by Ariel Marie
“Cut the bullshit,” West snapped, calling his bluff. “I know that the Ruslanovich Bratva has been keeping an eye on what’s going on over in Siberia at the Panthera National Park, and I know that your Bratva has a hand in the poaching business.”
“What do you want me to say?” Tabakov asked, the smile vanishing from his face. A cold, hard mask swept across the pakhan’s features. “I am a businessman, and there is much money to be had in that business. There are plenty of private collectors who are willing to pay top dollar for the merchandise that my organization can offer them. And yes, I knew that you and your little SPAT organization was running around the Far East, trying to save your precious tigers.”
“You’re talking about a business that would wipe out an entire species,” West growled. His tiger was restless, begging to be let out, but West pushed him down.
Not now.
“You Rogavac’s waste too much money trying to save the world and your precious animals. There is so much more that you could do with your money,” Tabakov stated, leaning back in his chair.
“What we do with our money is none of your concern,” West snapped, irritation lining his voice. “I also know that you have put a hit out on Dr. Charlee Black.”
Tabakov’s eyes widened, the disgust at the mention of Charlee’s name was apparent on his face.
“Don’t worry about Dr. Black. She’s a dime a dozen, and there will be someone else soon.”
Charlee, a dime a dozen?
Not hardly. She was priceless. Irreplaceable.
She was his.
“Tabakov, it’s time that a Rogavac claimed the favor that was promised by your grandfather to mine.”
“What?” Tabakov sputtered, his face flushing red.
Anger spewed from his eyes, but West didn’t care. He knew that the Russian would have to honor it. The Ruslanovich Bratva was like any other brotherhood. Honor was a code that they lived by. It would bring dishonor to his family if he did not abide by the promise that was made from his grandfather.
Whenever a Rogavac calls on a Ruslanovich, they would honor any requests.
25
Tabakov scowled as he stared down West. The tiger in West was brimming near the surface and he was sure that the Russian could see it.
“How can I call off a hit?” Tabakov asked, waving his hand in the air. “It’s not like I just told one person. It doesn’t work that way. The announcement of the hit went out in the network. There will be at least fifty men gunning for her.”
West snapped, his beast slamming into his chest. Nothing would happen to Charlee. West flew from his chair and dragged the mafia boss from his chair. His breaths came fast and hard as he held the pakhan in the air with one hand. He was fighting for control of his animal, and was currently losing the battle.
“You will honor the request and kill the hit,” West growled around his fangs that had descended against his will. Tabakov struggled to break free, but was no match for the strength of West and his tiger. If he had to beat it out of the Russian mafia boss, he would take great pleasure.
Tabakov’s eyes widened at the sight of West’s massive canines.
“I know what you and your family are,” Tabakov sputtered. West tightened his grip and brought him closer to his face.
“Then you know that you had better honor the request of a Rogavac as your grandfather promised.” West tossed Tabakov to the floor.
West made no excuse to what he was. He was a proud shifter. He was glad that the Russian knew exactly who and what he was dealing with. It wasn’t like he could run around telling the world. His fellow humans would call him crazy, as he wouldn’t have any proof. Humans were still ignorant to the fact that others lived among them. So no, West was not afraid that the Russian Mafia boss would tell anyone.
Tabakov laid there, trying to catch his breath. West pulled back on his tiger, unwilling to let the tiger break free. If it did come to the forefront, there would be no help for Tabakov. His tiger was in a frenzy, knowing that there was a threat to Charlee, and it would attack the human in front of him.
“Why are you protecting her? What is she to you?” Tabakov asked, his voice strained.
West stood over him, looking down at the man in disgust. It was this man’s fault that Charlee was shot at twice. Not just in the jungle, but back on the train also. He knelt down next to the mafia boss with a stare that he knew revealed his animal. Fear permeated the air as Tabakov tried to scoot away, but his back hit the desk.
“All you need to know is that she’s with me. Any harm comes to her again and I will be the one hunting you down. The Bratva are not the only ones that can make a person disappear,” West threatened in a low growl.
Commotion could be heard outside the office door. West glanced at the door and was confident that Drago and Luka had full control of the situation.
“Now answer me,” he growled, turning back to the disheveled Tabakov. “Are you going to honor your family’s promise?”
“Yes,” Tabakov conceded, breathing heavily. “I will call it off. I just pray that it isn’t too late.”
“You better hope it’s not.” West stood and walked toward the door. “If it is, nothing will protect you from my tiger. He’s not as nice and forgiving as me.”
“How’s your pain?” Malena asked, concern lining her face as she settled on the couch next to Charlee.
“I’m okay. It’s just a little achy right now,” Charlee answered, adjusting the sling. With all the adrenaline coursing through her, she barely felt the pain.
The house they were brought to was located in the small town of Kutsk. Ivan had assured her that it was where West had wanted her taken. It was a safe town, and any person would be a fool to try to mess with her. The tiny home wasn’t much bigger than her office at the university. Small open floor plan with the living room and kitchen in one space, a bedroom, and a tiny bathroom. It didn’t leave much room for three adults to function in the tiny efficiency home.
When they had left the sanctuary, they’d only had time to hastily grab a few outfits before being ushered into a dark sedan. Charlee had been unable to tell Malena much. All that was said was someone was trying to kill Charlee and that they must move her. Malena, being the best friend that she was, didn’t question anything. Her bag was packed in record time. That’s why Charlee loved her friend so much.
“I’m going to go look around outside,” Ivan said, leaving from his perch by the window.
“Are you sure it’s needed? I thought you said this town would be safe?” Charlee asked as she watched him come to her. He pulled out a small automatic weapon, checked the clip, then held it out to her.
Ivan was a man of few words. Within moments of being in his presence, she knew that she and Malena would be safe. Nothing got past him. He took his job very seriously. No smiles. No jokes. His words were instructions. Since they had relocated into the house, he had drilled into their brains where the keys to the car were, always be prepared for anything, emergency exits, and always sleep with decent clothes on, just in case they had to leave in a hurry.
She could see the tiger in him with every move. It was amazing that no one else could see it. She saw the same in West, Luka, and Drago. Every movement that they made was just as graceful as a tiger in the wild. Was it only because she was privileged to know the secret that she could see it? Or was it just so apparent that everyone else ignored it?
“We can never be too sure,” he stated as she took the gun in her right hand. It was lightweight, and she knew that she wouldn’t have any issues using it. “If I’m not back in fifteen minutes and someone comes through the door, shoot first and ask questions later.”
“What if it’s you?” Malena asked wide-eyed.
He released a snort as he walked to the door. “Shoot first, ask questions later.” And then he was gone.
Charlee knew his reasoning behind the snort. The bullets would do nothing to him. West had begun to teach her of his world whenever they were alone. He
had explained to her that the night she discovered his secret, if she would have pulled the trigger while his chest was pressed against her gun, it would have burned and hurt, but due to his shifter genes, his body would have begun to instantly heal.
“What’s his deal?” Malena asked, turning to Charlee. She didn’t know what to say. She tucked the gun into the side of the cushion of the couch while she tried to think of something good to say. She couldn’t tell her best friend that if she did accidentally shoot him, it would do nothing to him but piss him off.
“I don’t know.” Charlee shrugged. “West and Luka trust him, and he has given his word to keep us safe, so that’s all that matters.”
“You’re right.” Malena sighed, leaning back on the couch. “Now that we’re finally alone, you must tell me everything. Why is someone trying to kill you? Why are we in a safe house in some small town? I feel like we’re in the middle of an action-packed suspense movie and I can’t figure out the plot.”
“You and me both,” Charlee scoffed. Only this movie is mixed with a hint of the paranormal world, she thought to herself. “Well, I didn’t know that the shooter was gunning for me.” She began the story, telling Malena everything that she was told on the terrace. Malena sat, mouth wide open as she continued the story, and where exactly West was now.
She knew that he was off meeting with the mafia boss, the same one that wanted her dead. She put on a brave face, but truth be told, she was scared shitless. What if the mafia boss wouldn’t call off the hit? What if he hurt West or worse, kill him? She’d seen enough mafia movies with her brother, Dane, to know how this could turn out.
“Then you know the rest,” she concluded, feeling spent. A yawn escaped her as she looked at the time. It was late, and there was no telling when West would return.
“He isn’t back yet,” Malena announced nervously.
Shit.
Charlee reached for the firearm by her leg and felt somewhat comforted as the cool steel.
“I’m sure everything is fine,” Charlee murmured, trying to believe her own words.
“Should we go look for him?” Malena barked out a nervous laugh, but Charlee knew she was not making this a laughing matter at all.
“Hell no,” Charlee said, just as the sound of a key in the door filled the air. She whipped out the gun, flipping the safety off. She winced from the dull pain in her left arm as she stood slowly and took aim at the door. Malena drew quiet as they both waited to see who would come through the door.
Finally, the door opened and in walked Ivan, who looked disgruntled. She relaxed and dropped the gun to her side.
“I thought I said shoot first—”
“I was going to make it a head shot,” she said, interrupting him. “I figured I’d better make it count.”
He finally cracked a small smile as he closed and locked the door behind him. “I knew I liked you,” he said as he went back to the window seat.
“Thank you?” She wasn’t sure if it was a compliment, but she had a feeling that was the closest thing to one from this man.
“It’s getting late. You two had better get some rest. West and the others are due to return tomorrow.”
“Have you heard anything?” she asked as Malena headed into the bedroom.
“No, but we weren’t expecting to either. Go,” he said gently. “Get some rest. West will have my head if you’re not taken care of properly. Keep the gun with you. I’ll be going out again to check the perimeter, and next time, I mean it. Shoot first and ask questions later.”
26
Charlee’s eyes snapped open. She wasn’t sure what woke her. She turned and found Malena softly snoring on her side of the bed. Her body relaxed slightly, but something still bothered her. She didn’t want to wake Malena if it was nothing. She laid still at first, straining to hear if it was a noise or something out in the living room. It was probably Ivan moving around.
Then she remembered.
He’d never made a noise in the house.
Something was wrong. The hairs on her arms stood at attention and she knew that she had to investigate what had woke her. She slowly sat up, her heart slamming against her chest. She threw her legs over the side of the bed and pushed her hair out of her face. As Ivan instructed, she had left her shoes by the side of the bed. She slipped on the comfortable tennis shoes and reached for the weapon on the side table. Gently pushing off the bed, she tapped Malena on the foot to wake her.
She made it to the door and slowly cracked it open. Her eyes had to adjust to the darkness as she waited. She could hear Malena crawling out of the bed, and nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. She could not see Ivan and figured he must have went out on patrol. She blew out a deep breath, but then paused. Her eyes widened as she watched the door slowly open and a figure slowly crept into the house.
It was certainly not Ivan.
Even in the dark, she could see that the figure was a few inches shorter than Ivan. The moonlight reflected off the large knife that he held in his hand.
Where was Ivan?
Her heart pounded in her chest. There was only one other way out of the house and that was through the window in their bedroom. Charlee glanced at Malena who was standing behind her. She signaled that there was one person making his way toward them. She tried to close the door quietly, but she was too late.
He spotted her.
She slammed the door shut and flipped the lock, but it was old and would not hold the assailant as he slammed into the door. It shook the hinges as he tried to force his way in. She ignored the pain as she lifted her arms and aimed her weapon at the door.
“The window!” Malena shouted, rushing over to open it. Charlee slowly backed up toward Malena, but refused to take her eyes off the door.
Malena jumped up and began crawling through it, just as the door gave way. Charlee didn’t hesitate as she fired the gun as the assailant made his way into the room. His body jerked back. He tried to move forward again, but she pulled the trigger again. This time, his body fell to the ground.
She didn’t wait to see if he would get up. She turned and hoisted her way out of the window. Her arm began to burn, but she ignored it as she jumped down from the windowsill. It would have to wait until they could get to safety.
“Are you okay?” Malena whispered as they made their way to the back of the house. They quickly followed the instructions that Ivan had drilled into them when he went over escape plans. Stay in the shadows. She never would have thought that they would have to use them.
“Yeah,” Charlee whispered back as she gripped the gun tight. Even if her arm was falling off, she wouldn’t admit that the pain was becoming unbearable. Her main focus was finding Ivan. But she knew, after the way he drilled the emergency plan into their brain, what they needed to do.
Get to the car and get the hell out of there.
They quickly made their way to their parked car three houses away in complete silence. She could tell that Malena was running on adrenaline. She would go through her shock later. It wasn’t like her to be so quiet, but at a time like this, silence was a must. Charlee gripped the gun tight in her hand to keep it from shaking.
They finally made their way to the dark sedan. Malena jumped into the driver’s seat while Charlee slid into the passenger seat, holding in a grimace.
“Where the hell is Ivan?” Malena asked, turning the car on and yanking it into drive.
“I don’t know. But you know what he said, we have to get to the next house.” She gasped as the pain began to settle in.
“You’re hurting!” Malena cursed and punched the gas. Charlee grimaced as she jerked back in her seat. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, trying to get the pain under control. Malena released a scream and slammed on the breaks.
Charlee’s eyes flew open as she stared at the figure in the headlights.
Ivan.
Charlee could see dark stains on his clothing and knew that it was blood. The only question was, whose blood was it? He
stalked toward the car, but didn’t appear to be injured.
Just pissed off.
Malena opened the driver’s side door and scrambled into the back seat to allow him to get in the car.
“Where were you?” Charlee demanded to know as he pulled off.
“Ran into a little trouble,” he said, jerking the car down a narrow road.
“Well so did we,” Malena shouted from the back seat.
“I know. I found the dead body when I made it back to the house. You girls did good,” he announced, glancing over at Charlee.
Seeing her pain, he let loose a string of curses.
She turned her head and peered out the window as the darkened skyline flew past. She focused on the moon to try to block out the pain. Her body leaned toward the door as Ivan made a sharp left.
She wondered where West was and if he was okay. All that she wanted right now was him by her side. She needed to be able to feel him next to her and assure that everything was okay.
“Hold on. We’re almost there,” Ivan stated.
“Charlee.” Malena leaned forward and brushed her hair away from her face. “It’ll be okay. West is going to take care of this.”
“I know,” Charlee whispered, knowing that he was going to try to do everything in his power to call off the hit. He had promised, and she would hold him to it.
West cursed as he disconnected the call. His first instinct was to crush his cellphone in his hand, but that wouldn’t do him any good. He wouldn’t be able to receive direct updates from Ivan. Ivan just informed him of the trouble that they ran in to in the small cottage. It should have been safe and quiet, but it would seem that the hit men that Tabakov hired were extremely good at their job of hunting people down.
Ivan informed him that while out patrolling around the perimeter of the property, he came across two men. While dealing with them, a third managed to sneak into the cottage with the girls. Ivan’s discovery of the body of the third assassin with two bullets to the chest made West’s chest fill with pride.