8. Chapter Eight #2
“You don’t know that. I’ve picked up a thing or two from my time in the Cosa Nostra. I could have gotten him to talk. Maybe.”
I doubted it. Dominik might be a self-centred, backstabbing, arrogant asshole, but he had the Volkov resilience. We could have taken him apart piece by piece and I don’t think he would have said a damn word.
“Speaking of Cosa Nostra,” Aleksandr began, giving Drea a small smile of appreciation before turning to face Illayana. “You should probably head back soon, don’t you think? You’ve been gone for nearly a week.”
Arturo returned to New York a few days ago to handle business. Illayana had chosen to stay behind to help search for Father, but she couldn’t stay forever. Her place was by her husband’s side, helping him in his fight against The Outfit.
“Nope.” Illayana stretched her arms above her head, her bones cracking. “I told Arturo I’m staying until we find Father. It’s okay, though. Tatiana is going to help out until I get back.”
I tensed, my eyes snapping to her in shock. “What did you just say?”
“Tatiana.” She said her name like I didn’t fucking know who she was. “She’s going to New York early before her classes start, to lend a hand with The Outfit.” Illayana frowned. “What? What’s with the face?”
Anger ran red through my brain. Tatiana was going to do what ?
It's not that I didn’t believe in her. She was smart, capable.
She had a unique ability to see things other people might not notice.
Her skills weren’t the issue. The fact that she was putting herself in danger was what made rage run rampant in my veins.
My hands balled into fists, teeth grinding.
Aleksandr glanced at me nervously. “Give us the room.”
Illayana frowned again, this time at Aleksandr. Her eyes darted between the two of us as I began to pace.
I couldn’t stand still. The thought of Tatiana in danger filled me with such fear and restlessness, I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
It was like a huge, heavy weight was sitting on my chest, smothering me.
“Why?” Illayana asked, confusion in her voice.
“I need to talk to Nik alone. Go. Now, Illayana.”
Her lips pursed in agitation but she didn’t ask anymore questions.
Drea gripped Aleksandr’s shirt and yanked him down to her level, planting a kiss on his cheek.
My brother rolled his eyes, acting as if he didn’t enjoy the display of affection, but the small smile on his face said otherwise.
She whispered something in his ear before letting him go.
She nodded to me in farewell and then walked towards Illayana, looping her arm through hers.
“We haven’t really had a chance to talk. Let’s get to know each other. Aleksandr tells me you like to spar when you’re annoyed. Want to go a round?”
Eagerness sparkled in my sister’s eyes. She did love a good brawl, especially when she wasn’t in a good mood.
After Drea lead Illayana out of the room, Aleksandr closed the door and turned to face me.
“Don’t. I don’t want to hear it.”
“Tough,” he snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. “You need to go.”
I stopped pacing, surprised by his words. “What?”
“I know you, Nikolai. There’s no way you’ll be able to focus on anything except Tatiana, now that you know she’s involving herself in dangerous business. You’ll be of no use to me so distracted.”
“I can’t just leave.” Just the idea of it made a ball of guilt lodge itself deep in my stomach. I’d feel like I was abandoning my father if I did that.
“There’s nothing you can do here that you can’t do there. Take all the shit you need with you. See what you can find out about the MC gangs Dominik has under his thumb and send the data back to me. I can have Lukyan do all the groundwork. You keep telling me I need to give him more responsibility.”
“You do. But I—”
“Plus, I need you to vet some new potential clients in New York. So it’s a win-win situation.”
My brows lowered. “That’s Valentino’s territory.”
“Not anymore. He got sloppy and got himself caught by an undercover cop in his ranks. He’s been charged with arms trafficking, murder, racketeering and about a dozen other offences.
He and everyone in his organisation are going away for life.
That frees up his territory, and I want to claim it before anyone else does. ”
“Is that wise? With everything going on with Father and Dominik, we’re stretched pretty thin right now.”
“Grandfather is already sending men to replace the ones we’ve lost, as well as a new round of supplies. As my second, I need you to go and vet these new clients.”
Another round of shock blasted through me. I swear, at that rate, my heart was liable to give out with all of the fucking surprises people kept throwing at me.
Aleksandr blinked. “Don’t tell me you’re surprised? Who else would it be if not you, Nik?”
“I thought maybe Ivan? Or Vladimir?”
He shook his head, mildly amused. “I swear, it baffles me how someone so smart can also be so colossally stupid.”
I narrowed my eyes.
Gripping one side of his desk, he gestured with a flick of his head for me to grab the other as he said, “They’re both capable, sure.
” We lifted the desk together and moved it back to where it belonged.
“But I trust you more than anyone, and there’s no one else I’d rather have as my second.
Once we get Father back, everything will go back to normal.
He will return to being Pakhan , I’ll be second again, and you can go back to the comfort of your tech.
Until then, I need you on the ground floor, setting up for new clients.
You can organise the meets so you can work it around Tatiana’s schedule.
That way, you know she’s okay while you’re out handling business. ”
I huffed air out through my nose in a snort as I picked up one of the chairs.
“I know what you’re doing. You think that sending me to New York under the guise of Bratva business will make me feel better about leaving.
It won’t, but I’m going anyway. You’re right.
I’ll be completely fucking useless to you while I’m worried about Tatiana’s safety. ”
Aleksandr began organising and tidying his desk as I placed the last of his furniture back in place. “There is another option. Tatiana is only getting involved in Cosa Nostra business because Illayana is here. We could just tell Illayana to go back. That way, neither of you have to go.”
I’d already considered that, and it wouldn’t work.
Tatiana planned to move to New York anyway.
She was already set to leave within the week.
Even if Illayana returned, I feared it was already too late.
Tatiana would want to help regardless. She would offer her services even if Illayana was there.
She was going to involve herself no matter what, which meant I needed to be there to watch her back.
Thudding footsteps echoed around us. Aleksandr and I looked at the door just as it swung open, Lukyan panting and breathless.
“You…guys,” he huffed out, holding his side like he had a stitch from running so fast. “Come…quick. Illayana…Drea….they’re…” he shook his head, as if he couldn’t find the words. “Just come!”
The warehouse was in an uproar. Imagine yourself in a crowded stadium. Thirty seconds left on the clock. Tie-score. Everybody was screaming, cheering for their side to win.
That’s exactly what Aleksandr, Lukyan and I walked into.
There was a mob of people surrounding the ring in the centre of the warehouse. All the gym equipment was sitting idle, not a single machine in use. Everyone was far too focused on the spectacle taking place; the fight between Illayana and Drea.
Aleksandr and I shared a look with one another, one that said, “This can’t possibly end well,” before we rushed forward. We pushed our way through the throng of people until we got to the front, catching sight of Illayana throwing a brutal right hook that made Drea’s head snap to the side.
The crowd groaned as a collective, the sound echoing all around us. Aleksandr winced at the blood trailing down Drea’s chin from her now-busted lip.
I dug into my pocket and pulled out a hundred-dollar bill, holding it up. “On Illayana.”
Aleksandr glared before matching my money with his own. “Drea,” he grunted.
Of course he’d bet Drea. She was his wife, after all. It was still crazy to even think about. Aleksandr…married. Fucking crazy.
“You’re both wasting your time,” Lukyan said, pointing to them. “Look at those two. There’s no way either of them are tapping out. The only way this fight ends is by KO.”
He was right. With the way Drea and Illayana were laying into each other, it was very clear they both had zero intention of stopping until they were unable to fight any longer.
They were both spattered with bruises. Illayana’s eye was swollen shut.
Drea was favouring her right leg, trying to keep weight off it, making me think my sister had gotten her into some sort of hold that was now causing her pain.
Their knuckles were stained with blood, droplets of it on the floor beneath their feet.
It was clear that neither of them were pulling their punches.
Drea threw a punch and Illayana caught it, her fingers wrapping around Drea’s wrist and holding tight.
“Shit,” Aleksandr cursed, face filled with unease.
I could understand why. Between the two of them, Illayana held a slight advantage with her long limbs and longer reach. Drea’s skill was her speed, her ability to dart in and out, delivering quick and decisive blows before her opponent even realised what happened.
Now that Illayana had a hold on her, it meant she couldn’t use her speed.
Illayana struck with a high kick to Drea’s head. She blocked, bringing her free arm up and then charged, knocking Illayana down in a running tackle.
Illayana’s grip loosened, giving Drea the opportunity she needed to yank her arm free and start pummelling into her with alternating punches from each hand.