Stepping back, I quickly put a name to his face. “Viktor, what are you doing here? I haven’t seen you since Sal Francisco’s funeral.”
Viktor—I don’t know his last name—is one of those men who could scare me nearly as much as Jacob could. He’s just the kind of man who doesn’t see other people as human beings but as animals to be consumed. With a grumble, he steps closer to me again. “Shut up with that, bitch. You can’t do this, you know.”
“Do what?” I ask, trying to keep my voice strong but knowing it’s coming out in a terrified little squeak.
Viktor’s sneer grows, and he reaches inside his suit coat. I’m worried he’s got a gun in there, but after a moment, he pulls his hand out, a business card in his hand that he tucks into the belt of my dress. “Jacob ran this city with an iron fist. The last thing we’re gonna let happen is some bitch plaything fuck everything up. He didn’t build his organization so you can go play Debbi Do-Right. He’s dead, and as I’m the one he was grooming to take over if something happened to him, that makes me the new boss of this city. Not that punk-ass street rat you’re shacking up with right now. Me.”
The ice in Viktor’s unhinged eyes chills me. I tear my eyes away to look around, realizing that we’re alone on the street and he’s cornered me in an alcove. I’d taken a wrong turn, not sticking to the main streets but turning down a side street.
Looking back at him, I feel my heart begin to tremble again, and my brain starts to darken with the demons that I normally only have to face at night. Still, I remember Ryker and draw strength from his image. “Look, Viktor, I don’t really know anything about Jacob or your work with him. You want to try and take over his organization? You’re welcome to it. I’m just glad I’m free from him and that I’m with Ryker now.”
As soon as I say the name ‘Ryker’, I know I’ve made a mistake. Viktor’s face turns red and a little vein pops out above his eye. His hand is too fast to even detect as he grabs my throat, not full-out choking me but pushing me against the side of the building we’re next to, putting pressure that scares me as he slowly lifts me. My air’s being forced from my lungs, the blood pressure building in my brain as he presses upward until my toes are barely touching the ground.
Viktor’s hissing like a cat, ranting in his scratchy voice so much that I can only catch a few words over the pulse pounding in my ears. Black flowers begin to bloom in my vision as he tries to lift me higher, my hands doing nothing as they pull down on his arms in a panic. “Little fucker . . . who does he think he is . . . get what’s coming . . . won’t even see it . . . mine . . . fucking city is mine.”
In a desperate move, I stop trying to grab his wrist and weakly claw at his face, regretting that I’d cut my fingernails short. Still, something catches Viktor’s attention and he snaps back to me. He lets up, dropping me to hack and cough. I want to go to my knees, but I try to be strong even as I lean against the building for support. He leans in close, growling.
“You tell that little fucker that this town, it’s mine. His collection of street hoodlums can’t handle what I’m gonna bring against him. If I have any problems out of him, maybe I’ll take a play from his book and take his woman.”
He grinds his hips against me, and I recoil in disgust, wiggling to try to get away. I’d love to punch him in the balls, but I’m racked by another cough and my legs feel like they’re going to collapse. Still, I work up the nerve to speak.
“He’s stronger than you. He won’t be frightened by you or by anyone you think you have on your side. He’s the king now, and there’s only one future for you. Either you run, or you’re going to end up in an unmarked grave.”
Viktor chuckles, stepping back and adjusting the buttons on his suit coat. “Let him try. Oh, and Sarah, one more thing.” I look up at him, just like he knew I would, and it happens so fast that I don’t see the backhanded slap coming. I just feel the pain explode in my cheek and across my face as I see stars and the blackness takes me.
Chapter 22
Ryker
“WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?” I thunder, looking around the room. I’m back at the warehouse that we used as a staging area and safe house for the last fight with Jacob Waters’s men. My penthouse isn’t the place for this sort of conversation. “Someone needs to talk. Now.”
I can’t believe this shit. I thought the war was over. Cut the head off the snake and the snake dies. But Jacob’s fucking lackey, Viktor Carmichael, who more or less laid low and tried to not get his ass blown away during the conflict, thinks he’s somehow in charge now.
I turn his business card over in my fingers, thinking. The fucker had the audacity to give Sarah one of his cards? I re-read it for the fiftieth time since Marcus handed it to me. Viktor Carmichael. Corporate Consultant for Hire.
It might as well say I want to be the king. But that’s not how it works in this town. Men, real men, go out and take what they want by standing up and saying it face to face. They grab their destiny by the throat. Speaking of that, I look over at Sarah, who’s shivering as she holds the ice pack over her eye. I know that underneath, she’s got a black eye and a small cut where a ring on his finger cut open her cheek when he backhanded her. It’s not deep and it shouldn’t scar, which is a small favor. She has enough scars as it is. The bloodshot eyes and handprint around her throat will heal too, but it’s not the physical marks I’m worried about.
The scariest part is what could’ve happened if Viktor had gotten more carried away when he was choking her. I could’ve lost her, and it hits me again that I don’t want this for her. She deserves better than to be treated like this, and I thought she would never have to endure something like this again. When I saw her, I was filled with rage unlike anything I’ve ever known . . . even when Pop died. Sarah’s being hurt was like throwing gasoline on an already raging fire.
Marcus, who is nearly as pissed as I am, also looks chagrined. “It’s my fault, Ryker. We should’ve just kept our distance, not flat out let her go alone. When you told me she wanted to take care of the arrangements at the hotel by herself, I thought she was safe. Obviously, that was a mistake.”
I shake my head. Marcus doesn’t need to take the blame for this. “It’s not your fault. If there’s anyone to blame for this, it’s me. We need to move forward, Marcus.”
He nods while giving Sarah an apologetic look. “Full 24/7 guard from here on out for Sarah. That’s no problem. Big issue is, we can’t let this go unanswered, Ryker. You know that.”
My lips curl up in a cold, evil smile as I squat next to Sarah and look into her angry, ashamed but scared eyes. I feel like the world’s biggest asshole for breaking my promise to keep her safe, but I have her back and will do whatever’s necessary to make sure she never doubts her safety again. I answer Marcus, but my eyes never leave Sarah’s.
“Unanswered? Oh, no, this damn sure won’t go unanswered. I’ll burn this city to the ground and put Carmichael’s head on a pike before I let anything happen to Sarah again. He’ll pay the ultimate price for daring to hurt her. Never mind his claim that this town is his like he’s some bloodlined heir who doesn’t have to fucking work for it.”
Marcus looks at me worriedly, squatting down next to me and using a quiet voice that only Sarah and I can hear. “Ryker, I know what you want. I want the same thing. But . . . Sarah, I’m not trying to say you don’t deserve retribution, but you’re both supposed to be getting out of the game. This isn’t the sort of thing that lets you walk away.”
“What are you saying?” I ask, not looking away from Sarah. Her lips quiver, and I know that tonight’s going to be one of the bad ones, full of nightmares if she even can get to sleep. For every hour of missed sleep, for every nightmare he’s given her, I’m going to feel another pint of Viktor’s blood on my hands.
“I’m saying we’ve got to be smart,” Marcus says, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder. “We can’t just go blowing up the city. He’s one man, not even as strong as Jacob was. That line about him bringing fo
rces against us is total bullshit. It’s gotta be. We’ve got this.” He emphasizes the last words and sounds certain, and it helps me to settle. He’s right, of course. We have to be smart and act with our heads, not our hearts. It was one of the first lessons I taught him when I took over the gang. I know better than to act rashly. I just lost my head for a minute.
I inhale, closing my eyes and letting my mind focus before exhaling slowly, opening my eyes to see Sarah looking at me with love and what I swear is pride. Marcus looks at me, checking to see if I’m ready. Seeing what he needs, he eyes Kendra. “Okay, you’re up, Kendra. Tell us what you found out.”
Kendra, who’s been a flurry of activity over the past few hours and looks it, sips her coffee. “You guys know, Viktor’s always been a sick fuck. He started off as Jacob’s enforcer down in the Narrows, mostly in charge of intimidation with a side of beating the shit out of anyone who looked at him sideways. But he quickly worked his way up and into Jacob’s inner circle. He wasn’t Jacob’s right-hand man, more his enforcer when he wanted it to be ugly.”
“Why wasn’t he taken out in the last tussles with Jacob’s men?” Marcus asks. “I know he’d have been on the watch list.”
“He was out of town, talking with the Russians who control Boston,” Kendra says. “Apparently, they happen to like dealing with his particular brand of insanity.”
“I’ll say,” I mutter. “Viktor’s a rabid dog.”
Kendra hums in agreement. “He’s unstable and unpredictable, but his extremeness appeals to the other sick fucks left in Jacob’s hierarchy. There aren’t a lot of them—no way do they have a numbers advantage—but they’re just as unpredictable as he is. Right now, we’ve confirmed three of them. Viktor’s in charge, and he keeps Sam Ryan as his right-hand with Dezzie Alvorado as the outreach man.”
“Dezzie?” Marcus asks, surprised. “He flipped on Jacob early once things got hot.”
“Yep,” I reply with a shake of my head. “He’s always been a worm, doing whatever is needed to kiss ass. There’s a reason his nickname’s Concha down in Little Bayamon.”
Kendra chuckles while Sarah gives me a questioning look. Before I can explain, Kendra leans over and whispers in Sarah’s ear. “It means he’s a pussy.” For the first time since I came into the warehouse, she cracks a smile, even if it’s a pained one.
I turn to Kendra. “I’m going after them. All of them. I want to send a final, unequivocal message that anyone who’s thinking of messing with me or Sarah will understand. Where can I find them?”
“Viktor used to be seen in the Narrows near a deli, but according to our people, he’s not there anymore. Dezzie and Sam are still at their old haunts.”
I nod, thinking. I don’t want this to be the same type of destruction that I unleashed when I went after Jacob Waters. The city doesn’t need that. This needs to be surgical, but at the same time, make a point. Kendra seems to read my mind, because before I can say anything, she speaks up. “If you don’t mind, I’ve got an idea.”
I lift an eyebrow, waving for her to continue. “Go ahead.”
“The way this needs to be handled . . . it needs to send a statement that takes you and Sarah out of consideration forever,” Kendra says. “The key word is statement. You sent a big one with the way Jacob Waters died, but this needs to be different. Going after these fuckers with blazing guns like it’s a fucking action movie won’t do it.”
I nod, impressed. She’s always impressed me, not only as a badass whom I wouldn’t want to cross, but even more than that, she’s scary smart. She’s studied The Art of War so much that she could probably write a pretty creative addendum with ideas that General Tzu never even considered. “I like it. Go on.”
“You need something different. Something that not only takes Sarah off anyone’s radar, but that will strike fear into the hearts of anyone considering stepping up in Jacob’s absence.”
Marcus and I look at each other, liking what we hear. Still, I’m feeling the urge to get things rolling. “Fast forward to the point, Kendra.”
“These fuckers are cocky, think they’re untouchable because Jacob always kept them close. But they’re not, definitely not. And there’s one man who can strike fear in the hearts of everyone in this city. Joe Strauss. Make a statement and have him go in covertly, one silent between the eyes, while they sleep peacefully in their own little beds at home, thinking they’re safe and sound. One night, three hits, and by daybreak, word on the street will be out that anyone who opposes Ryker or thinks about getting a little too close to Sarah isn’t safe anywhere, anytime. Nobody wants Joe after them. He’s the fucking Grim Reaper, coming in like smoke you can’t escape from.”
I’m not surprised an idea like this would come from Kendra. It’s brilliant, efficient, and absolutely on point. “Sounds good, for the most part. But I’d make one change.”
“What’s that?” Marcus asks.
I flex my hand, the knuckles on my right hand cracking like firecrackers in the suddenly still air of the warehouse office. “Viktor is mine. I have to be the one who does it. I’ll send a final message. I might be moving out of the game, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten who and what I am. For the other two, call Joe and set it up. It needs to be soon—hell, even tonight if he can arrange it by then. I want this answered and done with before Sarah’s bruises even change color. And Kendra? Thank you.”
I leave Marcus and Kendra to make the arrangements. I hold my hand out to Sarah, and we leave the warehouse, getting into the waiting car so the guard can drive us home. She’s silent the whole time, probably lost in thought and still recovering from the day’s trauma. “Don’t worry, babe, we’ll be home soon.”
When we get up to the penthouse, Sarah goes directly back to our bedroom, lying down silently. I sit lightly on the edge of the bed, not wanting to disturb her. Other than that half-smile, her face didn’t move the entire time we were in the warehouse. I watch her for a moment, realizing how lucky I am that she’s okay today. It could’ve been so much worse. I’ll never forget the way my stomach dropped when Marcus came rushing in this afternoon like there were demons on his tail, telling me the news. Thankfully, she was found by a cop who works for us, and his first call was to my brother.
Sarah’s my priority. I’ve got to keep her safe, away from all the craziness that running this city entails. I lay down behind her, curling my body around hers, holding her close. “I promise,” I whisper into her hair as I feel her trembles slowly ebb, “I promise I will keep you safe from now on. Whatever it takes.”
“I know,” Sarah whispers, reaching up to hold my hand. “I just worry it’ll never be over. After this guy, who’s to say there won’t be another?”
“There won’t be another after this,” I say, knowing I might be lying even as I say it. Still, I have to keep hoping that I can get out, that Sarah’s fears aren’t true.
As her breathing deepens in the silence and I feel her slip off to sleep, I say a silent prayer thanking whatever god is listening for keeping her safe today.
Chapter 23
Sarah
I look in the mirror, pushing back the uncertainty that’s been haunting me the past three days since Viktor attacked me. There’s still some bruising, but the puffiness is just about gone.
The first night was the worst. Ryker’s sporting a bruise too after a PTSD nightmare had me lash out blindly in my sleep and nail him in the eye with an elbow. If I ever needed reminding that Ryker is different from Jacob, it was his reaction to that. He never even raised his voice. He just brushed it off and did his best to calm me down.
It’s been like that the past three days. He’s doted on me, nursed me, and been the perfect man for me. When Marcus or anyone else comes by, he has them talk in the living room, never excluding me but also giving me privacy if I don’t want to listen in.
Still, I’ve been going stir-crazy in the apartment. Yesterday, I worked up the nerve to go down to the basement with Ryker as he exercised, but finally,
this morning, I’ve had enough.
“So what do you want to do?” Ryker asks me as I come out of the bedroom in a plain scoop-neck tank top and jeans. His eyes flicker down to my cleavage, but in another sign that Ryker’s wonderful, he doesn’t say anything. He’s being supportive but giving me space, waiting for me show that I’m ready before he tries to be intimate.
“I need to get out of here,” I say, surprising him. “I can’t spend the rest of my life holing up in this apartment like some sort of modern-day Howard Hughes. I want to go see the building that the Foundation’s looking at renovating.”
Ryker gives me a relieved smile and nods. “Great. You don’t mind if you’re escorted, though?” he asks, but it’s pretty clear I’m not leaving his sight without security.
I shake my head. “Of course. That’s fine and definitely for the best right now. Think you can ask Kendra? A little bit of girl time, and I think you’ve done more than enough to have earned a little bit of guy time. Go hang out with your brother, have a cheeseburger or something.”
“I think we’ll do more than that, but I’m sure Kendra would be happy to be your bodyguard today,” Ryker replies. He gets on his phone, and about two hours later, the elevator dings as Marcus and Kendra arrive.
“Well, you two look comfy as hell,” Kendra says, spying Ryker and me sprawled out on the couch. “Someday, I need to retire or something, get cuddle time like that.”
“First, you gotta have someone to cuddle with,” Marcus replies, and she gives him a smirk that makes Marcus blush slightly.
“So, how have you been?” Kendra asks me, sitting down. I can see the print of the gun tucked inside her pants pocket, and she glances down, adjusting.
“Ready to get out of here, do something productive,” I reply. “How’s things for you guys?”
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