by B. B. Hamel
“I understand, Pakhan,” I said, nodding sharply. “I won’t let you down.”
“You already have.” Evgeni stood up and told his guards to follow him in Russian. “I only hope that you’re right.”
He left the house, men in tow. I followed them to the stoop then closed the door once they were piled into their black SUV.
Yuri paced back and forth near the kitchen then threw his hands up. “What the fuck, boss?” he said, eyes wide and wild. “You want to start a fucking war? How could you not ask us first? This is insane, you do know that, right? We’re all going to die, and all because of this fucking—” Yuri pointed at Cara, but I stepped toward him before he had a chance to say whatever stupid thing was about to come out of his mouth.
“Go talk to the others,” I said, tone warning.
He sucked in a breath and let it out, calming himself down a touch. “They’re not going to like it, especially after today. We already lost Marvin.”
“Go talk to them,” I said again. “Bring German with you, he knows about all this. Tell them what you heard.”
“You should do it.” He looked down at his feet.
I went to him and put my hand on his shoulder. He looked up, eyes narrowed, but I squeezed and held his gaze firmly.
“We’ll make it through this, you only have to have faith in me. In all the years you’ve worked in my crew, have you ever seen me fail at something? Have I ever let you down?”
“No,” he said firmly.
“Then trust in that. Go talk to the others. I’ll come soon.”
Yuri nodded and left. I watched him go with a stone in my stomach.
This would not go over well. I knew it, and knew I couldn’t do anything to fix things. The Pakhan forced my hand sooner than I wanted, and with Maher out there well on the hunt, that made things twice as difficult.
I had to finish off one problem before I could move on to the real issue at hand.
“Are you okay?” I knelt down in front of Cara and took her hand in mine. She trembled slightly and wouldn’t meet my gaze.
“I’m fine.” She bit her lip hard. “You didn’t have to lie for me, you know.”
“Evgeni would kill you, but he might give me a pass.” I shook my head. “I couldn’t have you survive the attack at the club only to have my own Pakhan decide you needed to die.”
She burst into tears. She crumpled forward and covered her face with her hands and I knelt there for one moment, surprised by the sudden onrush, then pulled her against me tightly. I held her and smoothed her hair then rubbed her back and whispered calming nothings to her, over and over again.
Watching Marvin die couldn’t have been easy. I felt for her, I truly did, and if I could go back and take that moment away, I would.
But Marvin was dead, and Maher was still out there, and I needed Cara now more than ever.
“We’re going to take the fight to him now,” I said softly as she began to calm down. “Do you understand? We’re going to get revenge for what he did.”
“Are you sure?” She looked at me, eyes red and puffy and filled with tears.
I wiped them away gently. “I’m going to kill them all. For Marvin and for the rest of my men. And then we’re going to kick the Lionettis so hard that they won’t want to get up again.”
She laughed once. “I don’t know if I can handle all this.”
“You can.” I squeezed her hands in mine. She seemed so small, so frail. “You’ve been through so much, why stop now? You want to live, don’t you? Then come with me and get revenge.”
She clenched her jaw. “Don’t use that against me.”
“I know you’re afraid. We’re all afraid for our own reasons, but I need your help with what happens next.”
She sucked in a shuddering breath then nodded once. “I’ll try, okay? I’ll try, I’m just not made for this.”
“You’re stronger than you realize. Most people would’ve run away by now, but here you are. You’re upset, but you’re still standing, and I’m proud of you for that.”
She flushed slightly. I leaned forward and kissed her lips gently. She didn’t return it, but she didn’t push me away, either.
“Get some rest,” I said, helping her up, and led her to the stairs. She let me bring her all the way into her room and I gently pushed her down onto the bed.
“I’m only going to be in the way,” she said, pulling the blankets around her.
“No, not at all. Not even close. Now get some rest. We have a lot of work to do.”
I left her there, shutting her door. She disappeared beneath the sheets, burrowing into safety.
I stood outside of her room and leaned my head back.
She had no clue how close we’d come to dying down there. Or maybe she did, and that was why she had that sudden outpouring of emotions.
But we survived. The Pakhan decided to trust me, and now I had this single chance to take the fight to the Lionettis. It was Cara’s idea from the start, but I knew she was right— this dossier was a chance to go on the offensive and change the structure of the city’s underworld.
It was a chance I wouldn’t pass up.
I’d drag the whole Morozov Bratva kicking and screaming into this war if I had to, but it was going to be war whether they liked it or not.
16
Cara
The parking lot was empty and filled with weeds. At the far end, past the overgrown median and the flagpole that was tilted slightly to the side, an elementary school sat boarded up and covered in lewd graffiti. Luke leaned back in his seat and stared across the asphalt at the plywood-covered front doors, and I wondered if he knew that place, if he maybe went there—but no, the building looked like it’d been abandoned for a long time.
“You doing okay?” he asked softly, not looking at me.
“I’m fine.” I let out a breath. I had my freak-out moment, my panic attack, and now I was starting to feel better.
All it took was about two hours of crying and a full night’s sleep.
Marvin’s chest shattering with blood and bullets haunted me every time I closed my eyes. I hated that I saw that and hated that it happened to him, and I didn’t think I’d be able to push it from my mind anytime soon. Luke seemed aware of that, and was trying his best to give me space and support—but he needed me for this, and I understood why.
Franklin pulled up in a rusty pick-up truck and parked two spaces away. He’d be suspicious if I didn’t show up after having been a part of the negotiations from the start, and Luke didn’t want to give him any reason to back out.
We needed him here for a while at least.
Luke watched Franklin and nodded once. “You ready?” he asked me quietly.
“I’m ready. How many guys are out there again?” I felt a shiver run down my spine. I knew we were being watched—I just didn’t know how many eyes were staring at me.
“My whole crew plus two for backup. Fifteen men, give or take, I didn’t count.”
I laughed nervously. “Seems like overkill.”
“Damn well better be. Come on, let’s get this over with.” He pushed his door open.
I followed and got out. I held a duffel bag tucked under my arm, empty except for a single file folder stuffed with papers—the dossier itself.
Luke approached Franklin’s truck. Franklin got out, stretching his back. It was late, well past midnight, and the only light came from the moon and a street lamp fifty feet away. Franklin held up a hand in greeting. He wore all black, his hair slicked close to his skull, his beard trimmed slightly since our last meeting.
“Gotta admit, Luke, I didn’t expect you to be reasonable.” Franklin grinned, all teeth.
“Orders from above,” Luke said, stopping a few feet from Franklin. “Got to move the thing.”
“Your boss wasn’t too happy about you meddling with the Lionettis, huh?” Franklin laughed loudly. “It was a bold move, my friend, and I admire you for it, but I guess it didn’t pay off.”
&n
bsp; “I guess not.” Luke nodded toward the truck. “You brought my money?”
“All in cash,” Franklin said. “But let’s see the dossier first.”
“You think I’d try to rip you off now, you asshole?” Luke’s tone was sharp and the anger bled from his body language.
“I’m hearing rumors, is all. Lots of people are talking about that dossier and I want to make sure you’re not fucking with me.” An edge to his tone. Franklin’s smile faded.
“Why would I bother coming all the way out here just to fuck with you?” Luke sounded like he was barely holding back his rage, although I knew better. “You really think you’re worth my time?”
“That’s what I’m wondering.” Franklin stared at Luke, not smiling, not laughing anymore. “I’ve been thinking about it. There are a lot of guys in this city you could sell that folder to and probably get more money. Why would you want to sell it to me?”
“Because you’re stupid enough to buy it.” Luke took a step closer. “We gonna make this deal or what?”
“I’m trying to figure that out. I think there are lots of guys stupider than me and much richer. So why am I here?”
Luke stared at him for a long moment then nodded at Franklin’s truck. “Get the money, Franklin,” he said softly, almost pleading. “Go get your fucking cash. Don’t make this difficult.”
Franklin’s face fell. “What are you planning?”
“Just go to your truck.”
Franklin took a step back, looking around. “All right, man, okay. I’ll get the cash, okay? I’ll give you the cash then you toss me over that bag and we’re good, right?” He sounded afraid now, almost desperate, and I didn’t know what he thought was happening here, but it wasn’t good.
“That’s right, go get the money. Bring it out as slow as you can, you understand me?” Luke was back in control then, his tone forceful. “Hurry the fuck up.”
Franklin groaned and ducked back into the truck. Luke gripped the pistol slid into his waistband and I tensed for Franklin to turn around shooting, but he only emerged with his own duffel, blue and beat up with a big Phillies logo in the center. He looked around then tossed it over at Luke’s feet.
Luke bent over and picked it up. He opened the bag and showed me the contents: small bundles of fresh-looking cash.
“I hope you’re not fucking with me,” Franklin said. “It’s not too late to say so, yeah? You can take the money if you let me walk away.”
Luke grunted and gestured at me. I did my job and threw the duffel at Franklin. He caught it and grimaced as he opened it up like there might be poisonous snakes inside.
He hesitated when he saw the folder.
“Is this for real?” He looked up, stared at me, then over at Luke. “Is this the dossier?”
For one long second Franklin’s eyes shone with a desperate internal light like maybe, just maybe, this deal was what it seemed on the face of things—until a car came tearing around the corner nearby, screeching like the devil himself was chasing, and Franklin stepped back until he butted up against his truck.
Luke sighed and ran a hand through his hair as another car joined the first. They flew up over the curb and smashed into the parking lot, sparks flying up. Franklin cursed and threw the duffel into the bed of his truck, then wrestled with the door, panicking so much he could barely get it open. By the time he started to climb in, Maher stepped out of the closest car, followed by more of his guys, and all of them armed.
“Fancy seeing you here,” Maher said, grinning, then opened fire.
They killed Franklin first. Luke moved as they shot, grabbed me by the wrist, and yanked me to the side. We sprinted as the world exploded all around us, flashes of muzzles and bullets pinging off the sidewalk, and screams of pain, so many screams of pain, not just Franklin but others, too. Luke shoved me back behind our car and I hit the ground breathing hard, touching myself to make sure I didn’t get shot.
Luke peered up over the hood and started shooting.
I covered my ears at first, until the noise got so bad that I couldn’t hear it anymore. There was only ringing, a steady buzz of nothing, and I managed to look through the windows and over at the scene unfolding in the middle of the lot.
Franklin was dead. His blood was splattered all over his truck’s windshield. Poor bastard, he wasn’t necessarily supposed to die, but Luke had a feeling Maher would come for him, too. The dossier in the bed was a fake, of course, and if Franklin looked through it he would’ve found a bunch of blank printer paper stapled together.
A few feet from the truck were bodies. Most of them were on the ground, bleeding heavily and moaning. Bullets still scattered all around them, coming from the school roof and from a few nearby buildings, rifle shots echoing into the night. Luke had his men up there waiting for the moment Maher decided to show up. Maher himself was in the midst of all those bleeding bodies, at least eight of them, maybe more, crawling back toward the cars. One of his men, still somehow up on his feet, grabbed Maher and dragged him away, but a bullet took the guy in the chest.
Maher made it into one of the cars and started driving. It slammed into Franklin’s inert truck and sent it spinning with a crush of metal and glass then tore away, driving fast, swerving all over the road.
The men still in the parking lot were dead. None of them moved, and all of them bled, so much that it looked like a rainstorm swept through.
The gunfire came to a stop.
Luke looked down at me. “You okay?”
I nodded. “I think so,” I said, or maybe I yelled, I couldn’t tell.
He knelt down. “Are you sure?”
I nodded, touching my chest, my legs. “I’m sure.”
He seemed relieved. His plan was solid—use Franklin and the dossier as bait to draw in Maher, since we all knew that Franklin couldn’t keep his mouth shut—but we were the one uncertainty. From the start, Luke knew we’d end up out in the open when the shooting started, but he said he’d get me out and make sure I survived, and he kept his promise.
Somehow. The whole thing was a blur, and my hands shook, my heart raced, and I had to keep blinking to stop myself from passing out.
Luke stood and walked out from cover. Nothing happened. The bodies didn’t come to life, didn’t stand up and start killing again. He went over and began to kick at them, looking for any survivors, and shot two of them in the head.
German came walking down the parking lot from the school. He had a rifle slung over one shoulder and a big smile on his lips. I stood and moved toward them, still leaning against the roof of the car.
“All dead?” German asked.
I blinked and rubbed my ears. My hearing was coming back, though everything was still muted and distant like we were underwater.
“All dead,” Luke confirmed. “Except Maher got away.”
“He won’t last long. Fucker was shot at least once or twice.”
Luke grunted but didn’t look happy. “The whole point was to get him.”
“We just slaughtered his crew. It doesn’t matter if Maher got away, at this point he might as well be dead.”
Luke nodded grimly at that. “Gather up the guys and get out of here. Cops will be on their way.”
“This is gonna bring a lot of heat.” German laughed like he enjoyed the police attention. “At least Maher won’t be bothering you for a while.”
“For a while, anyway. That guy’s a cockroach.” One of the bodies groaned and Luke shot him in the head. I looked away, trying not to cry. “Get everyone out of here.”
“You got it, boss.” German walked off and whistled, high and piercing in the night.
Luke came to me and led me by the arm. He helped me into the car, went to the driver’s side, and got us moving again. We left the parking lot, the wheel trailing blood for a while, until it rubbed off on the pavement and we were gone.
He put a hand on my leg. “I know that was hard to watch.”
“It’s fine. I’m fine.” I leaned back and
closed my eyes, but I still saw all those bodies getting ripped to shreds by bullets.
“That sort of thing’s going to give hardened criminals nightmares. It’s okay if it bothers you.”
I rubbed at my face. “It’s just, it was so easy. Once they were all out in the open, the guns just killed them, just mowed them down.”
“That’s why we picked this parking lot, plenty of high paces to shoot down from, make it nice and easy. We have the manpower and the firepower, and all we needed to do was trick Maher into thinking he could roll up and win this fight in one fell swoop.”
“He was wrong, and now they’re all dead.” I whispered the words and could hardly hear my own voice.
“We’ll have a drink when we get back. That’ll help calm you down a little bit.”
“What do we do now?”
He hesitated. “Find Maher. Make sure this is done. And then, I don’t know.”
“It’s not over. The Lionettis are still pissed.”
“And they’re still coming. I’m sorry, Cara, but this might not be the worst of it.”
I leaned my head back and let tears stream down my face.
He said nothing as he navigated the car through the city streets, and the sound of sirens broke out in the distance, echoing off the brick houses, like the cops were all over—or nowhere at all.
17
Luke
It wasn’t hard to find Maher.
Shit cut both ways. Maher knew me and my crew too well, but I also knew him and all his little hiding places. I had my guys check his safe houses, one after the other, until eventually they found one place with the lights on and all the doors locked. I ordered German to stay out, and headed over there with Cara two days after the firefight.
She didn’t talk about it much. I tried to get her to say something, anything, but she couldn’t seem to bring herself to do it. Not that I could blame her—watching eight men get shot to death in the middle of the parking lot, their bodies ripped to pieces, their blood pooling like a manmade lake, it’s not something people are supposed to see. Hollywood movies didn’t do it justice, didn’t reproduce the stench and the screams and the viscera.