I’m going to kill you, Jean-Pierre.
My ears yearned to hear his screams.
Chapter 1
Kazimir
Our jeep entered Little Russia.
Minutes later, we parked in front of a huge church without a sign in front.
I leaned Pavel’s way. “This is the place?”
Blue spoke up. “King David lives in a renovated church.”
“Super religious?” Pavel asked her.
Blue turned back to her laptop. “Maybe. He gives tons of donations to several religious organizations in the area. However, he hasn’t stuck with one domination. He gives to the Catholics, Mormons, Muslims, Jewish, and even a few Buddhist temples.”
I scanned the space.
Somehow, Emily’s people had beat us to King David’s house. Boris directed men here and there.
They’ll be on their game today. We’ll get her back.
Emily had given them a chance to a better life. All had lived in poverty before she grabbed them. It was in their best interests to get her back to me and safe.
I should have never separated her from them.
Already, a few of her men loaded boxes into vans.
Efficient and hungry. Good choice, mouse. I should have known better and trusted you more.
Pavel gestured to them. “Your mouse picked a good group.”
I remained silent.
My driver left the jeep, walked over to my side, and opened the door.
I jumped out, eager to grab as many resources as I could.
King David served under me. Being that he was with the brotherhood, everything within his grasp belonged to me. His men, guns, and homes were all mine. Today I would use everything to have my mouse back. Due to Uncle Igor and Jean-Pierre’s fighting, David had already lost many men to the Corsican. He even phoned me once to respectfully complain. I directed him to my uncle. That clearly hadn’t helped.
I should’ve stepped in long ago. If I had, Jean-Pierre and his cousins would have already been dead, and my mouse would be with me.
I walked over to the building before me. Made of old gray stone and stained glass, it towered above me. Clearly, Emily’s men had already met with David. A few marched out of the front. Gray double doors swung closed behind them. Each man carried more boxes in their hands.
Those better be guns and bullets in those boxes. We need them.
Black runes, or some sort of religious symbols decorated the seven steps leading to those double doors.
I climbed up them. Pavel followed on my side. Blue had closed the laptop and trotted further behind us.
I got to the door. Before I could knock, a tall woman opened it.
As soon as she spotted me, she set the box down on the floor. Shaved head. Cold pale skin. A yellow leather patch covered her right eye. The left one watched me. She had to be several inches taller than my 6’4. She was at least 6’7 or 6’8. A Russian accent thickened her voice. “Kazimir Solonik, we’re ready to do whatever you need.”
“And who are you?”
“We’re with the mouse.”
I studied the patched eye, wondering what may have happened to the giant woman. “You are part of my mouse’s people?”
“I am.”
“What’s your name?”
“Emily calls me Lemon.”
I raised my eyebrows. “And what do you call yourself?”
“Lemonotsky.”
“Where are you from?”
“Siberia.”
Pavel shook his head at my side. “You’re not.”
I nodded in agreement. “And Lemonotsky is not your name, but we’ll talk more about that later.”
Lemon’s pale face tinted to red. She stepped back.
I stomped inside. “For now, help me find my mouse.”
She edged back but nodded her head.
“Where’s David?”
“David. . .” Lemon grimaced. “He said before he can go shoot, he has to have sex.” Lemon straightened her expression. “It’s been two minutes. I’m sure he’s almost finished.”
Not for the bullshit, I headed down the dark hall. Double doors stood at the end, painted in red. Perhaps, the place I walked in used to be the church’s lobby, and behind the double doors would be where the congregation prayed and held service.
Lucky for David, he opened the double doors, zipped up his pants, and hurried forward. “I’m ready. Shit. You’re here.”
Before David could speak, a tall, blonde woman strolled through the red doors. Pavel watched her. Lemon too.
The blonde winked at David as she sashayed past us. “Bye, King.”
David ignored her and put his attention on me. “I’ve been made aware of everything. Let’s go kill some Frenchies.”
David held out his hand.
Being that he had probably just been holding his dick, I didn’t take it.
With his fingers, he combed his own blond stands to the back. He was young. Probably in his twenties. Blue eyes. Hair longer than most in the brotherhood. It waved down to this ears when he’d rushed out half-undressed. Now he’d tucked the blonde waves behind his ears.
Tattoos decorated the space under his chin and all over his neck. Lots of words scribbled over and over. I studied some of them. It looked to be some sort of scripture form the Bible.
“So. . .uh. . .” David sighed, looked down at himself, cursed, and buttoned up his shirt. “I heard what happened. I can help. I’ve been dealing with Jean-Pierre for the past three years.”
My interests peaked. “What have you learned?”
“The Butcher is a thinker. Super smart. But if you make things crazy, then it messes him up. It’s like blasting heavy metal music, while someone is playing chess.”
“And the other three?”
“I heard Giorgio was shot. He’s the clean-up guy. They call him the Butler.”
I leaned my face to the side. “Shot by who?”
“Don’t know. I have a guy at the hospital that saw him brought in.”
“Send someone to the hospital to kill Giorgio.”
David widened his eyes. “Of course.”
“What about the other two cousins?” I asked.
“Rafael is more muscle than intelligence. He follows Jean-Pierre. Louis is the one you have to worry about. He keeps everyone safe. Good with weapons and tech.”
“Then, I want all of his locations and his cousins too. Condos. Stores. Any place that they frequent. Even their families.”
David yanked out his phone. “Got it. What do you want to do?”
“Fuck it all up.”
All of Emily’s men stopped what they were doing. The few that had been outside, now packed the dark hallway. Others put down the boxes. Everyone crowded around us.
I scanned all the faces in the group—brown and white, male and female. Tattooed and scarred. My voice rose high in the old church’s halls. “We know why we’re here.”
A few nodded.
I pointed to David. “He will get you the Corsican’s locations. Go there. Search the property for Emily. If she’s not there, then destroy it. Break everything. Set the rest on fire. If you see men, kill them. Keep the Corsican busy today.”
David rubbed his hands together. “The more chaos the better.”
“Then, chaos it will be.”
“I’ve got trucks headed over to his cousin Rafael’s restaurant. He named it Shalimar’s. Rafael really loves this place. If it’s gone, then he might come out of hiding to deal with me.”
“Rafael is the cousin they call the funny one?”
“Yes.”
“That was the one who pointed the gun at Emily. The one that helped drag her out of my suite.” I stepped closer to David. “If you catch Rafael—”
“I’ll bring him to you, personally.”
“Good.” My fingers itched to grip Rafael’s neck. I yearned to smell his blood in the air, as it dripped in a warm string down my arms. “I want you to do something else.”
“Get me lions. As many as you can find. We’ll fight them with everything today.”
“Lions?” David exchanged looks with Pavel. “Real ones?”
“Very real ones. And put them at the addresses in her hand.” I gestured to Blue. “Give him Jean-Pierre’s warehouses.”
Blue passed him the sheet of paper.
David grabbed it and read. “What’s this?”
Blue cleared her throat. “The majority of the Corsican’s weapons for Paris. Ones that they’re selling—”
A slow grin spread over David’s face. “Oh, this will be good.”
“Kazimir, are you sure you want to piss him off?” Pavel asked on my side. “He does have Emily with him.”
“An angry man with no weapons is soon to be a dead one.”
David looked at me. “I’ve got everyone out in the streets. Some are just getting out of bed, but we’re looking. I’ve given your men guns.” He gestured to Emily’s people, probably wondering where they had come from. Surely, not many Russians looked like them. “I can get the Ukraines involved.”
“Do it.”
“Anything else? Please let me know.” David pulled his gun out. “My men. My hands. My guns. It’s all yours.”
“I just want my mouse.” I patted his shoulder and kept my hand there. “But I thank you for all your help. This will be remembered. There is territory up for grabs. You get my mouse back to me, and we will have lots to discuss.”
David’s face brightened. “Okay. I’ll work on those lions right now. Maybe, grab a zookeeper or something.”
“Get as many as you can.”
I left the hallway, walked out the old church, and headed back to the jeep.
David’s voice came from behind. “Kazimir!”
I stopped.
David ran up to me. “This. . .is unorthodox, but my grandmother may be able to help also. I don’t want to waste your time, but. . .she has assisted me in the past with my enemies, and even kidnappings—”
“Then, let’s go to your grandmother.”
“Where?” Pavel hurried forward.
“David thinks we should talk to his grandmother.”
Pavel frowned. “That could be a waste of time.”
“I’ll use anything to get Emily back.” I marched past them, heading to the jeep. “Give the driver the address.”
Seconds later, Blue stumbled behind us, holding her laptop at her side and climbing onto the jeep.
Pavel rushed to the jeep before me and opened my door. “We’re going to David’s grandmother’s house?”
“Yes.” I checked my watch. “Misha should have the Devil’s location soon. Until then, I’m trying everything else.”
I had to keep moving. I couldn’t stop or sit. That was the only way to win. No moment could be wasted. No time could be spent dawdling. Anything and everything would be used. Animals to men. Guns to trucks. Hacking to knocking down his family member’s doors and stabbing them in their throats.
He would give Emily back to me.
And she would be safe and alive.
There could be no other option.
The world wasn’t ready for that.
My phone rang.
I pulled it out my pants and answered.
Misha spoke on the other line. “I’ve got the location. I’m sending it to everyone near you.”
In the jeep, phones simultaneously buzzed and beeped. Blue’s laptop pinged. Shocked, she pulled it open, looked around, and then gazed at the screen. “Someone sent me an address.”
This was the power of Misha. He had the ability to find a person in seconds and do what he wanted. He had more access to satellites than most governments. The internet was the future. It would be the new weapon in war. Already, it could be used to manipulate the public and even influence elections.
I gripped the phone hard. “Is this the location for the Devil and Jean-Pierre’s woman?”
“I think so. I’m tracking the codes. I don’t know if the Devil still has her. None of their phones are on.” Misha cleared his throat. “I was already tracking him. The Devil mentioned taking someone. I told him to return her. He threatened to switch buyers. I arrived in Paris yesterday to kill him.”
“How convenient?”
“I already told you, I thought I had it under control.”
“Find Jean-Pierre.”
“I’m on it.”
I hung up.
Pavel had the address on his phone too. In seconds, he gave the address to the driver.
Boris rushed to the jeep, before Pavel could close it.
I held my hands up for Pavel to wait. “Let’s see what he needs.”
Boris had dark brown skin. His hair was cut low. Tiny crosses covered his chin and neck. Young and huge. He was close to my height of 6’4.
Where’s Emily’s other lapdog.
I checked his right and left. “Where’s Yuri?”
Sadness shifted Boris’s serious expression. “Someone shot Yuri.”
“Who?”
“We don’t know. Zahkar and I were investigating, before you requested our presence.”
Someone killed my mouse’s man, Yuri? Who could it have been? Had he learned something important about the monkey head guy?
Upon Emily hiring her new recruits, Boris and Yuri had remained by her side. They barely left. A short guy, Yuri had reached 5’9. However, his width made up for it. He had huge arms and massive fists. He could have been a heavyweight boxer, if he hadn’t grown up so poor.
“Yuri’s death will have to wait.” I touched my forehead and tried to smooth down the throbbing at my temples. “For now, we’ll get my mouse back and get the fuck out of here.”
Boris bobbed his head. “Is there anything we can do?”
“You’re in charge of the men. Call in the troops. I want chaos.”
Boris exchanged glances with Pavel, as if unsure I hadn’t lost my mind.
“Do we have a problem?” I asked.
Boris straightened his expression. “I’m in charge of Emily’s men?”
“You’re in charge of everyone in Paris. I give you a location to fuck up, you make sure it’s destroyed. The whole time check for Emily. Never stop. You see any of our people resting, shoot him in the head, and send his body to his family.”
Although no fear ran in his eyes, Boris slowly inhaled and then exhaled, before speaking. “Do you have the first location?”
“Misha sent the address to everyone. Get back in the van. Everyone needs to head there. I don’t know what’s waiting there, or if the Devil has Jean-Pierre’s woman. Kill every guy that’s not us, but don’t hurt any females.”
Pavel pulled out his phone and gave those orders.
David nodded. “We can save the visit to grandma for later.”
I climbed into the jeep.
David followed and set his gun on his lap. “Today’s a nice day for killing Frenchies.”
“It sure is.” I gazed out of the window, hoping to God that Emily was safe.
Don’t hurt her, Jean-Pierre.
Chapter 2
Emily
How will I get back to Kaz?
A bed sheet wrapped around my body. I wore Jean-Pierre’s jacket too. It had been a nice gesture from him, but I would still kill him.
Jean-Pierre’s limo sped through the street. It stank of more perfume, and even sex. I didn’t know what he’d been doing in here earlier, but it definitely needed to be cleaned.
Several police cars flashed their lights and led the way.
The Butcher had complete control of Paris this morning. Kazimir had underestimated Jean-Pierre. Me too. Jean-Pierre definitely had more power over the Corsican, and even more over France, than Blue had discovered.
Thank God I took the time to read her file on them.
Blue found images of the men Jean-Pierre had killed. From first glance at the victims, one would think that he was hackin
g away at the bodies. They would have been so wrong. There was a sort of sing-song way he cut them.
I studied Jean-Pierre as he looked forward. A sorrowful haze had trapped his blue eyes. He was worried for his kidnapped girlfriend.
Damn, Misha. How the hell did you end up getting her taken?
Jean-Pierre was broad shoulders and a hard body of muscle. Thick, dark hair teased his broad forehead. Although taller than me, he was shorter than Kazimir. That put Jean-Pierre around six feet. He directed his attention my way. With those cold eyes, he assessed me.
Many would’ve found him gorgeous, but I’d seen his victims. I would never fall for those looks.
Kazimir hadn’t considered them a threat in any way , just perfumed pansies.
However, I didn’t disregard them. The four men may have been impeccably dressed, and according to Kazimir, sweet-smelling, but they were definitely killers. Photos of their victims had packed my file. The deaths were nothing pretty.
The four moved like a professional crew. Like Kazimir, they grew up in this world, and had become very good at what they did.
Jean-Pierre’s hands shook as he watched me. I knew it wasn’t fear. It was rage, burning him up inside.
He’s dangerous and desperate. A psycho on the edge. He’ll do anything. I can’t push him too much.
I thought back to the conversation I had with Kazimir in the Eiffel tower. I’d been telling Kazimir about Blue’s report on Jean-Pierre.
Kazimir had walked over to me and held me in his arms. “One can tell a lot from a person’s kill. What did you get from his victims?”
“Looking at the way he kills, I would say Jean-Pierre is probably meticulous, inventive, and definitely a perfectionist.”
Kazimir held humor on his face. “Fascinating. More, mysh.”
“I didn’t know why, until I looked further into his past. Jean-Pierre used to be a popular violinist.”
Kazimir laughed.
“What’s so funny about that?” I’d asked.
“Nothing.” He laughed again. “Tell me more about the Butcher and his musical talent.”
“Well, he can’t play anymore. His hands were damaged. I went through the medical records.”
Dirty Minds: The Lion and The Mouse (Book 4) Page 2