Chapter 17
Drago
It was late, and I was in a shitty mood. I was sitting in a car with Max watching the warehouse we were planning to raid in the next hour. Callahan could be an asshole, but I suspected he wasn’t aware Orlov and Yuri were involved in this operation—there was no love lost between Garrett Callahan and Yuri Ivanov. In fact, I was sure Callahan would shoot him on sight.
No, Callahan probably thought this was a pissing contest between the Bratva and the Italian Mob over territory. He wouldn’t expect us to hit him hard to get such a small shipment back, but we were going to hit him hard. Very hard. We needed answers, and we were going to get them. And our guns.
I texted Nikolai, telling him to set everyone up in a guest room, except Katya. She stayed in my room. I hadn’t left my bedroom knowing I’d have Katya staying with me, but it didn’t matter. My bedroom, like the rest of my apartment, was in order, pristine. I hated clutter and disorganization and didn’t tolerate it anywhere. I had always been a minimalist. When I was young, I didn’t have anything, but as I got older, I didn’t like having more things than could fit in a bag if I had to leave in a hurry. Those instincts were only accentuated in the military. Order, organization, control of your possessions—that was how I functioned in all aspects of my life, even my personal relationships. Until now.
I was still frustrated at how I’d left things with Katya. I was frustrated that she was being irrational. However, my real frustration was with myself and the fact I caused her pain. The reason for her sadness and anger was related to me, and to the things I had done to her. I had only just decided to fully claim her, to make her mine permanently, and already I was out of my depth in dealing with her.
I shook my head. Though she may be an aggravating element of chaos in a life full of rules and structure, it didn’t matter. I finally had her, so she wasn’t going anywhere.
“When are we going in?” Maxim asked, pulling me back to the matter at hand, and reminding me of how much Katya disrupted my focus. I needed to concentrate on this job.
I looked at my watch. “About forty-five minutes. They’ve been watching the guard rotation for a couple of days. We’re about four hours into this guard shift, and it’s the middle of the night. No matter how long you work nights, you get tired.”
Maxim nodded his head. “I just heard from Vas, he says the explosives are all set, he’s just waiting for our go-ahead.”
“Good, with the diversion and the number of men we have, this should be cut and dry.”
“Yeah, finally, an easy job,” Maxim joked.
I grunted. “Just stay alert and tell the guys to be ready. I don’t want us to get sloppy because we’re overconfident.”
“Got it, boss.”
Maxim got on the phone with the different teams of men we had positioned along the perimeter of the warehouse and told them when we’d be striking. He also contacted Vas to get him ready to hit the trigger on the explosives.
“Everyone’s set.”
“Good, let’s go.”
Holding our guns at our sides, Maxim and I met up with a small group of my men. Scanning through the dark, I could see factions of men moving in on the warehouse in one coordinated strike movement. Military training was an advantage when planning raids such as this, as it cultivated precision and strategic thinking.
We arrived at the edge of the fence that surrounded the property, took bolt cutters that had been put there earlier and cut a three-foot hole in the fencing. We continued onward and were closing in on the warehouse itself when Vas’s explosives started to detonate, drawing the majority of the guards, if not all, outside to see what the hell was going on.
My men shot the back entrance of the warehouse, opening the double doors and allowing us to pour into the open space as we drew our weapons on the small battalion of Callahan’s men that were being corralled back into the warehouse by my people. I had smaller bands of my guys doing a sweep of the grounds and the building to make sure there weren’t any stragglers.
“Drop your weapons. We’re going to be coming around and making sure you don’t try anything fucking stupid,” I barked at them.
They raised their arms, looking frustrated and surprised at the size of the opposition. Maxim and four other guys were doing extensive searches, removing guns, knives, and other assorted weaponry while the rest of us kept our guns trained on them to make sure nobody got brave.
I looked at Maxim. “Get the shipment ready to be transported out of here.”
He gave me a look of confirmation and turned to gather another crew of men to deal with the guns.
“You,” I said, pointing to the guy who was the last to put up his hands when we got the jump on them. Based on the intel I’d received from the soldiers who’d staked this place out the last couple of days, he was in charge. According to our information, his name was Ian.
I grabbed him and dragged him to a chair away from the others, followed by one of my men. People tended to give up information faster when they didn’t have an audience. Pride was a fucking hassle when it came to breaking someone down.
I quickly tied each hand and ankle to the chair. I slowly stood up, then pulled out a cigarette, lit it and took a deep drag, giving him a moment to let his predicament sink in. After a moment, I pulled out pliers and a wicked-looking knife, placing them on the ground between us. He knew what it meant.
“Why did you steal the guns from us? What was the plan?”
Ian shrugged his shoulders. “How the fuck should I know? I just do what the fuck I’m told.”
I smiled, but it wasn’t a friendly smile, and punched him across the face. I didn’t have time for stonewalling. “Ian, you think I’d come in here and not know what I’m doing? Not have some information?”
Ian started to look concerned but said nothing.
“So?” I prompted but didn’t wait long for an answer. I knew he wouldn’t provide one. Not yet.
I reached behind Ian and untied his left hand. He darted a quick look to the man I had holding a gun on him and knew he was thinking of trying something. That would be a fatal mistake on his part. I took the pinky finger of Ian’s left hand and jerked it quickly to the right, the sickening crack echoing in the room. You always had to start with pain. Pain was a promise and a powerful motivator.
Ian screamed in agony. “You fucking asshole!”
“Does that refresh your memory, or do you need another reminder?” I took a deep drag off my cigarette, as Ian stared the glowing, red tip through watery pain-filled eyes, panting in anguish. He pulled his injured hand closed to his chest as if trying to keep it out of harm’s way.
I wasn’t feeling as patient as I normally did when trying to extract information. I just wanted to get this done. I crushed the cigarette under my boot then crossed both arms over my chest. “Look, Ian, I could break your fingers, burn you, remove your teeth, cut off your toes, and you’ll eventually tell me everything I want to know.” I shrugged. “Or I could go to Sabrina and do all that to her. Would that jog your memory?”
The moment I said her name, a look of true fear crossed his face, followed by a ferocious scowl. “Don’t fucking touch her, you Russian fuck,” he screamed, cradling his injured hand to his chest.
I shook my head. “So, I’ll ask you once again. Why did you steal from me? And let me tell you, I have two men outside in a car, ready to drive to Sabrina’s apartment. She lives in Logan Square, right?”
“Fuck you!” he spat at me but didn’t look nearly as confident anymore.
I pulled out my phone. “Hey, Vas, you can go ahead and get her. Yes, bring her here, we’ll let him watch.”
“No! Fuck! No, stop. I’ll tell you. Just—just stop your fucking man.”
I called Vas again. “Forget it. He’s talking.” I put my phone away. “Talk.”
“Callahan got a call from the Alfonsi’s. They said they had a deal with you, and you double-crossed them, that the guns and the territory were supposed to be th
eirs. I know Yuri’s gone, but Callahan has no love for the Bratva.” This was not news. “So, he was happy to take the guns and hold them here until Alfonsi Jr. told us to move them.”
“What does Yuri Ivanov have to do with all of this?”
Ian’s head jerked back. “Ivanov? What? No, no way. Callahan hates that motherfucker. There is no way he’s doing work for Ivanov. Isn’t Ivanov dead, anyway?”
I looked at him pensively—what he was saying actually made sense. Callahan did hate Yuri. “What do you know about what Alfonsi is up to?”
Ian paused, looking conflicted.
“You know, I can still crack your kneecap while we wait for Vas to show up with your girl.”
“Fine, fuck. Alfonsi said you double-crossed them, but Callahan doubted that story. He knows you guys don’t work together, but Callahan has an ax to grind with you guys, mostly because of Yuri, but he’s got other shit, too.” Ian panted briefly, as the pain in his broken finger undoubtedly sent waves of agony through his body. “He knew he shouldn’t have taken this job. We don’t normally jack other people’s shit. It’s how you get killed quick in this city.”
“What else?” I asked.
Ian shook his head. “That’s all I know. We were trying to wrap this shit up as soon as possible with Alfonsi.”
This all sounded on the level. “Tell your boss I’ll be contacting him soon.”
Ian let out a harsh laugh. “I guarantee he’ll be eager to chat with you.”
I nodded my head and walked towards Maxim.
“Where are you guys at?” I asked, gesturing to weapons being loaded into trucks.
“We’ve found the whole shipment, but the explosives are missing. We’re loading up the rest of it now and plan to move it to our location on the South Side.”
My fist clenched. “Shit, I’ve got to talk to Callahan and find out what Alfonsi is planning with explosives.” I looked thoughtfully at where Ian was still tied up but knew that it was unlikely that Alfonsi shared his plans with Callahan, let alone Callahan’s second-in-command.
“I want to give the men in the truck some time to get the shipment out of here, so hold these guys down for a while longer.” I switched to Russian. “Callahan and his men are going to figure out that they fucked up by pinching the shipment for Alfonsi, so I doubt there will be much retaliation. I don’t think Callahan knows Yuri is at the bottom of this—he thinks this is just a way to stick it to us and is using the Italians. I knew he had a history with Yuri, but why is he hassling us now that Yuri is gone?”
Maxim shook his head. “No idea. I’ll find out if any of our people tangled with Callahan.”
“Do that.”
Again, my gaze was drawn back to Ian sitting on the other side of the warehouse, still tied to the chair, but for the first time, I was hit with a wave of discomfort. I had used his woman against him—most guys in the mob, Bratva, whatever organization, had constant protection on their loved ones. Callahan didn’t usually get involved in such high stakes shit, so his people weren’t taking the same precautions, and it had nearly cost one of them.
It made me realize the depth of my own vulnerability. Katya was my most profound weakness. It was why I kept her so ruthlessly protected, why I would make sure I knew every move she made in order to keep her safe. My rage spiked, and fists clenched at the mere thought of someone threatening to harm her.
What unsettled me most was the realization I would give anything, kill anyone, and do whatever it took to keep her safe.
Chapter 18
Katya
It was late when we all decided to go to bed. Drago’s apartment was surprisingly large, so there were enough bedrooms for all of us if I slept in Drago’s room, which Nikolai told me I was instructed to do.
That made everyone shoot me a knowing look, and clearly settled the question of Drago’s intentions. I blushed but felt tingles of excitement, anticipation, and anxiety about the coming evening. It was strange to be in Drago’s bedroom, his personal space.
His room was enormous, easily three times the size of my bedroom at home. There was a large California king bed on the wall to opposing the door with a fireplace and a small sitting area to the right and a balcony with views of Grant Park and the lakefront one the left. In fact, the whole left wall of the room was windows that thankfully had floor to ceiling shades. His bed, end tables, and dressers were dark brown, but looked black in the dim light, and contrasted with the gray bedspread and chairs.
Nothing in the room gave any hints about Drago, no pictures or trinkets. It was so sterile, it was hard to believe anyone slept here, but a quick investigation of his closet and drawers confirmed that he did. I grabbed a t-shirt to wear to bed and couldn’t help burying my face in the clean-smelling fabric that still held hints of tobacco and cedarwood.
I quickly changed, removing all my clothes, except my panties and pulling on the plain, white t-shirt. The adjoining bathroom, which was also freakishly clean, carried more evidence of his existence than the bedroom. His toothbrush sat in a holder next to the sink, and his bath products were in the shower. I felt a strange shiver at the intimacy of seeing these incredibly mundane items.
Uncertain if we were at a place where I could borrow his toothbrush, I squirted some toothpaste on my finger and did the best I could. I took my hair down, brushed it, and put it back up in a bun in order to sleep and headed back to the bedroom.
I slid inside the cool sheets, barely able to believe where I was. I rolled over to thrust my nose into the pillow to inhale more of his scent.
Then I laid there.
I was so keyed up, I didn’t know how I could possibly fall asleep. I was in Drago’s t-shirt in Drago’s bed, in Drago’s apartment, waiting for Drago to join me. Unreal. I kept waiting for him to show up and tell me that it was all a joke or misunderstanding, and send me on my way, disappointed again. He had been frustrated with me when he left. Maybe he thought I was too much of a hassle. God, had I blown it on the first night?
No, I was being crazy. He’d kissed me and told Nikolai he wanted me in his bed. My mind finally at ease, I drifted off to sleep.
****
I jerked to consciousness, awakened by some noise, and gasped when I saw Drago’s shadowed figure staring at me from a chair next to the bed.
“Jesus, you scared me half to death,” I panted with my hand on my chest, then sat up to get a closer look at him. “What are you doing?”
“Watching you.”
“Why?”
Drago tilted his head to the side as if considering how to answer. “Because it gives me great satisfaction and pleasure to look at you in my bed.”
I gulped and heat roared through my system. “Why does that give you pleasure? I mean, wouldn’t it be more pleasurable to just join me?” I said flirtatiously, hopefully sounding more confident than I felt.
Drago gave a small, almost pained, smile and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “Katya, when you’ve waited for this sight as long as I have, you allow yourself the opportunity to appreciate it. Why gobble delicious food down when it can be savored bite by bite? Seeing you, in my bed, on my sheets, wearing my clothes…” His eyes hotly focused on where my breasts were straining against the white t-shirt I had borrowed.
He hopped up and leaned over me, gripping my jaw and tipping my head back. “You have no idea how many times I imagined you in my bed, kotyonok. Now that I have you here, I plan to take my time,” he said huskily.
Panting in anticipation, my hips moved back and forth in an effort to ease the ache that had flared to life at his words, his presence. I reached behind his neck and pulled him down to me, wanting to feel his lips on mine, but he resisted and shook his head.
“No, we need to talk first.”
I moaned in frustration and impatience. “Why?”
He sat on the bed next to me, still holding the side of my face, his thumb rubbing the side of my jaw. “Have you ever had sex before, Katya?” His voice sounded rough, as if he�
�d swallowed glass. A muscle in his cheek flexed in a way that stretched his scar along his jaw, and his gray eyes were like two lasers as he waited for the answer.
Heat once again flooded my face, wishing I’d had more experience. I wasn’t an idiot. I knew how it was done. I just hadn’t practiced it in real life.
I cleared my throat. “Well, as you know, being associated with the Bratva isn’t a very appealing attribute when trying to find dates. Every guy in high school was afraid if they tried anything they’d get murdered by my father. Since I’ve been in college, the fact that I’m followed everywhere by two large, gun-toting mobsters has continued to limit my pool of potential sex partners,” I replied tartly. I was pretty sure he knew I hadn’t slept with anyone.
He smirked at my sharp response. “Good.”
I laughed lightly and socked him in the arm. “I thought you wanted me to date, have another kind of life,” I reminded him. Although I was teasing him, I was confused at this inconsistency. If he’d wanted me, why had he waited so long?
He ran a hand through his short, dark hair, his forehead creased with distaste. “Want is a strong word. I was allowing you the space to explore the possibility.”
I cocked my eyebrow. “Were you, though? I mean, you might not have been following me around yourself, but your presence was certainly felt. You had me followed by two of your men, living with Anya, who works for you, and I’m best friends with Nikolai, who also undoubtedly reported directly to you.” I leaned up and started poking him in the chest. “By the way, did you have my whole apartment rigged with video cameras?”
I expected him to deny it, but he only shrugged. “Yes, but only the living room and kitchen.”
I leaned back on my hands. “Well, thanks for that,” I said sarcastically. “You know that’s a huge invasion of privacy, right? I mean, I guess I should be happy you do have some sense of boundaries since you didn’t put them in my bedroom.”
Drago did something I had never seen. He gave a shout of laughter, the act transforming his normally stony face into a vision of masculine beauty. His grey eyes twinkled, and his hard mouth softened into an amused grin.
Drago (Dangerous Love Book 3) Page 7