Dirty Obsessions: An Interracial Russian Mafia Romance (The Lion and The Mouse Book 5.5)

by Kenya Wright

  “Midnight black. He didn’t start that way, but eventually, he would break into systems to steal credit card information or even alter the public databases for the right price.” I laughed. “Once I saw him make a peanut butter sandwich and rob a bank at the same time. By the time, he finished the sandwich a million dollars sat in his account.”

  She blinked. “Sweet Circuit?”

  “Sweet.” I chuckled.

  “What type of hacker are you?”

  “I would say I’m a boss hacker in many ways. Similar to a criminal unit.” I tapped on my leg not sure how much I should say. “You know how a person begins at the bottom and finds himself on top? He no longer has to do what he did before. Now he tells others to do it.”

  “And you’re the boss of them?”

  “If they could have a boss, it would be me. However, the combat room is a place of free will.”

  “You said there were more colors.”

  “Yes.” I grinned. “I could spend hours on this. Red Hat hackers hate black hat hackers. Their sole objective is to destroy every black hat in the world. Blue hats are usually amateur guys with some revenge attacks in mind. Green Hats just like to learn how to do it, but never truly do any hacking.”

  “Wow. This is a lot.”

  “Script Kiddies are the kids of the hacking realm—newborns to our world. They’re still learning. Then, there’s Suicide Hackers that do massive detrimental hacking for a big cause and then kill themselves.”

  She widened her eyes. “Like a suicide bomber?”

  “Exactly.”

  Circuit walked over. “And then there’s the type like me. I’m a Hacktivist. I break into systems and infrastructures to gain attention towards social causes.”

  “No, you’re not.” I frowned at him. “You’re a black hatter through and through.”

  “But at times I work on serious causes for humanity.”

  My frown deepened. “What do you want?”

  “I have an address for that special project you asked me to look into.” He handed me the sheet of paper.

  I took my feet off the desk, grabbed the paper, and read the address. “Ava, I’ll be right back. If you need anything, Circuit will get it for you.”

  Her voice held worry. “Okay. Please be safe.”

  “Always.” I kissed her, quickly walked off, and gestured for several of my men to come to me. When they arrived, I spoke, “Gather as many as you can. No guns this time. Only knives. They also must be dressed impeccably. In order to get in, we must look the part.”

  Anatoly stepped forward. “No guns?”

  “None at all.”

  He nodded.

  “Hurry.” I handed him the paper. “Have them meet me at this address in an hour.”

  Passing a worried Ava, I returned to my bedroom. I was glad she didn’t follow me in. I went into my closet and grabbed a special jacket—one that allowed me to carry a few knives and a big machete.

  I put it on and left the bedroom.

  Naveen met me at the door. “You need me?”

  “Keep your eye on the Devil in Paris. I don’t trust him.”

  “Due to the name?”

  “Due to this month.”

  He eyed me. “You’re wearing your special jacket.”

  “I am.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “Club Pleasure.”

  “Weren’t you just there?”

  “Coincidentally, I was. Too bad this time won’t be about fun.” I thought about something. “Do me a favor and have several armed units outside of the club just in case.”

  “Police or military?”

  “It doesn’t matter as long as they’re shooting for me and will remain surrounding the place until I’m out.”

  “Be careful.”

  “And have a cleanup crew come in.”

  “How big?”

  “A massive group. There will be lots of blood.” I headed off, leaving my underground combat room and Ava behind.

  Things were coming close to an end. I would make good on the deal with Hiro but possibly take the upper hand. I didn’t know who he was taking out of the Dragon’s building. I didn’t think it was his mother. The woman on the phone sounded like she was in a higher position. They were rescuing someone else. He’d mentioned women and children.

  This surprised me. The Japanese Mafia was an organized crime unit drenched in ancient traditions. When the Dragon’s father died several years ago it ended a violent reign in Japan. The Dragon ruled with a calm demeanor, although there were times when he roared and many burned to death. Still, the Dragon ended human trafficking when he put on the crown.

  Then what are the captive women and children about? And how are the Xecutioners involved?

  I glanced at the paper again.

  It doesn’t matter yet. I have bigger business to finish.

  Circuit discovered where Leonid Turgenev was located. I’d had men check the Turgenev home. Leonid had left the property days ago and was probably hiding until his hired murderers killed me.

  Unfortunately for him, Leonid had booked an underground room at Pleasure. Circuit included the suite number and the day’s passcode for entrance.

  Time to finish one part of this unnerving puzzle.

  Leaving the underground section, my men and I walked through Bones Bar. Maxwell stood outside talking to the regular group of Gopniks that always loitered outside the bar.

  Only Maxwell could talk to anybody and feel right at home.

  I waved him over.

  Laughing with one of the guys, he high-fived them and walked over to me.

  I shook my head. “Making new friends?”

  “I think. We can barely understand each other. I’ve been using a translation app.” He scanned the men around me. “What’s up?”

  “Feel like killing an oligarch’s spoiled grandson?”

  “Do you see my outfit?” Maxwell did a spin, showing off his burgundy suit and black shirt. “This is a killing an oligarch’s spoiled grandson suit.”

  “It is.” I walked off to the limo. “Come with me. These are the rules. No guns. Only knives. I have some in the limo.”

  “You have machetes too?”

  “Of course.”

  “Duct tape?”

  “We can get some.”

  “Then it’s on.” He put out his joint and followed. “So, those guys back there.”

  “Gopniks.” I arrived at the limo.

  “I don’t know Russian, but theirs sounds different from yours.”

  “Good ear.”

  “Cool. I’m glad I wasn’t imagining things.”

  My men opened the door for me.

  I climbed into the limo. “Could you understand them with the translation app?”

  “Not really. My app kept crashing.” Maxwell came in and sat next to me. “But I swear they wanted to see my gun. They kept pointing at it under my jacket.”

  “Glad you didn’t show it to them. You might have been bled out and laying on the concrete when I showed up.”

  “Naw, man. It doesn’t matter what country, hood, or people I encounter, there are still obvious rules to criminals.”

  I smirked. “What’s that?”

  “Keep your mouth closed, eyes open, and your hand close to your gun.”

  “Good rules to live by.”

  The limo sped off.

  Chapter 15

  Misha

  Due to grabbing Maxwell’s duct tape, it took us longer to get to the club.

  Finally, we’re here.

  We stopped in front of Club Pleasure. During the day, the two-level building appeared scarier. Sunlight crept along the shattered windows and brought more cracked paint into view. Just like the last time, no car or human was in sight.

  My driver opened the door.

  I left.

  Maxwell followed. “This guy is at my club?”

  “Your club?”

  “This is now my main location for partying.”


  “Then yes. He is at your club.”

  “But why? Were they following us?”

  “I doubt it. Club Pleasure is where the most high-end socialites of St Petersburg spend their time. Plus, this is the only club that provides underground suites for rental.”

  “An underground hotel as well as a secret nightclub.” Maxwell bobbed his head. “I would choose this place too.”

  “Most of Leonid’s kind think that I would be barred from a place like this. They see me as low gutter trash.”

  “In the end, money is money. All places take it.”

  “And their money is just as dirty as mine.”

  My other limos stopped behind us. One by one each driver let out my men. They kept their weapons hidden, but it was obvious that all were holding enough firepower to put several holes into Pleasure. They stopped in front of me and stared. All wore serious expressions.

  I stood in front of the men and scanned their faces. “This job is different. I’m sure you know that from the instruction to only bring knives. If you have a gun leave it. If you’re not worthy without a gun, then stay out here.”

  I placed my hands in my pocket. “If Leonid’s guards attempt to stop us, take them out. Keep the blood loss down if possible. Extra bonus to the man that snaps the most necks. Anatoly will be counting.”

  Nodding, Anatoly stepped up to my side.

  “That’s it.” I headed away.

  Maxwell kept my pace. “Why no guns?”

  “Club management will stay out of the fight as long as there is no gunfire. We just have to kill all of Leonid’s people guarding him. Once we get in front of Leonid, I don’t care if management gets involved or not. I want Leonid dead.”

  Maxwell placed a finger in the hole of the duct tape and twisted it around. “I’m on it.”

  We rounded the corner.

  Even in the daylight, the electric blue cross glowed in the alley’s darkness. The camera above the cross zipped our way and focused on us.

  The next second, the door opened.

  A short man stepped out. “Welcome, Mr. Stronz. Do you have the passcode for this afternoon?”

  Nodding, I shifted to Russian. “The wolves are fed and the sheep are whole.”

  “These are your guests?” The man took in all the scarred and tattooed brothers.

  “Yes.”

  He opened the door and stepped aside. “Enjoy, Mr. Stronz.”

  Three men walked in front of me, and then I entered the black metal hallway. Blue light lined the ceiling.

  Maxwell asked on my side. “The code changes every day?”

  “Every five hours.”

  “What was it?”

  We stopped at the wall at the end of the hallway.

  “The wolves are fed and the sheep are whole.” I knocked on the wall.

  “I’ve heard of a wolf in sheep clothing, but not this. What does it mean?”

  “Whatever situation follows the decision is beneficial for all parties, especially ones that usually have opposite interests.”

  Maxwell smiled. “The wolves are fed and the sheep are whole.”

  The wall backed up five feet, revealing the glass floor. A beep sounded. The glass floor slid to the side and showed stairs. Loud music rose from the space.

  “What was the code last time we came here?”

  “Why?” I smirked. “Are you thinking about writing a book of quotes?”

  “I’m thinking about having a dope ass place like this.”

  My men headed down the stairs.

  Maxwell and I lowered into the club

  Two men in black suits waited for us at the end, wearing white gloves.

  “Come on, man. What was the code?”

  “In a quiet lagoon, devils dwell.” I scanned the place. Not many people dined in the underground palace this afternoon. I spotted a couple kissing by the bar. On the other side, three young women chatted with cocktails.

  Maxwell nodded. “I get it.”

  I looked at him. “Get what?”

  “A quiet situation could reveal a dangerous interior.”

  “Same as quiet people.”

  “Those are always the best killers.”

  The men in black bowed as we walked past them.

  One spoke to me. “Mr. Stronz, will your guests and you be eating this afternoon?”

  “No. This afternoon, we’re interested in swimming and carnal pleasure.”

  “Enjoy sir.” The man bowed again and left. “I’ll have them prepare several suites.”

  Maxwell eyed me. “Carnal pleasure?”

  “Pussy.”

  Maxwell gave out a long sigh. “I love this place. We can’t damage it. Promise me that, Misha.”

  “Noted. I’ll do my best.”

  We passed the glass bar.

  Another man in black got in front and guided us forward. “Mr. Stronz, I’ll take you through the Green Room.”

  We made a left, rounded a black corner, and stopped at an unmarked green wall.

  Smiling, he held his gloved hand out. “Would you like me to take you all the way down, Mr. Stronz?”

  “We’ll find our way.”

  He stepped aside and bowed.

  The wall slipped open, revealing the Green Room. Inside, slow jazz played. The scent of fresh mint hit my nostrils. A large sea green space greeted our eyes, looking more like an underwater adventure than a place to eat. Jade walls surrounded the empty room. Two olive chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Emeralds dangled from them.

  We entered.

  White snakeskin covered the long table. It must have been several snake hides stitched together. Tons of lime green chairs circled it. Jade dinnerware and dishes covered the white snakeskin.

  The floor looked like a jungle’s bottom—lush grassy green.

  Maxwell widened his eyes. “Do they have a red and purple room too?”

  “Probably. I was in the black room.”

  “All black?”

  “Except for the red lizard skin on the table. That one was too dark for me. It made me think of a vampire’s lair. Kazimir loved it.”

  “Makes sense.” Maxwell beamed as if he owned the place himself. “Man, this is my new spot. Anytime anyone is looking for me, tell them I’m at Club Pleasure.”

  I walked us to the wall. “That’s if we’re allowed back in here again.”

  Maxwell groaned. “Maybe we can kill dude outside of the club. Could we lure him out?”

  “I doubt he would leave with us in a nice quiet manner.” My men went to the jade wall on the other end of the table. I pressed my hand against the wall. Pink light glowed under it.

  The wall slid open.

  Maxwell smirked. “Gangsta.”

  “You do know that I’m taking you to kill people and not to Disneyland?”

  “Shit! I couldn’t tell. I was just hoping you would get me some cotton candy before we jumped on the rides.”

  We entered a small hallway bathed in crimson light.

  The jade wall closed behind us.

  Adrenaline pumped through my body.

  I kill Leonid and all of this will be finished. No contracts to outbid. No fashionably dressed assassins to murder.

  My men in the front moved out of the way as I went to the end and placed my hand on the wall. White light glowed under it. “You see why we don’t want to break the shooting rule?”

  Maxwell gazed at the light. “It would be a bitch to get out of here. They could lock us in with no problem.”

  “Which is another reason why this isn’t a bad place to hide.”

  “How do you know they’ll be fine with us killing a patron with a knife?”

  “Kazimir has done it a few times. Valentina too. As long as we don’t shoot and clean up our mess, we’re fine.”

  “Basically, don’t let the other customers know what’s going on.”

  The red wall slipped open. Stairs went down into darkness.

  My men began to step forward.

  I raised my ha
nd to stop them.

  Then, the stairs glowed white.

  “Go ahead.”

  They marched in front of me.

  I followed.

  Still twirling the duct tape, Maxwell remained on my side. “I prefer a knife anyway.”

  “Me too. It’s more intimate.”

  “And manlier.”

  “Did you bring one?”

  He opened one side of his jacket. “Misha, I never leave home without one.”

  “This is another reason why we’re homeys.” I stayed on his side. Intrigued by my new friend, I asked, “What is your preferred method when killing with a knife?”

  “Sever the spinal cord where it exits the skull.”

  “You like immediate loss of body functions. Stop the breathing and heartbeat fast.”

  “The brain quits after that.”

  “You are a nice man at heart.”

  Maxwell gave me an odd look. “That’s nice to you?”

  “It’s a perfect technique, but painless for the victim. The brain won't get any sensory input from below the neck.”

  Maxwell shrugged. “I don’t like to torture a motherfucker unless he’s personally done shit to Em or me.”

  “And now me?”

  He smirked. “And now you.”

  At the bottom of the stairs, we continued down the hall.

  Maxwell twisted that duct tape at his side. “I can’t wait to see what Club Pleasure has for us.”

  “You’ll definitely appreciate it.”

  A small group of musicians played on the side—violins, bass, and flute. A black and white kung fu movie was projected on the wall next to them. The opening displayed the glowing pink pool. This time there were no couples. Tons of naked men swam in the pool after hordes of nude women. I noted the X’d out stars on the men’s collarbones.

  “Yo.” Maxwell hissed. “Those men are from the S group.”

  I signaled to the people behind me.

  Fast, around twenty of my men dived in the pool and began carving Solntsevskaya Bratva. Pink water darkened to red and splashed everywhere. Women screamed. Many racing away. Blood sprinkled their bouncing bare breasts. The musicians ended their song and ran off.

  Two of Club Pleasure’s men in black walked toward us. Gloves covered their hands. Grim expressions decorated their faces. It was clear they didn’t like what my people were doing, but did not want to talk to me about it.

  My people stepped aside to let me meet them.