part pertains to us.”
“Boy scouts? Somehow, I can’t envision you walking little old ladies across the street. I guess I don’t have to ask if you’ve done this before,” Hugh’s voice was laced with sarcasm.
“What part of forget all the other stuff didn’t you get? No, it’s not my first rodeo. Is it yours?”
“Sad to say, but no.”
“There is nothing sad about staying out of prison. Always remember that.”
“Thanks for the morsel of wisdom.”
Love and Devotion (Born Bratva Book 10) Page 9