by KJ Dahlen
Her grandmother’s words just a few minutes ago was what made her realize all of this. “Even if Pavel has to come back to from the dead to do it himself.”
It all hit her at once as she got up from her chair in a hurry and her chair fell backward. “He’s been spying on me, watching me, watching over her all these years. I didn’t know him as he changed his look. He...” Abbey shook her head. “I saw him earlier today. He was the one who slapped me! He’s been there the whole time!” Her fingers raised to touch her lips. “He hit me today because I wouldn’t come after her.” She looked over at Sergi dazed. “Pavel is still alive.”
Sergi stared at her with worry in his eyes. “Are you sure about what you’re saying? I don’t understand?”
She nodded. “I don’t know why but yes— he’s still alive. He dresses like an old fisherman and is known as Talem Rankov. He’s often out to sea but it is him all right. I should have known it was him all along.” She turned and looked at Sergi again. “And Greta knew all along, he was still alive. She knew.”
Sergi looked at the men around him.
“What will your grandfather do to you now?” Felix asked.
Abby trembled while remembering the look in that old man’s eyes this morning at the diner. “He will kill me then come after Sergi. He has to fulfil the Blood Oath. Now more than ever before... he has to do this or he will lose his place in the society he hangs with. They are all men like him, they left Russia under a cloud, but they all gathered in the Bayou Cane area. They all work together, hang around the docks, they drink together and they remember the good old days back in their homeland. They know about the Blood Oath now. Now he has to see it through. When I refused to do it myself, it fell back on his shoulders.”
Sergi sighed and sat back in his chair. He raised his fingers and began rubbing the spot between his eyes. “So Pavel thought he would cheat the Blood Oath by making you honor it, huh? He’s still the coward he’s always been. And Greta knew it the whole time. That makes her just as bad as he is. You were never bound by the oath and they both knew it.”
“But he’ll kill me all the same as he’ll try and kill you,” Abby whispered as tears fell down her cheeks. “He thinks he has to now, because I refused to do my duty.”
“A duty he tried to force on you,” Felix argued.
“M-my grandmother had those men watching me and she threatened to have Anton Vericovok grab me and make me his wife, if I didn’t go through with it.” She shivered in repulsion. “He’s old, abusive and has killed three wives already.” She paused. “Well, his last one killed herself rather than...” Abby swiped her tears away and sat up in her chair. “I would have too, if it had become my fate.”
The men in the room all looked angry as they looked at each other then back at her.
“This doesn’t surprise me,” Yuri spoke up. “I knew of Pavel and what I found wasn’t very flattering to him, though I did not know he was this man who tried to kill Sergi all those years ago. But what I’m wondering now, is what the old fool has been doing this whole time? Knowing what little I do know about him, what the hell has he up to the last four years?”
Roman tightened his fingers into fists and cleared his throat. “Tell me about this old man who split your lip this morning. What exactly did he look like?”
Abby turned to him. “Why?”
“Because there is a band of rogue smugglers working the waters of the Lake and the Gulf. My men have run into them ever once in a while. Their leader is an old bastard of a man who wears a sailors cap with a gold braid for trim.”
Chapter Eight
Abby sat down hard in her chair again. “That’s him,” she spoke softly. She looked over at Sergi. “He wears his hair longer now and its usually three days past washing. He’s let his beard grow out and it’s stained with spitting tobacco. He reeks of fish and other foul things.” She gazed down at her hands in her lap.
“My men have spotted him coming and going,” Roman stated. “He goes out heavy and comes home light. He’s smart enough to know we’re watching him but so far, we haven’t been able to follow him.” He shrugged. “We never had cause to before but I’m thinking we do now. We aren’t the coast guard and we can only imagine what some of the boaters are up to. As long as they don’t make trouble, we leave them alone but now I’m thinking his boats are up to no good. I’m thinking maybe the authorities need to be aware of what’s going on.”
“Tell me something,” Kosta looked at Abby. “Would the men in your neighborhood ban together and come here as a whole? I mean could old Pavel talk them into becoming a mob?” He looked over at Sergi. “When we were there collecting the old woman, there were five or six men sanding on their front porches glaring at us.”
“They all watch out over each other.” Abby nodded. “Like a neighborhood watch if you like. I wouldn’t think they would undertake the Oath for him as it is a family matter but they might run interference for him.” She paused then added, “I need to see my grandmother again. I need to know for sure if that old man is really Pavel. To know if she’s been lying to me for the last four years. My whole life they have been ignoring me as if I had no value to them because I wasn’t a son. But this... this is something totally different. I’ve been keeping up the household bills, taking care of her because I thought everyone else was gone. I’ve been busting my ass for the last four years for what? To keep me in line, I’m thinking. To keep me under her thumb, so she could force me to do this deed, I think. To do what he failed to do all those years ago in Russia.” She hung her head then added, “I’ve been nothing more than a pawn for them my whole life.”
“What are you going to do now, child?” Sergi asked.
“What can I do?” Abby asked softly. “I am at your mercy. She will tell you lies about me coming here to kill you when she knew all along, I couldn’t do it. I asked her this morning what was behind the Oath and she refused to tell me. All she told me was that as a member of the family I needed to fulfil my duty.”
“But you never would have done it,” Sergi said with ease.
Abby shook her head. “No I wouldn’t have. Since I was twelve, I’ve wanted to help people and they knew it. They crushed my dreams when they let my mom suffer like that and they tried to crush my spirit. I had to work hard and keep my dreams a secret but I don’t have to do that anymore.”
“What are you going to do now?” Felix asked.
Abby turned and looked at him. “I’m going to live for me. My grandparents can both go to hell. I’m going to give myself a year to work and save some money, so I can do what I’ve always wanted to do.” Then she shook her head, “Provided Pavel or his friends don’t’ come for me first.”
Felix crossed his arms over his chest and smiled but there was no mirth in his eyes. “You let us take care of him and his friends.”
“You’ll stay here with us until this is over.” Sergi nodded. “Anywhere but under our protection and we can’t guarantee your safety.”
“But you don’t owe me anything,” Abby protested.
Just then, there was a ping on Kosta’s phone. He frowned when he looked at the message. Then his frown turned glacial. He swore as he looked at Yuri and Felix before he turned to Abby. “Was your car parked in the parking garage across the street? On the second level?”
Abby swallowed hard before she nodded. “Yes, it was why?”
“Because there was a small explosion and now a car is on fire,” he announced.
Abby got up and rushed over to the window where she could see the parking garage. Thick black smoke flowed out of the second level and soon, the fire department was rolling up. She watched as the fire department worked to put out the fire and she knew they had blown up her car for a reason.
Her mind went blank as she suddenly realized her grandparents had left her with nothing. Everything she owned was in the trunk of that car. She might never have had a whole lot but at least what she did have, she had bought with her own money, her own sweat and tea
rs.
Now she had nothing. She went over to where her purse was, opened it, and reached inside. Taking out a notebook, she turned to face them and froze.
There were three of the men standing in front of Sergi and all three had weapons pointing at her.
Kosta holstered his weapon and walked toward her, grabbing her purse and taking it back to the table. He emptied the bag but didn’t find anything that could be considered a weapon.
Abby didn’t move the whole time. Instead she just stood there with the book in her hand and tears dripping down her cheeks.
When the other two put their weapons down, Sergi moved forward and looked into her eyes. “I’m sorry child.”
Abby handed him the book and walked over to her things. She hadn’t said a word but simply began putting her things back into her bag. “If that’s all... I think I’ll take my leave now. The book will tell you what I know of the men and women in our neighborhood. What you do with the information is up to you.” She looked over at Sergi. “I hope you can finally end this vendetta. You need to find Pavel and crush them both. Don’t be fooled by Greta’s demure old lady act. She’s as tough as nails and just as guilty as he is.” She hooked her purse over she shoulder and walked to the front door of the suite.
“You aren’t going anywhere.” Felix growled as she reached for the doorknob.
“You can’t stop me.” She whispered.
“Da, we can.”
“Why would you?” she asked him then looked around. “It is obvious I am not to be trusted. I am a Zorah. Correct?”
Sergi gasped. “How did you find that out?”
“One night my father had been drinking after my mom died and he told me.”
“It doesn’t matter what your last name is. You will still be dead,” Felix claimed. “They’re waiting for you out there. They will end your life and I’ll be damned if I let that happen.”
“Why do you care what happens to me?” She wanted to know. “We just met and you have no ties to me at all.”
“Maybe I’m not as willing as you are to give up on your life,” Felix argued. “Maybe I find value in anyone’s life, a value you don’t seem to care about at the moment.”
“Oh, I care.” Abby sighed. “But it doesn’t seem to matter anymore does it? These men are brazen enough to try and hit me out in the open. They will keep coming until one of them finally gets close enough to me to take me out.”
“Don’t you want to live?” he asked her harshly.
“Of course I want to live, you dumb big ape!” She cried out as she balled her hands and beat on his hard, wide chest. “I’m only twenty five years old. I want to live but these bastards aren’t going to let that happen. They feel I’ve betrayed my family when it’s the other way around. My family has betrayed and let me down all my life. To them, I had no value because I don’t have a cock swinging between my legs. Of course, I want to live, but I refuse to look over my shoulder for the rest of my days. I’ve lived that life and I refuse to do it anymore.” She glared at him. “You big dope of a man. Geez...”
Sergi threw back his head and laughed out loud.
Felix glared at the other man and growled at her.
Sergi handed the notebook she’d given him to Kosta then nodded at Felix. “Settle our guest in a room and keep her company while we get a handle on things out here.”
Abby swung her surmised gaze over at Sergi.
“Da, hopefully this will give us a list of their names.” Kosta nodded. “We can hunt these men down and stop an uprising before it even starts.”
“The men in that book are running from something,” Abby added. “I’m not sure what but they’re hiding from something or someone. They all live close to where my grandparents lived all these years. No one new has come there in a very long time. They don’t let just anyone into that neighborhood.”
Kosta opened up the book and began looking at the names listed there. “I can see why.” He growled. “The Bratva has been looking for these men for a very long time.” He handed the book to Sergi.
Sergi studied the list of names then swung his glare up as he swore in Russian. “So this is where they’ve all come. Honor among thieves banded together for a common purpose of protection huh?”
Misha spoke for the first time, “We may have to call Viktor and his men in for this.”
Sergi looked thoughtful. “Da, maybe.”
Felix grasped her arm and asked, “Why did you turn this information over to us? You had to know what we would do with it, didn’t you?”
“I knew.” She nodded. “Greta knew I had it as well. I told her I would turn it over after she threatened me with Anton. I vowed I would if she did something stupid. Well, she’s done nothing but lie to me for my whole life. I don’t owe her or Pavel anything more than I’ve already given them and I owe their friends even less. They have been following me around, they accosted me at work, and now, they blew up my car and destroyed everything I own.”
Felix shook his head. “Material items can be replaced whereas, you cannot. Come along with me while Sergi and my brothers get busy with crushing these men.” He took her arm and escorted her down the hall then opened a door. He nudged her inside then followed shutting the door behind them with a snap.
Abby heard the lock engage and then she stepped away from him to look around her new quarters. The apartment was neat but it was obviously occupied by someone else. “Why did you bring me here? This is someone else’s room and I don’t belong here.”
“You belong exactly where you are,” Felix told her in a no nonsense voice. “This is my room and this is where you’ll be staying.”
“I can’t stay here with you.” She shook her head.
“You don’t have a choice. I was tasked with watching over you and that’s exactly what I’m doing. The best way I know how to do that is by keeping you close to me.”
“But why? I’m not important. You should be out there with them, helping to stop this.”
Felix stared at her. “You don’t seem to think very highly of yourself do you?”
Shrugging, Abby looked away. “I suppose that comes from the way I was raised? I don’t know.”
He studied her. “Look, just try to relax, you have had a hard day already.”
“Relax?” Abby wrapped her arms around herself. “My family are a bunch of whackos. Pushing me to kill some man I never met for a bunch of lies they told themselves? And despite the fact that I refused to be like them, here I am with nothing. Not that I had much to begin with, but I was trying.”
Felix came over and took her into an embrace. “Just breathe in and out. This will all pass.” He smoothed her back with his large hand.
“Will it?” she asked as her face met with his chest.
“It will. You’ll see.”
Chapter Nine
Sergi, Kosta, Yuri and Roman walked into the cell area.
Great was still there sitting by the window. She seemed to be interested in something going on out there.
Watching her, Sergi remembered the car bomb that had gone off. “Your granddaughter is alive and doing well, despite the bomb your friends put in her vehicle.”
“What do you mean my friends?” Greta snarled.
Sergi nodded. “Maybe I should clarify by saying Pavel’s friends.” When she snapped her head in his direction he nodded again. “Da, we know now, that he’s still alive. More importantly, we know who he pretends to be as well.”
“What?” She looked away from him back to the window.
“As well as what he’s been doing all these years,” Sergi told her with a smirk. “How he faked his death to lead a smuggling group. He will not escape justice even after all this time. I will see him hang for his past.”
“I suppose the little bitch told you all this crap.” Greta sneered. “She should be the one to talk. She’s been nothing but a burden since the day she was born. We should have bashed her head in twenty five years ago when we had the chance.”
&n
bsp; Sergi shook his head. “How did she survive growing up in your household, you nasty bitch?”
Greta raised her chin up at him. “She survived because she’s as stubborn as her grandsire. Well, in her case, it might not be considered a blessing but instead a curse.”
“Her only curse is having you and Pavel as family.” Sergi countered in a cold voice. “I did notice you didn’t try to deny that your husband is still alive. But by all that’s holy, you won’t be here for long. You and Pavel have a date with justice that long overdue.”
“Why couldn’t you just do the world a favor and die that night, forty years ago?” Greta snarled. “It would have saved us all this trouble now.”
“Go to hell, old woman.” Sergi gave her his icy blue stare.
“You first.” Greta nodded.
Just before day’s end, they were able to watch the security tapes from the garage. When they saw the man who planted the bomb, Abby was able to identify him by name. She looked up from the tapes and claimed, “Talem Rankov, better known as my grandfather” Her hands shook as she spoke. “I can’t believe he actually did it himself.”
“Then he can share a cell with his wife when we find the bastard,” Kosta swore and he printed off Pavel’s likeness on paper to distribute to his men.
“Watch tonight for any more shenanigans from these men. We still hold Greta and Abby,” Sergi reminded them.
“Come along,” Felix urged her.