Elaina
Chapter 12
Three days later
I perch my hip against the tan granite kitchen counter and cross my arms. “I’m pretty sure I’m going with you,” I argue stubbornly. He’s not going to get away with bribing me with bacon. I love it, but it doesn’t help his case in any way right now.
“Why would I take you with me when I’m attempting to reach an agreement with the man whose daughter you killed?” He glares at me, irritated. Big bad Viktor isn’t used to anyone arguing with him, well, news flash! I won’t just lie down and take orders.
He sighs loudly and continues, “Not smart, Elaina. I want you here and kept out of sight. I won’t be able to think clearly if you are there and can get hurt.”
“I appreciate your concern, but I need to go.”
“What do you mean you need to go? This is men’s business.”
“Oh, you pig. You seriously just went there?”
“I didn’t mean it like that, Princess. I’m Russian, we just handle things differently. You Americans think everything has to be a discussion.”
“Us Americans? My God, you just keep sounding worse today! Please, dig yourself a deeper hole.”
“Look, you’re not thinking about this rationally. There will be many angry men there with plenty of weapons. You could be shot at any moment.”
“Viktor, I need to be able to look at her father and tell him I’m sorry. It may not mean much to him or you, but it’s something I have to do.”
“So I’m supposed to chance losing you completely, just because you have the need to apologize?” He looks at me incredulously.
Exasperated, I huff, “You won’t lose me, geez!”
“Oh, you’re damn right I won’t lose you. I’m a very selfish man, Elaina. If something were to happen to you, I’d blow through that whole goddamn family to get my justice. Now is that a chance you really want to take? Because you know it’s true. I will slaughter that entire family as if they were cattle.”
I can’t imagine the devastation it would bring to those who don’t deserve it if that were to happen. I don’t doubt Viktor’s word at all, especially when he looks so determined. I refuse to be the cause of more pain like that for any family, so I relent.
“Fine, Viktor, I’ll stay put. But you have to keep me updated. It can just be a text message with a smiley face or something. I just need to know you are okay as well. Every hour, you better send me something.”
“Consider it done, lovely.” He nods and steps closer to me.
“There are so many things I could do to you on this counter,” he murmurs close to my ear.
Shoving bananas and spices over eagerly, he easily lifts me so my butt is resting on the counter and I’m almost the same height as he is. Leaning toward him, I nibble on his lip for a moment, causing him to groan in pleasure before I pull away. His breath is rich with coffee and a touch of mint.
Viktor’s pupils dilate and bore into mine as he trails his fingers into the leg of my shorts. They were his sweats that I cut so there’s plenty of room. His eyes widen when he finds me without my panties and he softly runs his fingers over my pussy lips. Each inch he gets closer to my opening I clench it, shuddering with need.
Grinning at me, he inserts a finger in me to his knuckle. It goes in smoothly as I’m soaked and ready for him. I tighten my pussy around it and Viktor purrs something in Russian.
He pushes my shorts over more, creating a larger opening. I salivate in anticipation of him shoving into me with his cock. I love when he’s in a frenzy like this.
Viktor kisses sweetly down my jawline until he reaches my lips. Softly whispering over them, “You want my cock, Princess? This is one wet little pussy you have here.” As soon as the word ‘cock’ leaves his mouth I moan breathlessly.
We are rudely interrupted by a throat clearing. “Um, excuse me, sir. It’s time.”
Viktor swiftly makes sure he’s completely in front of me even though his guy is looking in the opposite direction.
“I’m coming,” he rasps to the guard and I can’t help but giggle with my mind resting in the gutter at the moment. When I start to laugh, he pushes his finger into me roughly and I gasp, instantly quieting.
“I apologize, Boss,” the guy says and walks out of the room.
Viktor is practically hissing as turns to me. “I have to finish this later. I’m not happy about it, but I have no choice.”
“Ugh, I wish you didn’t have to go,” I pout at him.
“I know, Printsyessa, me too.” He slowly pulls his finger out of my cunt, sending lightning bolts of pleasure throughout my body. Grinning, he sucks on his finger then kisses me chastely before walking off.
After I’ve had a few minutes to catch my breath, Spartak comes into the kitchen with a whole new set of plans.
“Hey, Miss Elaina.”
“Hi, Spartak, what’s going on?”
“The boss set a temporary code to the safe room under the house, so we get to hang out down there while they’re gone.”
“Okaaay, and why do you seem happy about that prospect? I’ve seen the other panic room, and trust me it’s nothing to get excited about. Take it from me when I say you’re not missing out.” I make a crazy face and he chuckles.
“I’ve actually seen this one already. I got the tour, and it’s really cool.”
“What do you mean the tour?”
“It’s under the cabin, and huge I might add. It’s bigger than this place. The boss told me it runs the length of the cabin, all the way underground to the barn. It even has another secret door we can use if we ever need to escape that way.”
“You’re joking, right?” I’m a tad skeptical.
“No, I don’t joke. I thought I was going to get shot the last time I tried to joke with Alexei.” Shaking his head at that, he continues, “The boss is in charge though, so he has to have a few secure areas. This one just so happens to have a movie room.”
“A freaking movie room?”
“Yep, I asked why and he said if he was trapped down there for days he would want to be comfortable.”
“At this point, I shouldn’t even be surprised.” I shake my head and eat a piece of toast topped with butter and strawberry jelly.
“Do you want to take some snacks with us?” Spar questions and stares longingly at my toast.
“Why, did you not eat?” I mumble with my mouth full.
“No, ma’am, not since yesterday.”
“Okay, we can definitely take some snacks and sodas.” I grab up a few things and follow Spartak to this mysterious panic room.
Viktor
“Alexei, give me some specifics about the other day in the cabin. I know you’ve told me a few important details, but I want to go over everything so I have my facts straight. I spoke to my brother yesterday and informed him of what I was planning to do. Tate’s not thrilled, but he said if we need any help to give him a call.”
I shift more toward Alexei in the backseat, giving him my full attention as we speed in the Mercedes sedan toward the dock to meet Kristof. Sail by Awolnation thrums low from the Harman Kardon speakers.
“That’s good, Boss. I believe I gave you the most important parts. Miss Elaina would be able to fill you in more about the actual act, if that’s what you’re wondering. I told you, we were all out in the yard and she was in the cabin, screaming hysterically until we came to help you. I thought she was going to end up killing us all when we tried to get near you.” I grin at hearing my girl was protecting me fiercely and gesture for him to continue.
“I was wondering if Knees would be meeting us there, since Nikoli is close with Kendall’s sister.”
“No, Tate will stay out of it as much as he can. I knew Nikoli had a soft spot for her, but I didn’t know it was that serious. Are they exclusive? And how do you know all of this?”
“I speak to him occasionally, and no, they aren’t really serious yet, not that I know of.”
“That could turn into
an issue if Nikoli decides to get involved with the sister and becomes devoted. The last time he stormed into the club, it was because of Kendall running to her family and crying over Elaina fighting with her. I think he may want Sabrina more than you believe and he needs to be aligned with Tate’s organization, not a female.”
We’re interrupted by Miesha, my driver. “Twenty minutes out, sir.”
I meet his eyes in the rearview mirror and nod. Turning back to Alexei I have to refrain from rolling my eyes. I know how long it will take us, I own the damn buildings. I miss having Sergei here to drive me. All of this is Kendall’s fault, she deserved to die.
Alexei clears his throat. “Let me speak to Niko before you talk it over with Knees please. I would like to make sure you have the correct facts about it all. I know Niko will tell me. If he’s excited about a female, he likes to talk her up.”
“I’ll give you twenty-four hours,” I murmur.
“Yes, sir.”
The car stops and Miesha jumps out to scan the area prior to opening my door. He knocks on the window with his knuckles. Lev, my guard up front, gets out, performing another scan.
After a moment Alexei’s door is opened and he gets out. They all walk around the vehicle to my door, that way they can surround me when I get out. It’s the best way to protect myself from getting shot. They would have to hit a guard first and I would have a better chance at diving back inside the car or elsewhere for cover.
The docks over here are always dark and filled with filth. The air reeks of fish and old gas fumes from the boats. I’m fairly used to it, frequenting this area. Part of that dead fish smell is probably stink from all of the dead bodies I’ve watched sink around here.
“Watch your step, the rats are bad in this area.”
Miesha looks at me with a horrified expression. “Rats, Boss?”
I huff at him, irritated. “Yes, rats, do you need Alexei to hold your hand or will you ask your balls to drop.”
The men chuckle and Miesha turns away, embarrassed.
Alexei leans in closer. “Umm, Boss, did you pick a meet point? I would like a heads up.”
“Yes, I discussed this with a few of the men yesterday. They’ve been checking the area since then and reporting to me regularly.”
I hear Alexei grumble under his breath and shoot him a glare. He shuts up but keeps the bitter look on his face. We stick to the formation and carefully make our way to the meet point.
Kristof is patiently waiting, sitting in a black, standard folding metal chair. Three of his men surround him, and continuously scan the area, looking paranoid. When he sees us approach, he stands, extending his hand out of respect.
I shake it and one of his guys pushes a second metal chair forward. What a dirty place to have this sort of meeting. I glance around the battered building beside us and the trash on the ground.
“I’ll stand.” Kristof crosses his arms across his chest. He also stands, looking the part of an old man with his full head of silver hair. He’s not as tall as I am, perhaps a few inches shorter. I’m more of a cut guy, not quite muscular but not small enough to be considered lean. Whereas he’s slim, like he could use a few good meals in him to fill his clothes out properly.
I glance over at Kristof’s men, scanning them from head to toe. He obviously doesn’t care too much about what they wear. I firmly believe they are a direct link to the boss himself.
I always have my men dress decently. They may not all wear suits, but they’re always in clean clothes that don’t have rips and such in them. I don’t pay quite as much attention to the street rats, but the guys I surround myself with, well, it’s important and a requirement of the job.
Kristof’s men look like hoodlums he found in an alley full of thugs. I wonder if he even provides them with any type of training. All of my men around me have been trained in hand-to-hand combat and weapons. I refuse to be surrounded by some waste of space who has no idea how to do his job.
“So how would you like to begin the negotiations?”
“Just like that, huh? You’re not even going to pretend to be distraught over losing your daughter? You did receive her body?”
He nods, irritated. “Of course I received her body, you know this as well as I do. Why ask and have pleasantries? Let us get straight to business and leave Kendall out of this. Do I want revenge? Yes, of course, but I am aware that you did not want any of this. She started a war with the Russian Bratva who also happens to be the braat (brother) of the Big Boss of the Russkaya Mafiya. I’m not so blind and cocky as to think that there will not be consequences.”
I’m pleasantly surprised at his rational thinking but not quite sure if I buy into it all.
“Kendall had one of my best men’s throat slit, she put a bomb on my beloved’s car, she had my cabin shot up, killing an additional two of my best men and last but not least, she stabbed me in the back of my head in an attempt to kill me. I’d say you and your family are getting off extremely light. I’m prepared to negotiate a very small amount. Mind you, remember this is not compensation for her life, but a mutual agreement to keep peace once terms are reached.”
He hisses angrily. “You don’t think I deserve some sort of compensation?”
I chuckle menacingly. “You? Deserve compensation? You’re joking, surely.” He glares but shuts his mouth. “I’m the king of Bratva in America, perhaps I should demand more of what measly territory I allow you to have.”
I snap my fingers and my other guards take a step out of the shadows. They stand like towers compared to the grease buckets here to protect Kristof. I had an additional ten men here waiting in case I needed assistance. All part of the plan I had discussed with them yesterday that Alexei threw a fit over. He may be my right-hand guy, but I don’t run everything past him, it’s the other way around. They all have to run things past me.
“What exactly is it you want, Mr. Masterson?” Kristof sighs and I know he’s relenting.
“Well, how badly are you wanting to expand?”
“Very much so. I’m willing to do almost anything.”
I rest my chin in my hand, thinking of what deal I can cook up that will benefit me. I had a plan in place but he seems to realize he’s stuck and needs to be begging my forgiveness with this situation. This is exactly why I didn’t want Elaina to come. He would have used her as leverage. Perhaps he would have played on her guilt, but it’s not going to happen with me. My uncle taught me to be lethal when it comes to business.
“Kristof, I believe I have the perfect plan.” I grin wolfishly. I know my ideas will frazzle him further.
“Okay, what is it you would like? Hopefully we can come to an agreement, I am a very reasonable man.”
“I want a few things actually. First off, I want you to declare peace and call your goons off.”
“Consider it done,” he replies immediately, almost too eager.
I nod, pleased. “Secondly, your family and associates will stay out of all the clubs my family owns.”
He blinks, confused for a moment, he doesn’t know it, but it’s to keep them far away from Elaina if she’s at one of the clubs.
“Very well, is that it?”
“Not quite.”
He looks at me questioningly. “Number three?”
“You always wished for Kendall to marry me, yes?”
“You were my top choice, you know this. I offered her many times to you. Perhaps all of this could have been avoided if you had taken me up on my offer in the first place.”
“Good, then this should please you. And I wasn’t ready for marriage at that time. Kendall would have been nothing but trouble for me. You were simply trying to push your burden off onto someone else. Anyhow, now I need your younger daughter.”
His eyes widen and he chokes. “What do you mean you need her?”
“Exactly that. You send her to me and she doesn’t ever go home. She will belong to me from here on out. Maybe after time if she does well, then she can visit you.”
“She’s not for me. One of the men wants her. And yes, you will be trading her for your precious new territories.”
“NeekaagDAA (never)!”
As soon as he spits the word out, I draw my weapon and swiftly put a bullet through the head of the thug closest to him. It makes little noise with my high grade silencer attached, but enough that Kristof stands gaping as his guard drops to the ground, motionless.
I gesture to one of my guys, Lev, to clean it up. My guard grabs him under the arm and drags him to the dock, smearing a little trail of blood as he goes.
Lev checks his surroundings, finally settling on a little bench. He secures the body to the small concrete bench then two more of my guys walk over to help him lift the bench and toss it into the water off the dock. Kristof’s thug goes with it while Kristof gapes comically at the whole process.
Shrugging, I turn back to a shocked Kristof. “That’s no problem, Kristof. If we can’t reach an agreement then perhaps I should just start killing off people.” I smirk and he cringes.
“No. No. No, now don’t get hasty,” he sputters and I’m pleased he can see I’m serious. “What do you want my daughter for? You won’t be selling her to anyone else, right?”
“I won’t sell her. I imagine she will be kept to be married.”
“You don’t plan to hurt her? No rape or torture, that sort of thing?”
“Christ. No. I don’t get my rocks off by torturing young, helpless women. I got the Bratva here out of the sex trade for a reason. A person who works for my brother wants her. This will give you each a little of what you want. You can have warehouse E, which will expand your territory and the Russkaya Mafiya will get something that they want. The other terms are for me personally.”
He eventually nods after a few moments. “I think that can be done.”
“No, it’s either done for sure, or not. You pack her up and send her over. You have a week. Then you will get the warehouse and I won’t kill everyone you know.”
He nods. “That should be feasible. I’ll make it happen. Does that mean we will be at peace again?”
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