I know my mouth must have fallen open at my surprise. What the hell could he want to be coming here, and how does he know where I am?
“Do you want me to send him away?” Nik asks with a cocked eyebrow.
“No, it’s okay. I will talk to him.” The last thing I feel like doing is talking to him, but if he came all this way, then there must be a valid reason for it. I also want to know how he knew where to find me.
Nik nods, walks to the wall phone, and talks in Russian. “He will be up in a minute,” he states just as his phone rings.
“Da,” he answers, and then walks into the kitchen. I can hear him talking just as there is a knock. Opening the door, I find Steve and the same man that had knocked before standing there.
“Steve?” I greet as I open the door wider for him to enter. Steve is in his early thirties, with a head of blond hair and dark-brown eyes that have always given me the creeps with the way he looks at me sometimes.
Steve asked me out a few times when I first started to work with him, but after various rejections, he finally gave up. That was when our relationship changed and he became a major asshole to me. He knows I need my job, and that with Luke, I can’t survive without it. Therefore, he has been able to treat me the way that he has because he knows I would never do anything to lose my place.
He walks in as I close the door behind me. I notice him looking around before he turns back to me. “Well, well, look at you,” he sneers as he steps closer to me. “I guess I don’t need to ask what you’ve been doing to be able to live in a place like this.”
“What do you want, Steve?” I ask tiredly. I’m used to his sneering remarks and sarcastic comments.
“I came to see why you actually didn’t come to work today,” he says as he points around. I see Nik walk out of the kitchen, but Steve doesn’t, as his back is to him. “Looks like you’ve been whoring, haven’t you?”
My eyes snap back to his in surprise as I gasp. “What?” I whisper. Steve has always been an ass, but he has never been this rude.
His hand snaps out, and he grabs my arm. “It’s obvious you have been—” Before he can finish his sentence, Nik snaps his hand away from my arm and punches him. Looking over at Nik, I still. I have never seen this murderous look on Nik’s face before. Chills run up my spine as I see the fury in his eyes as he leans down and punches Steve again. I see blood on his face and quickly run towards Nik, holding on to his arm as he prepares to punch Steve again.
“Stop, Nik. Please stop.”
At my plea, he looks back at me and down at my arms that are wrapped around his bicep. “Let go, Raven,” he orders, his voice a deadly growl.
“No,” I snap, and his jaw tenses. “Please, Nik, he will call the police.” I can feel his muscles vibrating with anger below my hands, but I don’t loosen my hold. I know he can disentangle me if he wants, but I know that he would never use force against me. He looks back down at Steve, who is groaning on the floor, and then back at me.
“Let go, Raven,” he says again, and this time, I know that there is no way I can continue holding on to him. If Nik wants to hurt Steve, he will no matter what I do. I slowly let go of his arms and step back. Nik takes a step back from Steve, now looking down at him.
“Get up,” he snaps.
Steve looks up at him with a murderous look on his face, blood running down the side of his mouth. “You broke my tooth, asshole,” Steve mutters as he feels in his mouth. “What’s your problem, anyway?” He slowly gets to his feet.
“Get out and don’t ever come back,” Nik says, without answering Steve’s question, in such a deadly voice that I once again feel chills course down my back.
“Who the fuck do you think you are? Just because you have money doesn’t mean you can order me around,” Steve says angrily. Nik takes a step closer to Steve. His hand shoots up, and he grabs him around the neck, pushing him back until his back hits the wall.
“This is my house, and Raven is my woman. I see you anywhere near my home or my woman again, and I will end you.” My heart is racing at the menace in Nik’s voice. Steve is gasping for breath, his face turning purple and his hands clawing at Nik’s hold on his neck. “Do you understand me?” he asks, and Steve nods.
“Raven, open the door,” Nik says. I hesitate for only a second before I’m rushing to the door and pulling it open. I see that the guy who accompanied Steve is still standing outside against the wall. When I open the door, he steps forward. I hear Nik say something to him in Russian, and then the guy steps forward and takes Steve forcefully by the arm, pushing him out the door.
Nik steps behind me and closes the door. “You will not work for that asshole,” he states.
“How did he know where to find me?” I ask, still curious.
Nik places his thumb under my chin, lifting my face until I’m looking at him. “You didn’t tell him?”
“No.”
He frowns before he kisses my forehead. “He won’t come here again,” Nik promises. “Now I have to go. Are you okay?” I nod before he kisses me again and then leaves.
I can still feel myself shaking because of what just happened. Steve has been a thorn in my side for the last two and a half years. When his father passed away, he took over, and because of my situation, I couldn’t do anything about it. Now that this has happened, there is no way I can go back to my job.
In a sense, I feel relieved, but I also don’t like the idea of being dependent on Nik. I need to have my own income even if just to keep myself busy. For now, I will look after our son, and with time, I will look for something I can do.
This violence that I saw today is a side of Nik I have never seen before. I think this is his mafia side. Nik has always been gentle with me and now with our son. It is still surprising that he was able to keep this side of his life a secret. Looking over at the couch, I’m sure I blush when I think about the way Nik took me.
Nik was always able to make me forget everything and everyone when he touched me, and it looks like he still can. My resolution to stay away from him physically didn’t even cross my mind; the minute he kissed me, I was lost. Groaning in frustration, I rub my temples with the tips of my fingers as I make my way to check on Luke.
Since seeing Nik again, my life has turned upside down. Hopefully it will calm down, because I don’t think I can keep up with all the excitement. Looking into the room, I see Luke in the same position he was in earlier. I wonder if it was a good thing Nik found us and that we are now living with him?
NIK 11
It has been a week since Steve’s visit, and in that week, Raven hasn’t gone out, not only because of the danger but also because of Luke having been sick. Now that he’s better, she wants to go visit Dory so that she can give her the money she says she promised her.
I wanted to have someone deliver it, but she insisted that she wanted to see how Dory was doing. From different comments I have heard from Raven and something that Sylvia said, I realise that I’m going to have to either help Dory into an old age home or get her son to agree to take her in. Otherwise, Raven will never be at peace with the old woman being by herself and sick.
“Hey, Nik,” Jade greets as she opens the door for me. “Alexey would like to talk to you before we go.”
I nod and walk towards Alexey’s office. I can hear voices and am guessing that either Vlad or Dimitry is here. I walk to the door and see Alexey standing by the window, looking out, and Dimitry sitting on one of the chairs.
“Boss,” I call, and Alexey looks over his shoulder.
“Nik, come in and close the door,” Alexey says as he turns towards me. Walking in, I incline my head in greeting to Dimitry and then sit. “Bjorn asked for a meeting. I want you to be there.” I have never questioned Alexey’s decisions, and I’m not going to start now. Therefore, I nod and wait for him to continue.
“We all know he is going to ask for you, so I want you there so that he knows you are important to me.”
“When is the meeting?”
I ask.
“In two hours. I have told Andre and Ivan to take Jade and Raven.” At his words, I tense. I don’t like the idea of my woman and my son going out without me when there is still danger.
Jade and Raven have become friends, and of course, Jade wants to tag along. I don’t like the idea of them going without me, but I know I will offend Andre and Ivan if I ask the women to cancel. Fuck, I’m going to be at this meeting, and my mind is not going to be there. I knew that Raven was my weakness, but she has also become my obsession. I think of her all the time. When I’m close, all I want to do is touch her, and when I see a man near her, I want to tear him apart.
“There will also be another two cars following, each car with four of our men just in case,” Dimitry confirms.
“I want eyes on them at all times,” Alexey says to Dimitri. As our security expert, Dimitri is responsible for everyone’s safety.
“Da,” he replies.
“Let’s continue. Nik, are you ready for this? You know he will bait you when he realizes I will not turn you over,” Alexey says.
“Da,” I confirm. The only thing he can bait me with is my family, and there is no way I’m going to let him get close to them. My hands fist when I think of him. Bjorn is a mean son of a bitch who would kill his mother for a profit. His son took after him. Bjorn is involved in the skin trade. Kidnapping children and women to sell them into the prostitution ring is his forte.
The Bratva Fury have never been involved in the skin trade. That is something I would not be part of. “Where is the meeting?” I ask.
“At the club,” Alexey reveals. The Bratva have various clubs throughout the city that bring in a great amount of money, but our main source of income comes from the smuggling of weapons into Africa.
“Is Vlad going to be there?” Dimitry asks.
“Niet. Vlad is in Cape Town today. We suspect that the kidnapping problems that the Elementals MC are having is linked to Bjorn’s business,” Alexey states. “Draco is trying to infiltrate their operation.” We work closely with the Elementals MC, as they are the ones who smuggle the weapons for us into Africa. Draco, their president, is a mean son of a bitch, but just.
A knock at the door interrupts us. Jade sticks her head in. “We are leaving now. Andrei says that he will be with us and not Nik?” she asks with a raised brow, and looks at me. Alexey walks to the door. Opening it all the way back, he pulls her into his arms.
“Da,” he says as he lightly kisses her lips. Never would any of us ever have thought to see Alexey so vulnerable. He carries his heart on his sleeve every day for his woman. We know that if anything happens to Jade, it will destroy him. “I need Nik with me today.”
“Okay, then. We’ll see you men later,” she says as she pulls away.
“Listen to Andrei, keep safe,” Alexey warns with a frown. Now that I have Raven and Luke, I know how he must feel every time Jade goes out.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine,” she says as she tosses us a smile and then leaves. A few minutes later, the three of us also make our way out of the apartment. When we arrive at the club, Alexey goes into his office while Dimitry and I move around the club to make sure everything is secure.
“Did your woman tell you that her boss has been trying to phone her?” At Dimitry’s question, I stop and look over at him. My anger rises when I think about that son of a bitch still trying to contact Raven.
“Has she spoken to him?”
“Niet, she hasn’t been picking up. I didn’t tell because you have other things on your mind, but your guy is a stalker.” At his words, I tense. “When we opened your woman’s phone, she had a tracker on it. Also, we have caught him on camera driving past the building a few times.”
“Motherfucker, he is dead,” I state. I should have punched him harder when I had him under me.
“We have our eyes on him, don’t worry,” Dimitri promises as he slaps me on the back. “Now just worry about today’s meeting and leave the rest for afterwards.”
“They should have let me kill Bjorn long ago. We wouldn’t be having problems now,” I state, frustrated that we need to meet with someone like Bjorn.
“You know that wasn’t possible. Killing his son is one thing, but killing a boss is something else.”
I know what Dimitri is saying is true, but knowing that I have to look at a man like him and can’t do anything turns my stomach. Dimitry receives a text. I see him look down, and then he places his phone back in his pocket.
“They’re here,” he states. “Shall we go wait in Alexey’s office?”
We make our way to the office. When Bjorn and two of his goons are guided into the office, Alexey is sitting behind his desk with Dimitri and I standing behind him. As Bjorn walks in, his eyes snap to mine, and he stops, a sneer appearing on his face.
I can imagine the hate he holds for me, but he should have stopped his son from raping and torturing one of the Bratva Fury’s women. That was reason enough for a hit to be placed on his head.
“Bjorn,” Alexey greets, purposely staying seated. “What do I owe the pleasure of this meeting to?”
Bjorn moves towards a chair and sits, his two bodyguards standing by the door. “You know why I’m here,” he says angrily as his eyes snap back to mine. “I want him.”
“Why would you want Nik? Do you have a job for him?” Alexey asks with a raised brow.
“Don’t play games, Vasiliev. You know I want him for killing my son,” he says, his nostrils flaring in anger.
“I don’t know any such thing, but I did hear that your son had a mark on his head for what he did to one of our captains’ daughter,” Alexey snaps.
“There was no proof that it was him,” Bjorn argues.
“Well, there is no proof that it was Nik who killed your son.”
“Everyone knows it was him. He is the Bratva Fury’s hitman,” Bjorn states. “Are you going to defend him when you know it was him?”
“I don’t know any such thing, and besides, Nik is a valuable member of my organisation,” Alexey states as he sits forward on his chair, placing his elbows on the desk. “I will take it personally if anything is to happen to him.”
Bjorn snaps out of his chair, a furious look on his face as he glares at me and then at Alexey. “He will pay for what he did, blood for blood,” Bjorn promises as he points at me. “You will not get away with this.” With those words, he turns and starts to walk out of the office.
“Bjorn,” Alexey calls, “don’t start something you will come to regret.” He doesn’t stop or reply but continues to walk out. Dimitri pulls out his phone and texts. I know he is having men follow them to make sure we know where they are based.
“Nik, I want someone with you at all times.” He looks over his shoulder at Dimitri. “Have someone always on him and his family.”
“Da,” Dimitri says.
I know it’s useless to argue that I don’t need anyone covering my back, because Alexey is unmovable when it comes to his men’s safety.
“I wish we could put an end to his sorry ass, but unless he openly provokes me, we can’t do anything,” Alexey snaps as he slaps the table angrily. Just then, Dimitri’s phone rings. A second later, he swears as he listens to what the person on the other side is saying. At his tense look, I know that it can’t be good. My thoughts instantly go to Raven and Luke. I shouldn’t have let them go out today without me.
When he disconnects the call, he looks over at us, an angry look on his face. “There was an explosion at the building.”
Alexey stands, placing his hands on the table. “What happened?” he asks in a low growl.
“They say that one of the cars exploded in the garage, and at the same time, there was an explosion on one of the floors. They will get back to me to let me know which floor and what happened.”
“Raven and Jade?” I ask.
“They were already out of the building when this happened,” Dimitri confirms.
“I want them to come here now,” Alexey
orders. “Once you’re sure that it’s safe, they can go back home. I want all the families checked to make sure that everyone is counted for and unhurt. If we need to book a hotel for our people, we will.”
“I will go with Dimitri and check the building,” I say, preparing to accompany Dimitri.
“Niet, you will stay here until the women arrive. I want you with them at all times until we know what happened,” he says. “If this has anything to do with Bjorn, then this means war with his Bratva. No one can argue that this isn’t an open provocation.” There are five different Bratva families, and even though the Bratva Fury doesn’t connect to any of the others, we all stand by a code. There are rules that can’t be broken, or the other families will join forces to stop the ones who break those rules.
One of the rules is that one family is not allowed to kill off the Pakhan of another family unless publicly provoked. That is the only reason I have stayed my hand and haven’t gone after Bjorn before.
“Dimitri, I want answers and I want answers now,” Alexey snaps, which has Dimitri nodding as he walks out of the office. “Nik, see what you can do about getting the women here as soon as possible.” Without a word, I walk out of the office, pulling out my phone as I walk. Dialling Andre’s number, I wait for him to answer.
“Nik?”
“Where are you?”
“We are getting the women to the car and will be leaving in the next few minutes,” he updates. “They’re not happy that they need to leave so soon.”
“Just get them—” I don’t finish talking when I hear gunfire on the line. “What the fuck is happening?” My heart starts to hammer against my chest. “Andrei!” I say, but the line has gone dead.
“Fuck, fuck,” I roar as I run back down the corridor, but Alexey is already striding towards me. “I heard shots and the call dropped. I can’t get hold of Andrei.” I rush towards the garage to get my car, Alexey right beside me. I dial Raven’s number as I rush to the car, but she doesn’t pick up. “Motherfuckers.” Fury rolls over me when I think of how scared the women and Luke must be.
TURMOIL: Bratva Fury (book 2) Page 8