Chapter Sixteen
The Butcher
“Are you going to tell me why we’re not just killing this sick little shit?” I asked, turning to look at Ivan.
I pointed at the television screen that showed Finn Jr., locked up in his cage once again. He’d been allowed to attend his sister’s wedding and between myself and The Beast, I’d been able to keep an eye on him. The only time I didn’t was when I went to see what was taking Niamh so long in the bathroom.
“All in good time.”
“Have you noticed that is what you say a lot?” I asked.
“I also noticed that when you get familiar with a person, you talk a lot.”
I rolled my eyes at him, because I didn’t care what he said. I was not known for talking, apart from those that knew me well. There were few people that did.
Shrugging my shoulders, I shoved my hand into a family-sized bag of cheesy potato chips, which were my favorite snack for watching an asshole on screen. I didn’t even know where he had sent The Beast off to, and I didn’t care to know.
I stared at the screen and thought of ways I could end this bully. Finn Jr. was a piece of shit. I didn’t realize how bad he was when I took him. Ivan’s orders had been to take him alive, but I’d be quite happy to see this little shit dead.
With his father’s reputation, this sick little shit had used it to his advantage over time. He was only a year older than Niamh, and yet the two couldn’t be more chalk and cheese.
Niamh was a nice person. I sensed that.
I had a way of knowing good people from bad, and Niamh was nice. Her half-brother on the other hand, needed to be killed. There was no nice way to put it.
Finn Jr. liked power, and he was evil with it. I had uncovered several girls who worked for his father, as well as at the high school where he went growing up. Whenever Finn liked a girl, they didn’t get a choice. That was taken from them. If they wanted him or not, he was going to have them, and he wasn’t above using force.
To put it bluntly, he’d raped a lot of women and had been doing so since he was eighteen. I think I might have found his first victim. It had been the school nice girl. She’d been sweet and kind, a tutor, helping all of those in need. She caught the eye of Finn, even though she wasn’t interested in boyfriends, and she rejected him. That had been her biggest mistake.
She’d been working late at the library, and on her way to her car, he grabbed her. All night long, Finn Jr. raped her, humiliated her, and slowly broke her. He returned her home, as if it was just a date. His father was at her parents’ house, and told her if she went to the cops, her parents would be dead. He’d hunt them down. She didn’t go to the cops, and instead the family lived in fear.
I got this information from the woman’s sister. Finn didn’t just have his fun once. Now that the family was afraid of him, he used her multiple times until she finally couldn’t take it and killed herself. This smug little shit believed his father was going to get him out of this mess.
He didn’t realize that he was now on my radar, and he wasn’t going to be free very long. I was going to be the one to end him.
****
Niamh
Two Weeks Later
I was bored.
Peter was out doing whatever kind of job he had to do, and I was stuck in here, in his penthouse apartment suite, and yes, it was nice. I’d been stuck here since before the wedding, and now I was stuck here again.
I was sitting on the pristine white sofa, aware that less than five feet away were three guys. I had tried to get to know the men who were on my guard duty, but none of them were willing to talk.
Did they even realize how scary it was to have three men staring at me? This was why I was on the sofa, staring at the blank TV screen. I could see them all, perfectly poised, ready to strike if someone even knocked at the door.
With my hands on my thighs, I took a deep breath and allowed the flow of boredom to wash over me once again. According to Peter, my life was at risk because my father was still alive. I didn’t know why Ivan was keeping him alive, or what reason he had to see me married.
I hated this confusion.
I hated this kind of boredom.
I’d attempted to talk to Peter about the men, but he wouldn’t hear of it. The men were here to stay. It didn’t exactly fill me with confidence that it took three men to watch me.
When the main door opened and all three men aimed their gun at the door, stepping closer to me, I was a little startled. I didn’t need to be, as seconds later, Ivan Volkov appeared.
“Are you going to shoot me?” he asked.
I’d moved onto my knees and I now looked toward the scene unfolding. The men put away their guns.
“I’m here now, I can take care of Niamh. You can all wait outside,” Ivan said.
I expected them to argue. There were multiple times I’d tried to order them to leave, and none of them would listen to me. Don’t get me wrong, I knew they couldn’t listen to me, and that sucked.
They were following orders. Peter’s orders.
Now they were following Ivan’s orders.
One by one, they left the apartment, and I turned my head back toward Ivan’s. “Is there any way you can teach me that?” I asked.
“I can teach you, but it is never going to work.”
“Try me.”
“First, you have to become me, and then everyone has to bow down to you,” he said.
I wrinkled my nose. “I think I’ll pass.”
“You don’t think you could be me for a day?” he asked.
I remembered him in the hospital. It was a vague memory but one I still had. He’d been so broken. Even though the man who stood before me now was a strong, self-assured, confident specimen, he hadn’t always been.
“Why doesn’t anyone know you’ve been married?” I asked.
Ivan looked at me. “Have you told Peter?”
“No. It’s not my news to tell and if you wanted them to know, you would have been the one to tell them.” I glanced down at the brown paper bags in Ivan’s hands and my curiosity got the better of me. “What do you have?”
“Lunch.”
He moved toward the dining room.
I was tempted to ignore him and just stay kneeling on the sofa. Ivan was too much of a temptation.
My guards didn’t talk to me. I didn’t have a lot of conversation and I was still pissed at Peter.
Climbing off the sofa, the temptation to run to the dining room just so I could keep talking to him, was strong. What kind of loser did this make me?
I arrived at the dining table, and Ivan was setting it for not just two people, but three.
“Who else is joining us for lunch?” I asked.
“Peter will be along shortly.”
“How do you know?”
“I have my ways of knowing what irritates husbands. I seem to have that effect on people when they want to keep their wives close.” Ivan did that wink thing again.
I rounded the table so I was on the opposite side, and lowered down into my chair. I didn’t know if I could trust Ivan.
“You enjoy irritating other men?”
“I do,” Ivan said.
Truthfully, I was surprised.
“You’re not going to answer my previous question.”
“No.”
“Do you always get what you want?” I asked.
“No.”
He finished unpacking the lunch, and then sat down in the seat opposite me. Neither of us broke eye contact. “With how the two of us met, you know I don’t get everything I want.”
I pressed my lips together because he was right. He’d lost someone he loved.
“I’m so sorry,” I said.
“Don’t be. There is nothing I can do to change it. All I can do now is look forward to the future. So, you and Peter, when are you trying again?”
He nudged several wrapped packages toward me.
“Are you kidding me?” I asked.
“Not at all. That food is for you, and seeing as you’re not eating, I’m going to make sure you start doing so.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re not my dad.”
“I know. But that doesn’t mean I can’t act like it now. You clearly need someone to take care of you.”
I laughed. “Please, I’ve been taking care of myself my whole life. I don’t need anyone to start now.” I hated how hard I sounded. I reached for the drink and wrapped my fingers around it, feeling the warmth. I took a sniff, and the aroma of coffee was so heavenly. My mouth watered for a taste, and I took a quick drink of the liquid, and it tasted so good.
“It’s good coffee.”
“The bakery is the best in Peter’s territory.”
“Do you have different bakeries you love?” I asked.
“Yes, in each territory, I have found several that I like, and yes, I take each wife to all of them.”
“You’re close with each of your men’s wives?”
Ivan nodded. “Yes, I am well liked. It’s a gift.” He laughed. “It helps to remind them all of what they’ve got. They never take their women for granted.”
I stared at him and knew he did it for a reason. I didn’t for a second believe Ivan took his wife for granted. I had a feeling when it came to Ivan, he had loved his wife with all his heart. I didn’t know who she was, but anyone who enjoyed that kind of devotion would be a lucky woman.
“What about the men who are forced to marry? Do they feel the same way?” I asked.
Ivan smiled. “You think Peter’s been forced into this relationship?”
“You cannot try to pretend he hasn’t been.”
“Do you think I’m so careless when it comes to a man and woman that I don’t know what’s best for them?”
I smiled. “So, now you’re an expert on what is good and bad for people?”
“Yes.”
It felt so good to talk to someone. Even though I was pretty sure Ivan was a terrifying person. Men were afraid of him. I knew Peter respected him.
“You have no doubts, do you?” I asked.
“Eat your sandwich.”
I shook my head and unwrapped the paper bag it had come in. The scents of tomato, garlic, beef, and provolone assailed my senses. “A meatball sub?” I asked.
“Yes, only the best for you.”
I was growing partial to that little wink he gave. Ignoring that spark of happiness building in my chest, I lifted the sub and took a large bite. The flavors ignited on my tongue.
“I am going to kill your father.”
With a mouthful of food, it wasn’t exactly the greatest conversation starter. I coughed a little and then quickly chewed my food and looked toward Ivan. He took a bite out of his own sandwich. I wasn’t sure what he had gotten for himself.
“What?”
“Your father and indeed your mother, both are going to die. I predict Peter is going to be the one to kill your father.”
I had no idea what to say to that. Did I just keep eating and hope he didn’t ask any questions?
“Once your family is taken care of, you should be able to make your choice,” Ivan said.
“My choice?”
“Yes. You’re not aware of it now, but you are a very wealthy woman. You’ve inherited the Byrne fortune. It doesn’t make you the richest woman in the world, but it will give you a good life.”
This made me frown. “What about my marriage?” I held up my wedding ring finger.
“That is your choice. There is going to come a time when the threat to your life is no longer there. I’ll have dealt with the Byrnes, after I get what I want from them. That is the only reason they are still alive.”
“Can’t you take what you want?”
“I like to play the long game. I go for what I want, people end up killed.” Ivan took a bite of his sandwich. “When the time comes, you’re going to have to make a choice. You can either stay married to Peter, or you can leave. I, nor Peter, will stop you.”
“That’s just what every woman wants to hear,” I said.
“I took the choice out of your hands once. I will not do it again.”
“Why do it to me in the first place?” I asked.
“I owed you one.”
“What? How is sending a man to lie and manipulate me, owing me one? I didn’t do anything wrong to you. I don’t even know you. I thought I was helping you.”
“And you did. More than you know, you have helped me, time and time again. It’s why I know Peter is a good match for you. I know he likes to believe he doesn’t know what love is, but we both know that’s bullshit.”
“Really? Because he told me some of what he has been through. I don’t expect any man to be able to love that easily. When he should have been loved as a boy, he was tested.” And here I was defending him. What the fuck was my problem?
“The same could be said for you,” Ivan said.
“I … it doesn’t matter.”
“You didn’t feel love. You’ve never known the loving embrace of anyone other than an old lady a few times in your life. Yet, you have a lot of love to give.”
“Please stop,” I said.
He talked about being able to give a lot of love, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the baby I had lost. It still hurt. The wound cut too deep.
“And that is another reason why your father is going to die.”
“Do you plan to wipe out the Byrne line?” I asked.
“No, because I have no intention of killing you.”
This conversation right now was blowing my mind. I didn’t know how any of the other wives had been able to handle Ivan. I didn’t know whether to laugh at him, or just weep.
“Did you give the other men’s wives this choice?”
“No, they were not in a position like you.”
“It all comes down to money?”
“No, it all comes down to what you desire, Niamh. If you want to be free of this world, I will help you find that way. If you want to stay married to Peter and join the Volkov, then that is open to you as well.”
“Peter doesn’t love me.”
“Yes, he does. He just doesn’t realize it yet.”
And then, the main door opened and closed. It didn’t sound too gentle either as seconds later, Peter entered his penthouse apartment. He didn’t look happy.
“About time you joined us. I got you lunch,” Ivan said.
****
Peter
I’d heard the whispers of Ivan arriving at fellow Brigadiers’ homes without an invite. Enjoying their wives, not in a sexual way, but in a fun and friendly way.
I couldn’t quite read the atmosphere based on Niamh’s facial expression, even though I wanted to know what the fuck was going on. For several seconds, my wife looked at me, and then she went back to eating her sandwich. I’d been made aware of Ivan arriving at my home, by the alarm I had on my door.
Before I’d even married Niamh, I had security placed throughout my penthouse suite. When you had enemies far and wide that wanted you dead every other week, you learned to protect yourself. Even when I wasn’t home, I activated the security and I was able to keep an eye at every single residence I owned. I’d known Ivan hadn’t left my territory. He’d also not come and seen me either.
Several of his spies were always around. I knew he trusted me, and sometimes he played the Bratva game just for his own personal entertainment, but I was not amused. I didn’t know what Ivan had to say to Niamh.
In the past two weeks, we were … existing together. This situation wasn’t ideal. I knew Niamh was hurt by my lies. At the same time, I knew she couldn’t quite be so angry. She knew she had lied just as bad to me. Although, I had known who she was. Our situation was a little fucked up, but it was workable.
I’d decided to give her space, and she’d been sleeping in the spare bedroom. Only, Ivan had made the decision that not only was he going to pay us a visit, he was going to stay the night as he didn’t feel like going to one of those boring hotels.
After lunch, Ivan stayed and watched a movie with Niamh. He told me I could get back to work, but I didn’t want to leave Ivan alone with my wife.
After the first movie finished, and I watched as Ivan made himself comfortable, which pissed me off. I made my escape and went to the bedroom. Pulling up Slavik’s number, I called him. At first, he didn’t answer. It took several rings before he finally picked up.
“What’s up?” Slavik asked.
“How the fuck do you get Ivan out of your home and away from your wife?” I asked.
There was silence on the line and that didn’t exactly bode well for me. I didn’t want silence. I wanted answers.
“Wait it out. Spend time with your wife. Go on dates with her. Show her attention,” Slavik said.
“What?”
“I’m telling you what to do. You don’t like the answer, then enjoy Ivan being a best friend to your wife.”
He hung up and I called Andrei, who also said the same. Next I called Ive, and he pretty much said the same. I’d already been gone too long, and I made my way out of the room to find another movie put on “pause,” and there was laughter coming from the kitchen.
Gritting my teeth, I walked into the kitchen, and there at the stove stood my wife and Ivan, and it was like they were two best friends as they attempted to make popcorn. The kernels were popping and Ivan chose that moment to open the lid for a couple to pop right on out.
Niamh let out a scream, and quickly put her hand on top of his. “Don’t.”
“Having fun?” I asked.
They both turned to look at me.
“Yeah, Dad, we’re having fun making popcorn to watch a movie full of blood and guts. You want to join?” Ivan asked.
“Can you and I have a word?” I asked, not entertained at all.
The smile on Niamh’s face dropped. “Here, I can take this.”
Ivan sighed. “It looks like I’ve got to go and get my ass kicked.”
Niamh chuckled and I walked with Ivan away from the kitchen, going into the dining room. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“I was making popcorn. What was hard to see about that?” Ivan asked.
“No, what are you doing with my wife?”
Ivan stared at me for several seconds. “In case you didn’t know, I was making friends with your wife. I’m helping you out, seeing as I might have also caused you a little trouble?”
“What?”
He rubbed at his temple and came toward me. “Who sent you to Pickle Quest?”
“You know the answer to that.”
“Exactly. Who told you what to do?”
“Damn it, Ivan, what is your point?”
“My point is this. I told you what to do because you may not see it now, but you and Niamh could be good together. That is up to you to do with as you will, but let me warn you of this.” Ivan stopped and I hated fucking waiting. There was no rush with Ivan. “When all of this is over, I’ve told her she has a choice. She can either stay married to you, join the Volkov, or she can leave. Be free of you, and live her life without any consequences.”
“What the ever-loving fuck?” I asked.
“I don’t need the Byrne riches, Peter, or the wealth. I don’t fucking want it. This was never about getting property or money. I’ve got all I need, I’m not fucking greedy. That is what removes people from power. I’m not a fucking idiot and none of this shit has gone to my head.”
“Then if that is not what you want, why go for Niamh? Why go for Byrne?”
“Because I don’t like him. I don’t like what he represents, and I owed Niamh a debt. Making sure she can live her life, free, and away from all this shit is the least I can do.”
And with that, Ivan turned on his heel and left.
He’d given my wife an out. I didn’t know what the fuck I was supposed to do with that.
I heard Niamh’s giggles from the kitchen, but I wasn’t in the mood to keep hearing them.