Dirty Passions

by Wright, Kenya

  “Put that out,” Kaz growled. “She’s pregnant.”

  “Oh fuck. Sorry. I keep forgetting.” Max rose and put out the joint. “Meanwhile, some lion woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”

  Kaz looked at David. “Take me to the French.”

  “Good. Like I said, they have both been rude guests. They complained all night.” David rubbed his tired eyes. “Giorgio bitched about the thread count.”

  Kaz narrowed his eyes. “And Jean-Pierre?”

  “He wanted a phone to check in on his girlfriend.”

  Kaz stopped in front of the door. “Did you give it to him?”

  “Of course not.” David opened the door.

  Here we go. Kaz and Jean-Pierre in the same room. Will everyone survive?

  We walked in.

  I kept a tight hold on Kaz’s hand, hoping that would be enough to anchor him in the direction of sanity and common sense.

  The huge room contained a king sized bed that was already neatly made. I assumed they slept in it, and then made the bed that morning like perfect gentlemen prisoners. On the right, a small table stood with two chairs. The rest of the furniture were the typical items—a dresser with mirror, tall bookshelf, and a small desk with a chair.

  The blue drapes had been pulled back. Jean-Pierre stood by the window, looking out. Surely, he heard us enter, but he didn’t turn around.

  So, dramatic and utterly strategic. Even his body movements are chess movements.

  I tightened my grip on Kaz.

  Meanwhile, Giorgio had been lounging on the made bed. He sat up and then frowned. “Oh. I thought you would be the maid.”

  “Close your mouth, or you’re the first one that dies.” Kaz was not in the best of moods.

  Thank God, Giorgio stayed quiet as he stood.

  I turned back to Jean-Pierre. He had on an impeccable suit. Finely tailored with a perfect fit. Although I was sure Kaz and him had battled yesterday, he looked ready to walk down a fashion runway. Large diamonds sparkled from his cufflinks. It must’ve been the sunlight hitting them from the window, but he sparkled more than anyone in the room.

  Baba’s words hit me.

  “The baby that you lost was a girl,” Baba had said. “She left. Do you want to know where she went?”

  “I. . .I don’t know.”

  Baba had flipped the card over. “She’s with the King of Diamonds.”

  I pushed that thought out of my mind. Now wasn’t the time to think of a fortune teller. Not with the threat coming for me.

  Letting go of my hand, Kaz walked over to the only table in the room and sat down. There’d been plates of fruit, eggs, sausage, and croissants on it.

  Kaz glared at the food. “Not hungry, Butcher?”

  “I’m watching my weight.” Jean-Pierre turned away from the window and stared at me. “Good. The mouse is here.”

  A big diamond clip sparkled on his tie.

  Again, Baba’s words entered my head.

  “Before your baby left, you were with a man that had diamonds. She must’ve been captivated by him because that is who she is with now.”

  I cleared my throat and stepped inside. “You wanted to talk to me?”

  Jean-Pierre buttoned his suit jacket and brushed down the sides. “We had a deal.”

  “We did. Then, you snuck inside my house. You also killed and tortured men. And we can’t forget your attempted kidnaping Kazimir.”

  “I didn’t kidnap him.” Jean-Pierre held up one finger. “I asked him to come along—”

  “With several guns pointed his way.”

  “Still.” Jean-Pierre lowered his hand. “We had a deal. Is it still on the table?”

  “Do you have the Devil?”

  “I haven’t talked to my men, but I’m sure they do. That no longer matters. The Devil is mine now.”

  Your men? You wouldn’t have left the Devil with just a couple of Lackeys. There’s another cousin in Moscow.

  I squinted my eyes at Jean-Pierre, hoping to understand him better with a more focused look. “Who has the Devil now?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “It does.”

  “Louis took him.”

  I leaned my head to the side. “Is Rafael in Paris also?”

  “No.” Jean-Pierre picked lint of his sleeve. “He’s not.”

  “Where is he?”

  “New Orleans.” Jean-Pierre looked my way and smiled. “You see how open and honest I am with you right now?”

  “Of course you are. We’re friends.”

  “We are.”

  Although both smiling, we both glared at each other.

  No one else moved.

  Kaz remained sitting at the table.

  Pavel and Boris stayed to the side with their guns out, but not pointed at anyone. Giorgio continued to stand by the bed, but it was clear that he would jump off and attack me first. I hadn’t met this cousin, but I’d read enough about him from Blue’s file. Out of all of the cousins, Giorgio was a neat freak that enjoyed tidying up before and after his kills.

  Kaz watched Jean-Pierre and I the whole time.

  I wondered what was on his mind.

  Jean-Pierre gestured to the table. “Perhaps, we should all sit down and talk.”

  I walked over to the table and sat next to Kaz. Giorgio came over too. Jean-Pierre and him positioned themselves on the other side.

  Okay. Let’s see, if we can all talk without trying to kill each other.

  Kaz studied him. “Why did you want my mouse here?”

  Jean-Pierre put his view on Kaz. “Because with her present, there’s a good chance I won’t die after I tell you everything you want to know.”

  “A good chance.” Kaz leaned in his chair. “Not a guaranteed one, but a good chance.”

  Jean-Pierre’s face shifted to cold violence. “A good chance is better than a bad one.”

  Kaz placed his hands on the table and leaned forward. “Do you know many jokes, Butcher?”

  “I can’t think of any jokes right now.”

  Kaz gave him a wicked smile. “What does pussy and the Russian mafia have in common?”

  “Is this a trick question?”

  “It is not.”

  “Then, I don’t know what pussy and the Russian mafia have in common.”

  “One slip of the tongue and you're in deep shit.”

  Giorgio grinned.

  “I’ll take that as a warning.” Jean-Pierre turned my way. “And do you know any jokes, mouse?”

  “I’m not in that type of mood right now. But I do have questions.” I crossed my legs and leaned back in my chair. “Who put the dead gorilla in my bedroom?”

  “The ones who directly did the deed are dead. I left their dead bodies in your house. The butler let them in through the back door. However, it appeared they were threatening to kill his granddaughter. I also killed two maids. They helped with the lifting. Both had been more than happy to assist. Neither liked you. I believe at least one of them had a crush on your lion.”

  I gritted my teeth. “And the men you tortured? Especially the one whose face you peeled off?”

  “He helped with lifting too. He also blocked any feed going to Misha’s men. Louis discovered that there were two feeds produced in your house. One for security in Moscow, and another that was sent to him.”

  Tension thickened my shoulders. “Who told them to do it?”

  “I already have the Devil.”

  I sighed. “You do.”

  “Then, I’ll need something new for our deal.”

  Kaz roared, “You’re in no position to ask for anything!”

  Jean-Pierre kept his view on me. That damn diamond clip grabbed my attention. I stared at the shape and realized it was a large crown.

  “Let’s look at her future.” Baba flipped the other card over. “Of course. The Queen of Diamonds.”

  “My lost daughter will be the Queen of Diamonds one day?”

  “She will.”

  The rest of my q
uestions disappeared. I focused on my breaths.

  Kaz turned to me with concern in his eyes.

  I cleared my throat. “How’s Eden?”

  That knocked Jean-Pierre off guard. “S-she’s fine.”

  I swallowed. “Is she pregnant?”

  All the earlier confidence left Jean-Pierre’s face. “What?”

  I tried to choose my next words carefully, adding sweetness to my tone. “We’re friends, J.P. You can tell me.”

  “J.P.?”

  “That’s my nickname for you. It takes too long to say your name.”

  “I don’t like the nickname.”

  “Is she pregnant?”

  He crossed his arms and considered my question for several silent seconds. Finally, he nodded.

  Kaz turned my way. He didn’t ask, but I knew he wondered where I was going with this.

  She’s pregnant. That has to mean something. How would Baba have known that?

  Excited, I asked? “Do you know what you are going to have? Girl or boy?”

  “We don’t know yet.” His frown deepened. “I apologize for your loss. Never had I—”

  “Don’t worry. I ended up, being pregnant too.”

  Kaz glared at me and then turned back to the French. He looked close to flipping the table over and killing Jean-Pierre. The last thing he would want was the French to know how much more helpful I could be to them.

  Stunned, Jean-Pierre muttered, “So, you didn’t miscarry?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  The fact that he didn’t know showed me that the French didn’t monitor much of Kaz and our private conversations. If they had, they would’ve known.

  My heart beat fast as I thought of the other things Baba had said.

  “Two of Spades.”

  “Is that good?” I’d asked.

  “No. Low numbers speak of danger. Dark cards represent death. Especially with the point of this spade.” She picked up a stick that had some sort of odd jewel on the end and tapped the jewel against the card. “Lots of blood and danger. People will not want you to have your baby or even be with Kazimir. Some lurk around you. Many are in this house. Others are throughout Moscow. But I am certain that all of your enemies remain in this city.”

  I stared at that spade. “How do I find out who these people are?”

  “These next four cards will give you assistance.” One by one, she flipped them over all three. “The Joker, the King of Diamonds, the King of Hearts, and Ace of Hearts.”

  “O-kay.”

  Baba hit me with an intense stare. “These four will help you. Keep them safe.”

  If I was crazy enough to believe Baba, then Jean-Pierre represented the King of Diamonds. It could be true. He damn sure wore enough sparkling gems. His girlfriend was now pregnant. We didn’t have time to find out, if the baby was a girl.

  Additionally, Jean-Pierre had made many efforts to keep me safe. Granted, it was to keep the Corsican and him protected too, but it still served me.

  “Okay. Max is the Joker. Boris is the Ace. I assume Kaz is the King of Hearts. He’s not letting any other king around me.”

  “Yet, there is another king around you.” With the jeweled stick, she had tapped that card. “Who else is near? Does he wear diamonds?”

  Kaz disrupted my thoughts, placed his hand on my lap, and leaned my way. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes.” I looked back at who I was sure was the King of Diamonds. “Jean-Pierre, when Eden has her baby, I would like to be the god mother.”

  Jean-Pierre raised his brows in utter confusion.

  A grin spread across Giorgio’s face as if he was tickled by the whole matter.

  “We’re friends.” I placed my hands on the table. “It only makes sense.”

  “I apologize, but. . .” Jean-Pierre frowned. “What are we talking about?”

  “A real friendship. One not based on trickery and lies. We should also stop the kidnappings, J.P.”

  He kept his arms crossed. “Have I explained that I don’t appreciate this nickname?”

  I ignored him. “Tell me more about what you learned from the security men.”

  Pavel aimed his gun at Jean-Pierre. “This is getting us nowhere.”

  I scowled his way. “Put the gun down.”

  Kaz nodded. “You heard her.”

  Jean-Pierre never moved his attention from me. “What do you want to know about the security men?”

  “What names did they give you, after you peeled off their faces and cut them deep to the bone?”

  “I won’t give them to you.”

  I gripped the edge of the table. “Why not?”

  “Because when I do, what will guarantee my safety back home?”

  “The fact that we’re friends. Why would I kill my god daughter’s father?”

  “God daughter? I never agreed to that.”

  “Just tell me who is involved, J.P.”

  “Again. . .that nickname.” Jean-Pierre shook his head.

  I could feel the rage radiating off of Kaz. If Jean-Pierre didn’t start saying names, Kaz would take his turn. Currently, we had entered some form of good cop, bad cop. Hopefully, no one would have to see the bad cop this morning.

  Kaz spoke, “Perhaps, I can get some answers from J.P. What will give us answers?”

  Jean-Pierre turned to Kaz. “I want any plans of war to end.”

  Kaz formed his mouth into a wicked smile. “And I do not want it to end. I welcome war with you.”

  Jean-Pierre unfolded his arms. “How do we end any conflict between the Corsican and your brotherhood?”

  “Are you aware of how lions hunt?”

  “I’ve recently had to learn a lot about lions due to some maniac putting several of them in my warehouses. It took time to deal with that problem.”

  “That is the problem with lions. There is no hiding or stalking involved, they go for the big prey and then corner it strategically. Once the prey is cornered, the Lion comes in face-to-face to fight with the animal. In this scenario, the weight, brute strength, and bravery of the Lion is what will determine the outcome of the hunt.”

  “Hmmm. And you think that I am an animal that you can corner?”

  “You’re my guest.” Kaz pointed behind him. “And you are very very close to a corner right now. In fact, the only thing that is stopping me from grabbing you and slamming your head into the corner several times, is my mouse.”

  “Not just your mouse.”

  “No?”

  Jean-Pierre shook his head. “No.”

  A boom sounded outside the door behind us.

  I jumped in my seat.

  What was that?

  Gun shots rang next. There was some sort of battle going on in our living room.

  “Yo, Em!” Max yelled from outside the door. “We have company!”

  Kaz jumped up and lifted the table, keeping it between us.

  I rose and got behind him.

  Boris pointed at the door.

  David kept his gun on the Butcher.

  Meanwhile, Jean-Pierre brushed off the top of his jacket, completely unconcerned. “Like I was saying, I am not exactly cornered. I just needed a proper moment to talk to your mouse. One I didn’t think I could get on my own.”

  Sounds of fighting came from the hallway.

  And then Louis stepped in, holding a damn rocket launcher. Four more people followed behind him. Thankfully, Max still appeared safe with his gun pointing in front of him. He had the gun aimed at Louis’s head, which may or may not have mattered.

  “A rocket launcher?” Kaz rolled his eyes. “You idiots can’t even be unique?”

  Louis shrugged. “What works. . . works.”

  Giorgio and Jean-Pierre walked over to Louis.

  David kept the gun aimed at Jean-Pierre’s head. “Kazimir, what do you want me to do?”

  Kaz gritted his teeth. “Nothing yet.”

  It was a good play on the French’s part.

  Yesterday, whenever Kaz and Je
an-Pierre had their battle back at the house, the French had clearly moved to a plan B. Louis had been in the area the whole time, probably guarding the Devil. Of course he would never be too far. And so he must’ve followed Kaz and his men as they took his cousins off. And Louis would be armed and ready to make a move.

  Kaz must’ve come to the same assumptions that I did. He glared at Louis. “How did you know when to enter?”

  Jean-Pierre tapped the diamond crown on his tie. “This is a microphone. My cousin loves to hear my voice, whether I’m with him or not.”

  Kaz frowned. “So, you didn’t think you would kidnap me?”

  “Of course not. We’re in Moscow. I knew I would be unsuccessful, but I prayed that you would be smart enough not to kill me until bringing the mouse my way.” Jean-Pierre held his hands out. “I should leave soon, but I would like to make a new deal.”

  “What?” Kaz growled.

  “Free reign for my men and me in Russia. That’s it.”

  Kaz stormed his way.

  Louis kept the rocket launcher targeted on Kaz.

  “Get that off of him.” I walked over to Louis.

  The other French guys pointed their guns at me.

  Jean-Pierre yelled at them, “Move those guns away from her. Keep the mouse safe.”

  I continued to Louis and stopped in front of him. “Take that off of Kaz right now.”

  Louis clenched his jaw. “Are you afraid my finger may slip?”

  “I’m afraid I might cut your dick off and feed it to you.”

  Louis smirked. “I’ve missed your lovely psychotic demeanor. We should do lunch sometime.”

  “Fuck you.” I screwed my eyes at him.

  “Don’t worry, mysh. These perfumed pansies won’t hit me with the rocket just yet.” Kaz stopped a foot in front of Jean-Pierre. “Free reign in Russia? Is this because you want to kill the ones terrorizing my mouse?”

  Jean-Pierre nodded. “She’s my friend. They put dead animals on her bed. They threatened her with racist taunts. I would like to handle this personally.”

  “And you think that when you kill her enemies, my heart will warm to you and you’ll finally get that kiss that you’ve been dreaming of?”

  “Oh, Kazimir.” Jean-Pierre stepped closer. “I want more than a kiss.”

  “I bet you do.”

  “I want peace.”

  “Then give me the names!”