“Exactly. It’ll be a blast to stick it to the snobs of society.”
Glazov looked back and forth between his wife and his cousin and just shook his head, “Now you both sound like kids.”
Novak and Kathleen both stared at Glazov, excitedly awaiting his answer.
“Go. Go forth and wreak havoc for all the oppressed of the rich. It’s nice to know you two have such a tender spot for the tired and poor—the huddled masses yearning to breathe free. Go forth—it’s the American way.”
Kathleen clapped her hands together, “Absolutely! Lady Liberty and Glazov have spoken.”
Glazov couldn’t help but smile at that one, because as cold-bloodied as he was, he too had a heart for those less fortunate. He believed every child should be exposed to books; he fought illiteracy with all his might. He knew if a child could read, the sky was the limit. He also knew no child should go to bed hungry. The library, homeless shelter, and food banks all received generous monthly checks from a man the snobs of society thought ‘wasn’t good enough.’ Character wasn’t about a man’s bank account. It was about being a modern-day Robin Hood and helping those who couldn’t help themselves. From a boy who had grown up in the back allies of Russia to a man who owned the back allies of Louisville, Glazov was determined to make a difference in the plight of the downtrodden. Yes…go forth.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Regina was sitting at the juice bar of Elle in the Louisville Athletic Club. There was no woman named Elle who owned it—it was just a play on the letter L. There was, however, a $26,000 yearly fee. Just another way to keep out the undesirables from another gentrified neighborhood. Also, another way to reaffirm those who had memberships were better than people outside of their clique.
Regina’s friend Meredith sat with her. Meredith was Regina’s best friend because she understood the world revolved around Regina. Meredith cocked her head to the side like a dog who didn’t understand a command. “What do you mean you can’t find your father? Have you filed a missing person’s report with the police department?”
Regina breathed out an over-exaggerated sigh of distress, “Yes. I had to go into that dirty police station with God awful linoleum floors and file it by myself because my husband was at the Country Club again.” Regina failed to mention her husband had been going back and forth to the place, trying to find her father. Why waste an opportunity to play the victim?
“Oh, you, poor dear,” Meredith chimed in as she reached over and gently patted Regina’s hand. Meredith had an imaginary ring in her nose that Regina led her around with. It was the reason their relationship worked.
“It was awful. There was a dirty homeless man who leered at me the whole time I was talking to the woman behind the glass, who was clearly incompetent, I might add. I’m going to have to find Father and tell him to call in some favors—fire the whole lot of them and get officers who understand my plight.” She wiped away a non-existent tear and continued. “I mean my God; my father is missing. Could they be anymore insensitive? They treated me like I was someone who just walked in off the streets.”
“You really should do something about that. Who was the last person that saw him? Can’t you talk to them?”
Slot machine bells went off in Regina’s brain. She hadn’t thought about that, but she damn sure wasn’t going to let Meredith know it was an excellent question. “I’m in the process of doing just that,” Regina lied. She hurried up and stood up to say her goodbye before her friend realized she wasn’t in the know first. “Well, I’ve got to get going. I have work to do interrogating those awful tenants Father so graciously gave a home to. He has a good heart. I’d be willing to bet one of those terrible street people took advantage of him. Those type of people”—Regina scrunched her nose in distaste—"have-a-tendency to mistake kindness for weakness. I certainly hope he hasn’t gotten himself into a dangerous situation,” Regina flipped her manicured hand through the air and whispered, “You know, the whole no good deed goes unpunished thing?”
Meredith got up too, following Regina’s lead as usual. She hugged the woman she errantly believed to be her best friend. “You call me if you need anything, and I mean anything at all. Maybe I should go with you. It’s not safe for you to go alone.”
Regina filed that in her mental bank. If she had to throw somebody under the bus, Meredith was as good a candidate as any.
“I will, sweetie,” Regina answered with syrupy sweet fakeness.
Thus, both women ended their conversation and walked away back into their perfect worlds, with their perfect houses and their perfect cars, and their perfect husbands. Truly ignorance was bliss.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Glazov waited until Kathleen and Novak scurried away to make evil, diabolical plans to wreak havoc on two unsuspecting gated community snobs. It had been entertaining to see the two of them so excited about a job. There was no telling what the Sliver family would be subjected to by the time his Born Bratva Brigade got a hold of them—they’d chew them up and spit them out like a bad taste in their mouths. Chad and Regina had no idea there was a category five storm headed in their direction. Glazov chuckled to himself and then got serious, picking up the phone to call Black Rose. A woman’s stoic, refined voice on the other end sent the message she worked for Charles Wentworth lll.
“May I speak with Mr. Wentworth, please?”
“May I ask who is calling, sir.”
“Alexander Glazov.” He could have sworn he heard an intake of breath on the other end of the line.
“Yes sir, hold please,” she answered with all traces of fear camouflaged. It only took seconds for Charles to answer the phone.
“Mr. Alexander. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I think it only fair to inform you Hex Slivers has a daughter. I’m already doing damage control.”
“Well, I appreciate that, sir. Is there anything you need from me?”
“Not at this time. You may want to anticipate a call from a Regina Slivers, or possibly even a visit.”
Charles’ laughter rang through the air, “Oh, I can handle the Regina Slivers of the world. I’ll have my men do a background check on her. Before it’s over, I’ll know more about the woman than she does herself.”
“I know you will. On another note, if there’s anything you need from me, don’t hesitate to call. This is my private line.”
“I appreciate that, Mr. Alexander.”
“Glazov. I’d say with the business we’re doing, we’ve earned being on a first-name basis.”
“Well then, first name basis it is, and the same goes for you, call me Charles.”
Both men hung up. They had succeeded in saying all they needed to under the guise of business. Less was more when it came to phone conversations.
Both men had a healthy respect for the other. As long as that was the case, no one would die. Boundaries had been set without a hint of aggression because both men knew the other man was as deadly as they were. Two killers had come to a mutual agreement with nothing but their reputations and voice inflections.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Roksana was in the master bedroom with her legs flopped over the arm of a chair. She sucked on a sucker and watched the shit show with keen interest. Her mother and Katrina had torn into the walk-in closet and pulled out all the stops. Various wigs and clothing were neatly categorized for their mission.
Roksana popped the sucker from her mouth and waved it back and forth between her mother and the woman she considered to be her aunt.
“So, let me get this straight. You two plan on dressing up as high-end hookers, drugging a businessman, and then planting him in a seedy hotel to take pictures, so it looks like he was with a hooker? Are you all trying to get killed? You two don’t think your husbands are going to have a problem with this?” her voice dripped with sarcasm. She didn’t give them time to answer her rhetorical question; she was laughing too hard for them to get a word in edgewise.
Both women stood akimb
o, glaring at Roksana. When it was clear her daughter was no longer in the throes of hilarity, Kathleen spoke.
“We’re not going to be in the scandalous pictures. Antonio Wayne is letting us use one of his dancers—who I might add is being paid very well for her trouble.”
“Oh, I see. So, your husbands have no problem with you going to a bar alone and chatting up some Ivey league millennial trust fund baby?”
“We’re glad you’re amused, but if you aren’t going to be part of the solution, you can go to your room,” her mother said with the finality of a mother who had won the war of words.
“Oh, no. I wouldn’t miss this for anything. Toss me one of those blonde wigs and make sure it leans towards gold and not ash tones. It’ll wash me out, and I don’t want to look like a bad imitation of a wannabe Barbie doll.”
“What Sage advice coming from a woman who was trying to talk us out of our well-thought-out plan.” Now Kathleen’s words dripped with sarcasm.”
“You’re as crazy as My Papa,”—she said with an air of possessiveness— “if you think I’m missing out on this chance to have some fun with my mother, you’re sorely mistaken. This is an opportunity to bond and build lifetime memories. A family that slays together stays together.” She pointed her sucker at her mother, an appendage of her finger. “It’s a proven fact, statistically.”
“There are no statistics like that, Roksana.”
“Yes, there are because I did my own study. I interviewed all the bodyguards, the hitmen, and women, even the geek squad, and they all said when a family of criminals works together, they’re closer because they take each other’s secrets to the grave. Papa says the same thing.”
Her mother solemnly nodded in agreement, “Well, it does make sense and bravo on being smart.” Kathleen smiled and walked over to her daughter and gave her a peck on the cheek. “I’m so proud of all my kids. You’re not only a good daughter; you’re my friend too.”
“You’re an awesome mom, and I love you too.” Roksana noticed her mother quickly walked over and began fiddling with the outfits so she wouldn’t see the tears welling up in her eyes. Her mother always got sentimental when it came to her kids.
Katrina had been ignoring the banter. She was busy assessing her look in a bobbed black wig with blue undertones and a blue sequin minidress that brought out the highlights in the wig and hugged her in all the right places. It showed off her curves in the best possible way.
“Daaaaaaaaaamn! Look at Mrs. Hottie over there,” Roksana nodded her head, agreeing with Katrina’s disguise. “You look hot, Auntie Em.”
Katrina turned and put her hand on her hip, “Auntie Em is a witch. I am a high-dollar hooker. Don’t get it twisted lest I become offended.”
“My bad. You look classy and sexy as hell. Maybe you can come home and fuck Novak in disguise. You know. A little roll in the hay role-play, if ya know what I mean. Just a little something to add some heat to the fire.”
“I’m not so sure I’m cool with him possibly imagining he’s fucking another woman. I’d hate to have to beat an imaginary bitch up.”
“No different than dressing up like a Dominatrix and making him lick your boots.”
Now it was Katrina doubled over in laughter, “Like that’s ever going to happen. That man doesn’t have a submissive bone in his body. And before you even ask, I could care less about taking a whip to his ass and making him lick my boots. I’m one-hundred percent sub… only in the bedroom, though. Let’s get that straight too.”
Kathleen looked back and forth between the two women, “It’s time to get serious girls. We’ve got a deadline. We don’t even know if the guy will show up somewhere we can set him up.”
“Yeah, we do,” Roksana said with finality. Kathleen and Katrina curiously looked at her. Roksana took a second to relish the fact she knew something they didn’t.
“Spit it out already, child of mine,” Kathleen hissed.
“Oh, don’t get your panties all in a bunch, Mother. I know his side piece. There’s no love lost when it comes to Chad,” Roksana said in a nasally voice. “Lada’s all about the money—best con-artist I know.”
A light went off in Kathleen’s head, and she squinted, accusing eyes at her daughter, “And just how do you have all of this inside information on what your Father is doing?”
“Don’t look at me with daggers in your eyes. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree. I went through Papa’s office just like you do.”
“And…the security cameras?”
“Like I said: I’m my mother’s daughter. Do you think I’m going to let a little thing like locked doors and security cameras stop me?”
Kathleen pursed her lips, “True. No self-respecting Bratva wife would ever let a small thing like impossibilities get in her way.”
“I love you, Mama,” Roksana said innocently.
“And I love you too, my little criminal daughter. You make a Bratva mother proud.”
Katrina looked back and forth between both women, “Neither of you realized we don’t need Antonio’s dancer now because we have inside information with Lada.”
Roksana got the same look in her eye her Father did when he was getting ready to pounce, she might be her mother’s daughter, but she was her father’s daughter too. The Glazov blood ran deep in her veins. “Make it a threesome. It will damage his reputation even worse. If one sidepiece is good for a scandal, then one sidepiece and a high-dollar hooker are even better.”
Kathleen and Katrina looked at each other, and both nodded in agreement. Chad had done something he had no idea he’d done. He’d let his father-in-law pull him into a precarious situation. His fate was sealed the moment he’d allowed his wife to fill out a missing person’s report for Hex. The normal reaction to a missing family member had led to Chad making some very dangerous enemies. There would be no bliss to his ignorance. The fall-out alone would be enough to throw his life into a state of bedlam. Chad was getting ready to learn a lesson his parents had failed to teach him: there are some people you just don’t fuck with.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chad pushed down on his hard cock. He’d called his mistress to let her know he’d be over and just her accent alone was enough to make him want to jack-off in the car that he had parked on a quiet side street to focus on his call with her. She was the kind of woman who could put Viagra out of business—long silky hair, natural full pouty lips that made a man want to dream about them being wrapped around his cock, striking blue eyes that were a cross between innocent and vixen. Throw in her mannerisms and that sexy Russian accent she had, and there wasn’t a straight man anywhere who could resist her.
“But I vant go out tonight. You never take me anyplace public. I have perfect bar no one know you. Maybe you ashamed of me. I no vant see you. I go myself—alone. I vant dance, have fun tonight.” Her threat to go alone made him rethink his plan to go to the condo he paid for. There was no way she wouldn’t be getting hit on. What if she brought a guy back home? What if she fell in love with someone richer? Chad had no idea his mistress had nick-named him ‘Clueless Chad.’ He was blind to the fact he was dealing with a con artist who had not only stalked him but purposely chosen him as a mark. Chad was the perfect example of love being blind. He was the type to drive two blocks out of the way to keep from seeing her on the arm of another man.
“Maybe you see me as whore, not girlfriend. I no like this.”
“No, no, I’ll take you anywhere you want to go,” the words spilled out before he could think about what he was saying. Verbal diarrhea would work in Lada’s favor.
“I dress up for you sexy. Maybe let you slip hand up my dress in dark corner of dance floor.” Lada twirled a piece of her beautiful long brown hair with blonde highlights and rolled her eyes—safe because she knew Chad who couldn’t see her.
Chad looked around; actually, contemplating jacking-off. He shook his head rapidly to try and get the mental image of his finger being shoved up Lada’s pussy in public. If there
were any cameras or a cop drove by slowly while his head was tossed back, and he was beating his meat, he’d be on a sex registry for the rest of his life. Lada was dangerous. She was like playing with fire, and it made sex with her even more exciting. The thought of sex in a public place with her and the chance of getting caught was intoxicating. She was a drug, and he was her bitch junkie.
“I’ll do it for you, Lada. Tell me where to be and when to be there, and I will.”
“You make your Lada happy. Later I make you happy too.”
Chad breathed a sigh of relief. Losing a woman who could suck the stress out of any man’s day was not and would never be an option. He’d even thought about divorcing Regina to marry Lada. If it wasn’t for the fact that his wife would take half of everything he’d worked so hard for, he would. It wasn’t fair. All Regina did was think of ways to spend his money—that and bitch about how bad she had it. I should have it so bad. Lada’s voice slithered into his mental meanderings.
“Bye, love. I see you later. Text you address to club.” Lada hung up before she had to listen to any more of rich boy’s bullshit. She’d done what she came to do. Lada was all about business, and Chad had no idea that’s all he was to her. She was looking forward to seeing her friend Roksana. Lada would be in her element with the women of Born Bratva. She was looking forward to visiting ‘the good ol’ days’ when things were simple: find a mark, bleed him dry, and hang-out with other women who were criminals.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Regina and Meredith had dressed for the occasion. Both were dressed in apparel that would make it easy to run if they had to: leggings, designer tee-shirts, flat running shoes, and obnoxiously large sunglasses they could hide behind. They could toss the sunglasses if the need arose, but they needed them on now to hide the fear in their eyes.
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