by Raven Rivers
“It means little if Karl killed their master in Russia.”
“Agreed. I don’t want any loose ends, though. I’ve got men scouring the city for the son. If we manage to find him before Tony does, let us keep that fact to ourselves. I have no intention of losing more potential witnesses to his bloodlust.”
“I do not believe he is normally like this. Seeing the women in that basement screwed him up,” Alek said.
“Well, we need to unscrew him before someone else does.”
“Let’s head back.”
Turing, Victor called out to his daughter who was playing with the dog. “Come, Vic. Let us see what your new mother is up to.”
Nearing the garage, they bumped into Draj and Timur. Draj handed him a huge bag of food.
“For sharing, my friend,” Draj told him. “It is all breakfast items, as you ordered. Let me guess. You worked all night, slept all day, and are in need of your breakfast?”
“Where’s your keeper?” Alek asked, taking the bag.
“Dimitris is currently on the hunt for Gustov’s son.”
“It is nice to see we are all on the same page.”
Victor sent his little one into the house and stood watching until she entered the back door before speaking. “I will assume we are all for the same meeting?”
Alek drew in a deep breath. The moment was at hand to switch out Timur and Victor. Such power transfers could sometimes go very wrong. Alek thought everyone in that room was going to be surprised where his loyalty was on this one. They stepped into the dimly lit room and Draj pulled the door closed from the outside.
Chapter 25
A Good Punch Up
Sharon
She kept her chin down, her eyes up, and her shoulders squared. Her weight was evenly balanced on the balls of her feet. Clearing her mind of clutter, Sharon could see very clearly that today was her day. Tony was a hot mess. His head was all over the place and there was no better way to snap him out of it than a good punch up by his very own sister.
The moment he lowered his guard, she stepped forward and released a three-punch combo that got his attention. Rotating her hips, she put some power behind the last of the punches.
“What the fuck?”
Taking advantage of his shock she moved around him, looking for another opening. Wasting no time, she went at him again.
Sharon realized that they were different in one fundamental way. He’d spend a lot of time developing a bulging overlay of external muscles like a bodybuilder, thinking it would give him power. It gave him reach and enabled him to move quickly, releasing a powerful punch.
Sharon, however, had concentrated on training her inside muscles, giving her a more streamlined appearance. She worked her abs, lower back, inside hips, and adductors—all the muscles that make a person hit with more torque. Focusing on developing her core kept her grounded and gave her balance, along with the ability to rotate power into her punches.
Today felt like the battle of two vastly mismatched opponents with different fighting philosophies. It was strange to find that headspace seemed to be the deciding factor. Her gut was telling her that today was her day because he kept drifting out of the moment. For all the endless lessons he’d taught her, today it would be her pleasure to pay it forward.
She brought up one leg and kicked him in the side, hard. Tony lowered his gloves and stepped back. “Jesus, what the fuck are you doing today?”
Moving forward, she nailed him hard with an uppercut. “I’m boxing, Tony. I don’t know what in the hell you’re doing, but I’m boxing.”
Lifting his gloves again, he tried to get his head in the game. “I’m not used to seeing you this aggressive. Is this because of Gustov, or that kickboxing piece of shit you’re engaged to?”
Moving in, she brawled with him against the ropes. Stepping into his space, she connected with his torso over and over again before easing back and going at him again.
“Fuck, you’re killing me here, sis.”
“You’re an unreasonably easy mark today.”
“Fuck you.”
Even his typical derogatory catch-all phrase carried no real bite.
Getting him to buck up was going take the little bit more that she normally held back. Stepping forward again, she kicked him in the side again and immediately fell back into her typical boxing stance, going at him again with one combination after another until he was down on the mat. The poor man was shocked. He didn’t quite know what to do as she dropped down on his chest. Leaning forward, she raised her hand and brought it down with terrifying speed. She stopped right above his face, then kissed his forehead with her glove in the exact same way he’d finished every match since they began sparring.
“What the everloving fuck was that? Get the hell off me, bitch.” Throwing her off him, the shaken man staggered to his feet. The moment he turned his back, Sharon stepped forward and kicked him in the back of his left knee just enough to drop him to one knee. Grabbing his face with both gloved hands, she forced him to look up at her. “You forgot to put ‘sexy’ in front of the ‘bitch.’ That’s the part that keeps it from being an insult. Please remember that.”
Sitting back, Tony waited for her to join him on the mat. “What the hell is wrong with me today? I feel like I’m fucking losing it.”
“You tell me. It’s like my favorite sparring partner suddenly turned into a big whining, distracted pussy.”
Letting out a frustrated huff, Tony grumbled, “It’s the bitches we found in that basement.”
“Alek mentioned something about you two rescuing some abused women. Why does that have you so messed up?”
“Some doctor had them locked in cages, breeding them like fucking animals.”
Sharon’s eyes flew open. “Doctor? What doctor?”
Glancing away, he responded miserably, “The one I gave a dirt nap to, along with the dude who was abducting them.”
“Shit, Tony, is that why you’re hanging onto that pregnant lady for dear life?”
“The pregnant lady has a name.”
“I know. It’s Katrina Hicks. She didn’t say anything about being abducted during the day I spent with her.”
“Cut her some slack. Admitting someone snatched you off the street and got you pregnant so they could sell your baby isn’t exactly polite dinner conversation now, is it?”
“You should have said something, Tony. You have three doctors in the family. One of us could have examined her.”
“Stay the fuck away from her. She doesn’t want my nosy family all up in her medical shit. I took her to a private baby doctor.”
“Why in the hell would you take a grown woman to a pediatrician?”
“You aren’t too smart for a doctor. I took her to a fucking OBGYN.”
“That’s not a baby doctor, you moron. It’s someone who specializes in female reproductive health.”
“How do you get by in life, being so concrete? I meant that I took her to a doctor that specializes in seeing her baby is born healthy.”
“I’ll bet she’s really grateful. What are you doing, Tony? You have a girlfriend, remember?”
“Katrina is just some chick I’m letting crash at my place. I’ve never had a female friend before. It’s weird.”
Bumping him in the head with her glove, Sharon laughed. “What am I? Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m your friend and I have lady parts.”
“You’re my sister. That doesn’t count.”
“It sure the hell does.”
Tony’s face was bruised, his lip cut, and his eye swelling closed. He sniffled and seemed more emotional than she’d ever remembered him being. “They were selling babies to people who couldn’t have kids… but that’s not all they were doing.”
“What else?”
“They were harvesting organs for sick kids.”
“No they weren’t. You’re mistaken. Harvesting organs from healthy people is illegal the world over, Tony.”
“Well, some crazy fuckers
over in Harlem never got the memo on that, sis. We pulled the information off their hard drives. At first, my plan was to go balls to the wall and hunt every single one of the fuckers down.”
“Still nursing that hero complex, I see.”
“Then I read their files. All of them were straight up adoptions. All but Katrina’s case. The clients associated with Katrina have a really sick kid that was born with a congenital birth defect and needs a lung. It’s hard to whack people who are just trying to save their child.”
“You don’t save one by killing another, Tony.”
“Funny, I’ve done that several times for you,” he reminded her.
Tears stung in the back of her eyes as she realized he was referring to her kidnappers when she was a teen and this latest idiot, Gustov. “It’s not the same, Tony. Those were grown men who were doing violent things for monetary gain. Katrina’s baby is innocent. You can’t give the child to this couple. You just can’t.”
Jerking back like he’d been slapped, Tony gasped, “What the fuck? Of course we’re not turning over her baby to anyone. What the hell would make you think that I’d do something like that?”
“I wasn’t thinking. And could it be you’re this upset ‘cause you’ve bumped into this gigantic cluster fuck of a horrible situation with this lady and can’t find anyone else to whack?”
“When you say it like that, it doesn’t sound quite as noble as it does in my head.”
“I’ve got this novel idea that I’ve been working on. How about we don’t keep whacking every single person who deserves it? We aren’t fucking gods, Tony. We don’t have the right to keep whacking everyone who pisses us off.”
“That’s all fine and dandy for you since you’ve never whacked anyone.”
A deep voice rang out from across the gym. “I have somehow managed to raise complete idiots. I mean, there’s no other explanation for two grown adults to be sitting in a public place in broad daylight, casually discussing all the people they may or may not have whacked.”
Glancing around, the only other person in the entire gym was the owner, Marty, who was behind the counter doing some deep cleaning and out of earshot. Her step-father was being absurd as he stood by the gym’s entryway, shaking his head disapprovingly.
Tony murmured under his breath, “They fucking deserved it, every single one of them.”
If their old man could be accused of having a super skill it would be eavesdropping. He could hear a bookie taking a bet across a crowded bar, so she wasn’t sure what Tony was thinking with the mumbling.
Walking over, her step-father began unlacing her gloves. “What have I told you about being here?”
Sighing, she responded, “You told me not to.”
“After seeing you give my errant son a good punch up, I’ve changed my mind. You can kick his ass any time you want, princess.”
Rolling her eyes, she had to smile at her step-father. “I’ll be twenty-nine on my next birthday. That’s real close to thirty, you know.”
“You’ll always be my princess.”
“That’s really sweet, but I think you should know this is the first sparring match I’ve ever won against your son.” Grinning, she admitted unrepentantly, “It’s only because he didn’t have his head in the game and I cheated a little with some kicking.”
“I saw that. You did really well. Go hit the shower ‘cause I’m taking you for ice cream.”
Her old man was resurrecting some old childhood dynamic in an effort to stay connected to her as an adult. The thing was, she loved ice cream. Pulling her hand free of the glove he’d unlaced, she came to her feet and worked on the other glove. Tugging her other hand free, she stepped through the ropes and headed for the shower.
Leaving Tony and his father to have a heart-to-heart was a good idea. They might fight like cats and dogs but his father was probably the only one who really understood Tony. This situation with Katrina was really doing his head in, and she didn’t know how to help him.
Chapter 26
Love and Hope
Sharon
Three weeks later, Sharon had resigned her position at the hospital. They still hadn’t found the man they were looking for but there had been no hint of trouble. Today was the day of Alek’s big meeting with the munitions company and she was eagerly awaiting his arrival back home. Karl and his attorney accompanied him, hoping to smooth the way for a fair negotiation.
His SUV pulled into the driveway and the door slammed as he got out. Sharon ran out of her tiny cottage to greet him. Wrapping her in a hug he seemed happy and relaxed.
“You look like a man who got good news today,” Sharon gushed.
“Indeed I did. Come, I will tell you all about it.” Guiding her into the house, they sat cuddled on the sofa.
“First things first. I need a kiss from my favorite lady.”
Sharon could tell he was in a teasing mood so she let him kiss her. Just as images of having him hot and sweaty between her sheets started floating through her mind, he pulled back.
Smiling down at her, he announced, “The bought my invention.”
Flinging her arms around him, she felt herself getting emotional. “That’s great news.”
“That is not my best news.”
“I can’t imagine anything better than that.”
“They offered me a position with their company. A very lucrative job working in their research and development division.”
“Wow, I can’t even say I’m surprised. You’re probably just what they’re looking for. How do you feel about something like that?”
“It is not quite as lucrative as working for Timur, but at least I am in no danger of being shot at on a regular basis… despite being around guns still.”
“Do you think you’ll be happy working there?”
“I get my own small lab and a strange lab assistant with pinchers for fingers.”
“Wait, what?”
“He has… how do you say… a fake hand?”
“He has a prosthetic hand?”
Nodding, Alek shrugged. “Yes, that is the word. It was specially designed to enable him to make fine adjustments. I think he changes it out for a regular one at the end of his work day.”
“Well, I suppose that makes sense.”
“After some back and forth discussion through Karl’s attorney, they grudgingly agreed that my invention might, with some tweaking by their engineers, enable them to begin an entirely new line of handguns.”
Sneaking in another kiss, Sharon could hardly believe he was the same man who was managing security and kickboxing for a living just a month or two ago. All he needed was the right encouragement and connections. “I’m so proud of you.”
“I am quite proud of myself. After paying off my contract, I will have two million dollars left.”
Suddenly feeling anxious, she asked quietly, “What do you plan to do with your windfall?”
“I have some ideas but I wish to hear your good news. I got your text and have been eager to hear. Let this be a day of sharing our successes.”
“I’ve finally found my calling. I’m going to take my nest egg and open a full-service nonprofit clinic for a low-income area. All the money sitting in my offshore account was gifted and bequeathed to me by my step-father’s family. Considering how they made their living, it seemed like blood money. Since it was taken from this community, I thought I’d put it right back in by providing low cost and free healthcare. What do you think?”
“I think that is an outstanding idea. I will assist and support you in any way I can. I will also invest my money wisely in order to provide for us. We are perfectly suited for one another, are we not?”
“For the first time in my life, I feel like I’m headed in the right direction professionally. Having a smoking hot husband is just the icing on the cake.”
He began kissing her neck and whispered, “I knew it. You really do love me.”
She whispered back, “You really have no idea.” Pulling
back, she looked up at him. “No more underground kickboxing, right?”
“I may spar at the gym, but fighting for money is something that no longer fits with my lifestyle. I have no need to earn that way anymore.”
“Have you given any thought to a wedding?”
Taking a deep breath, he responded thoughtfully, “To me, being married is the more exciting part. I will invite my brother and mother, of course. The other details, I leave to you.”
“I always wanted something small and intimate. A wedding with less than thirty people would be ideal. I don’t like having everyone I ever knew there. Just having immediate family and close personal friends would be my preference. I’d be happy with just cake, coffee, and a few darling pictures to remember the moment by.”
“Women are so sentimental.”
“What would our wedding look like if you were choosing?”
“It would be much the same, to be sure.”
Running one hand over the side of his face, she asked playfully, “Does that mean you’re sentimental as well?”
A soft smile slipped onto his face. “When it comes to you, I am most definitely sentimental, possessive, and even a little jealous of the way other men stare at you.”
“Ain’t nobody staring at my curves, so you best just cut that out right now,” she laughed.
“Perhaps you should be more attuned to your environment.”
“Aw, ain’t the two of you cute together.”
Looking up to see Smithy standing in the doorway, Sharon had forgotten all about the bodyguard her father had assigned to her.
“I’m glad Charles decided against whacking you, Mister K. You two are perfect together.”
Sharon bolted up, gaping at the man. “My step-dad was gonna whack him?”
Grinning, the older gangster admitted sheepishly, “That might have been my idea. I’m glad your old man and I didn’t see eye to eye on that.”
Alek threw back his head and laughed. “You will not find me to be the easy and slow-moving target that you are used to, Mister Smithy.”