Paying The Bratva’s Debt

by Cole, Jagger

“That is never happening.”

  “Oh come on! Fiona, just—”

  “Fine! Okay? Another time?” I lie. “Can we get back to getting him out of police custody?”

  Her face turns serious. “Right, sorry. Okay, just tell me what you need me to do.” She frowns. “Is it anything illegal?”

  “No.” I quickly shake my head. “I just need your text messages.”

  She furrows her brow. “Um… okay?” Zoey glances around outside the windows. “Hey, we’re in your neighborhood.”

  “When you told me about my dad texting you…”

  She turns back, her mouth open. “Whoa, you’re not…” She blinks. “Damn, Fiona. This is cold.”

  “I’m out of options,” I mutter. “And he did what he did.”

  Zoey scrunches her face. “C’mon, Fiona. You really want to go there?”

  “Yeah, I do.”

  She frowns.

  “Was that really when you were seventeen, Zoey?” I ask quietly.

  She looks away. “Yeah.”

  It’s disgusting, but I also know it’s the bullet I need.

  “Still have those texts?”

  She nods. “Yeah. I back up everything constantly. You know that.” She turns to me. “You’re not really doing what I think you’re doing, are you?”

  “Blackmailing a district attorney and mayoral candidate with his inappropriate text to a high school girl in order to get him to drop the charges against a known Bravta kingpin?” I smile thinly. “Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m doing.”

  The car stops in front of my dad’s townhouse. I’ve got the bullet. Now it’s time to see if I’m strong enough to pull the trigger.

  “Fiona!?” My father rushes out of the living room when he hears the front door slam behind me. He stares at me in shock for a moment before smiling broadly. “What are you—I mean, you’re here!”

  I smile thinly. “Yeah, dad. I’m here.”

  “That’s great, honey! Great!”

  I frown. “Where did you think I was? I mean that was you that sent the cops to Viktor’s house, right?”

  “Well, I was so worried, honey!” He fumbles out quickly. “When they said you weren’t at the house, I was distraught! We had people looking all over!”

  I frown. His shirt is half undone. And there’s lipstick on his collar. My eyes roll.

  “You raided the house of the man who was holding me, didn’t find me, and you… what, came home for a cocktail or something?” I hiss quietly.

  “A cocktail?” he stammers. “Oh, no! No, honey, I’m just running the operation from my office here!”

  Behind him in the dimly lit living room, I hear a tumbling sound and a crash. Then a woman’s voice swearing in pain.

  My dad smiles weakly. I just sigh.

  “Who is she?”

  “She?” he blurts.

  “Hi, hello?” I yell past him. “You can come out, it’s just me. I’m his daughter.”

  A second later, a girl my age with messed up hair and a half-buttoned blouse stumbles out of the living room holding her heels.

  “Um, hi,” she says awkwardly.

  My dad looks frazzled. He clears his throat quickly, trying to cover his ass. “Oh, yeah, honey, this is, uh…”

  “Trisha,” the girl mumbles.

  “Yeah, Trisha! She’s one of my secretaries.”

  “Personal Assistants,” Trisha blurts.

  “Hi Trisha,” I say icily.

  My dad chuckles nervously. “Trisha is just helping me with the uh… the…”

  “Finding me? The desperate manhunt?”

  He nods quickly. “Exactly, yeah.”

  I sigh. “Wow.” I shake my head. “The cliches just don’t stop, do they, dad?”

  He frowns, switching tracks. “Having an adult relationship with another consenting adult isn’t a crime, Fiona.”

  “Looks pretty sleazy to be sleeping with your secretary, though.”

  “Personal assistant.”

  My eyes slide back to her. “Trisha?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I think you should go now.”

  “Oh, yeah, okay.” She quickly walks past me but stops. “Nice to meet you, Fiona. And congrats on your medical degree!”

  “Law.”

  She smiles awkwardly. “Right. Well, um, bye.”

  She scoots out the door. Then it’s just me and my dad.

  I sigh. “You need to release Viktor.”

  He frowns. “I what now?”

  “You need to release him and drop the charges.”

  My dad scowls, buttoning his shirt up. “That isn’t happening, honey. He’s a known criminal element in this town. This bust is huge for me, especially in an election—”

  “An election year! Oh wow, I totally forgot!” I mutter sarcastically. “How could I possibly forget!?”

  “Now, honey, listen to me—”

  “No,” I snap. “No, now you’re going to listen to me, okay?” I jab a finger at my dad. “What do you have on Viktor?”

  “Well, that, uh, that’s confidential. Court sealed and all—”

  “It’s not about what he did for you—the favor he did you?” I frown. “That would implicate you as well. So I’m guessing it’s…” I smile thinly. “Handwritten notes? Found in his trash?”

  The pale look on his face tells me I’m right.

  “It’s circumstantial evidence, dad.”

  “Well, we’re going to nail that prick with it,” he mutters.

  “Not without the author of those notes testifying.”

  He smiles thinly. “Like I don’t know that? Honey, I know your handwriting.” He steps towards me. “And I know you’ll take family over some… some… criminal any day of the week!”

  I shake my head.

  “Fiona, you’re going to be a lawyer for Christ’s sake!”

  “I am, you’re right,” I say with an even tone. “And a really damn good one, too.”

  “Heck yeah you are!”

  “I had great schooling.”

  “I know—”

  “Great tutors.”

  “I know that. Hey, I paid for—”

  “And I paid attention to all of it,” I hiss. “Every nuance, every detail of the law.” I shake my head. “Dad, without my testimony that I meant anything I wrote in those notes, you have no case. Zero.”

  His look hardens. “And without my generosity,” he grunts. “You have no credit card, no home—”

  “You’re wrong.”

  He frowns in confusion. But then suddenly, he looks furious. “With him?!” He balks. “You can’t be serious!”

  “You’re the one that sent me there,” I sneer.

  “Did he… oh my God, Fiona! Honey!”

  “The charges,” I say thinly. “You’re dropping them. Now.”

  My dad’s jaw grinds. His nose wrinkles as he glares at me and sighs. “I hate to do this, Fiona.”

  “Do what?” But I already know what his next move is. It’s the card I was hoping he’d play.

  “If you don’t testify towards the case, I’ll call it collusion. I’ll rope you right into those charges, honey. Don’t think I won’t.”

  “That’s how you’re doing this? Really?”

  “You leave me no choice, honey,” he shrugs. “I’m sorry, but this is too big a step in my career to just let it all fall apart.”

  I give it a second. Then I start to laugh. “Okay, well, guess we’re doing this.” I walk back to the front door and peek my head out. “Come on in.”

  I hold the door open, and Zoey walks in.

  My father stiffens and scowls “I know what this is.”

  “Do you?”

  “Yes. I’m not proud of it. I’d…” he frowns. “I’d had some drinks. But Zoey, honey.” He smiles sweetly at her. “You’re a grown woman, and beautiful. You must know that men might get a little caught up in your… well, you know how flirty you get.”

  I close my eyes in disgust. Zoey laughs coldly.r />
  “A grown woman?”

  “You’re twenty-two, honey. I mean I know what you and my daughter are playing at here. But that’s a scandal I think I’ll weather just fine. I’m not married, you’re an adult. I hardly think voters would—”

  “And the last time you texted me disgusting naked pictures of yourself, Mr. Murray?”

  He freezes. “I—what do you mean?”

  “I saved them,” Zoey mutters. “All of those texts.”

  He glances nervously around the room. “I—I was drunk.” He frowns. “You know I had some drinking problems back then, what with my wife passing—”

  “Don’t you fucking dare,” I hiss, shaking my head. “Don’t.”

  My dad swallows, looking nervous. He glances at Zoey. “It was wrong of me, okay? But you were…” he swallows. “How, uh, how old were you?”

  “She’s my age, dad.” I say quietly. “And that was five years ago. We were seventeen.”

  His face goes white. “Oh Christ…”

  “This isn’t a setback, dad,” I snarl. “This isn’t a storm to be weathered. This is what they call a career killer. This is Anthony Weiner times ten. Sending lewd images and texts to seventeen—”

  “What do you want?” he blurts. “Money? Jobs? Name it, seriously.”

  “I already told you.”

  He’s hyperventilating, looking sweaty and terrified. “Fiona, I can’t just—”

  “Yeah,” I say grimly. “You goddamn well can.”

  We stare at each other across the room. I’d say this is the moment I know our relationship is over. But I think we crossed that bridge some time ago. And certainly, when he pawned me off to settle a debt.

  “All charges dropped,” I say quietly “You can even stay as DA. You can run for mayor if you want, I really don’t give a shit. But if you ever so much as peek over Viktor’s fence again, I will have these leaked. Understand?”

  My dad is silent. He stares at me, looking grim.

  “You’re going to make a damn fine lawyer, aren’t you?”

  “Yeah, I am.”

  I turn, hook my arm into Zoey’s, and walk to the door.

  “I’ll be at central booking in ten minutes. If he’s not free and outside waiting, your career is over.”

  The door slams behind me. Then it’s just Zoey and I outside. I suck in a huge breath of air. I’m shaking all over, but I also feel more alive than ever before. I feel free.

  “Okay, this new ‘I got laid’ Fiona?” Zoey smirks at me. “Is a fucking badass.”

  18

  Viktor

  The door to my cell clangs open behind me. I close my eyes and take a breath. I wait for one of two things, because there’s only two things that happen to men like me when they’re chained in this room.

  One, either a much bigger government entity comes to take the case to a bigger level. That means federal charges, maximum security jail, and probably life behind bars with no chance of parole.

  The other option isn’t much better. Because the second thing that happens to crime lords at my level when they’re in lockup is that a rival learns that they’re here. And that means a guard gets paid off, and some guy going away for life anyways earns some commissary cash my gouging my neck.

  I hear footsteps approaching, and I wait. Either way, this is the end. I know the business will do fine. He’ll hate it, I think with a smirk. But Lev will take over. He’ll learn diplomacy, and he’ll be an excellent boss. He’ll continue our operations against the traffickers, too. He has all the paperwork and plans, and Nina will be there to help.

  I shake my head when I think of my sister. I wish I’d had more time with her. I wish I’d had more years to know her and make memories. But she’ll do fine too. She’s strong—maybe even stronger than I am. And smart. If Lev says fuck it, she’s next to ascend the throne.

  My thoughts drift to Fiona, and my pulse thuds heavily. It might have taken me my entire life, and it may have only lasted for a handful of weeks. But I found the woman of my dreams. I loved her, and I made her mine. If this is the end, I could be furious that I had such little time with her. Or I could think of that small time as a lifetime unto itself.

  I let the air out slowly. Maybe Nina was right. Maybe I was distracted by Fiona—perhaps I let my guard down too much, which is why I got blindsided. But to have those few weeks with her again—all mine, in my arms? I’d do it all the same.

  “Komarov.”

  It’s a guard’s voice. I stiffen, waiting to see which way this will blow. Either he’s letting me know the FBI is here, or he’s “going out for a cigarette” with my holding cell door open for some psycho to come cut me. I’m chained to the goddamn table and the floor. Despite my size, it won’t be much of a fight. But I tense my muscles just in case it is the second.

  It might not be much of a fight. But I won’t roll over and fucking die.

  “Komarov! Viktor!”

  I scowl, opening my eyes. “What?” I snarl.

  The guy scoffs. “Christ, you got fuckin’ manners over there in Russia?”

  “Not really.”

  He approaches me. He’s not leaving. That means I’m not getting shanked. Just put away for life. He leans down behind me. Suddenly, I furrow my brow in confusion as I feel him unlocking my ankle shackles.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Shut the fuck up.”

  He stands and walks around to the front of the table I’m chained to. He glares at me and shakes his head. “You know what? Sometimes the level of bullshit in this town stinks so bad, even I can smell it. And let me tell you somethin’, that’s saying a lot.”

  I look at him quizzically.

  “You got sprung, dipshit.”

  My mind goes numb. He reaches across the table and unlocks my shackles.

  “I what?”

  “Sprung, you Russian fuck. Charges were dropped.”

  I stare at him. “Is this a joke?”

  “Am I fuckin’ laughing?” He frowns. “That goddamn liberal DA of ours dropped your charges. Some kinda technicality or some shit.”

  The DA. Thomas. My heart starts to race. I don’t know how she did it, or how I know it was her. But deep down, I know. This is Fiona. My smile widens as my pulse thuds.

  “I don’t fuckin’ know. If it was up to me, we’d just hang you,” the guard mutters.

  “Well, then I suppose I’m glad that it isn’t up to you.”

  He glares at me. “Get the fuck out of here, Komarov.”

  “Gladly.”

  I stand, turn, and I walk out of the cell. A uniformed cop outside nods with his head, gesturing me to follow him. My guard is still up. I’m still waiting for the surprise attack, or the knife in my back. But it doesn’t come. We walk down a long hallway, towards a door with a window in it. The cop unlocks it, glares at me, and nods.

  “Out, now.”

  I blink and look around. I frown. Is it seriously that simple? Fiona gets her father to release me somehow, and I just… walk out?

  “Did you hear me?”

  I glance at the cop. “I heard you. I’m just curious—”

  “Viktor!”

  My heart surges in my chest. My head whips around, and when I see the frantic looking, gorgeous redhead bolting across the sidewalk towards me, I grin. I step from the prison and charge towards her. We crash together, my arms wrapping tight around her as my mouth crushes to hers. She moans into my lips, sobbing as she kisses me over and over.

  “What… how…” I groan into her mouth. “How did you—?”

  “Because I’m a pretty fucking good lawyer,” she shrugs. “Or, well, I will be.”

  I grin. “Yes, you will.”

  She beams up at me, wrapped in my arms. “I don’t know if you’re hiring, but—”

  “I could, you know…” I smile. “Pull some strings.”

  “Oh gosh,” she gushes sarcastically. “For little ole’ me?”

  “I’m sure we could come up with an arrangement,”
I growl hungrily.

  Fiona grins, kissing me again.

  “I cannot believe you pulled this off, printsessa.”

  She smiles mysteriously. “Sacrifice the rook, so the king may fall.”

  I frown, trying to make sense of it in this context. But Fiona just shrugs. “I’ll be honest, Nina said that. Honestly, I don’t really have any interest in chess.”

  I groan through a chuckle. “You and Nina are friends now?”

  “Yep. She’s great.”

  “God, help me.”

  Fiona giggles as I lean close to kiss her again. But then I pull back. “You have no interest in chess? How is that possible?”

  “I don’t know, I just don’t get it. I mean, I know how it’s played. It’s just never…” she shrugs.

  “Well, I’ll teach you.”

  “You could…” She leans close, her body molding to mine. “Or you could spend some more time teaching other things…”

  I growl deeply. “I hope your schedule is clear.”

  “It is now,” she whispers.

  “I love you, Fiona,” I growl against her lips. “I mean I’m in love with you. Just so you know.”

  She beams, her hands sliding around my neck. “Just so you know,” she whispers. She looks up into my eyes. “I’m in love with you too.”

  Our lips press hotly together. I kiss her deeply, boldly, and like I’ll never let her go.

  Epilogue

  Fiona

  My fingers grip the sheets. I tremble in anticipation. Behind me, I hear the door open, and my heart races. I blink behind the silk blindfold, feeling my skin goosebump under his gaze. Even without seeing him, I can feel his eyes on me. I can feel his jaw clenching and imagine his cock thickening for me.

  If this is Russia, I could get used to this.

  It’s my first time here, and Viktor’s first since he left years and years ago with Lev. We’re doing a bit of sightseeing—it’s heartbreaking and incredible to see the streets and the ghettos where the man I love fought for basic survival as a kid. But we’re also here for business.

  Both businesses.

  Viktor is here to ascend to an official chair at the Bratva council. His leadership running the Kashenko interests in Chicago all of these years has not gone unnoticed by the high table. And they’re rewarding him with a voice at it. We’ll still be living in Chicago, of course. But it’s an enormous honor to be welcomed at the table any time.