Chapter 4
Chapter Four
S omething wasn’t right. I knew it the second ‘Mary’ spoke in Spanish, thinking I couldn’t understand her words.
I didn’t believe for a fucking second her name was actually Mary. It was obviously fake. She was determined to keep me from finding out who she really was, even at the expense of me hurting people she so clearly knew.
Oh, she’d tried to hide it. Tried to conceal the recognition that flashed across her face for the briefest moment. But it was too late. I saw it, and it confirmed what I already suspected.
She was tied to the Zetas.
I had no idea how, no idea who she was to them, but I would sure as shit find out.
My gun tucked under her chin, I forced her head back, staring down at her. Anger burned in her eyes, her jaw locked tight.
She was such a pretty little thing. Defiant. Full of fire and attitude. All things that turned me on and made my cock throb. My eyes darted to her lips. What I wouldn’t give to see them wrapped around my cock, preferably with that same angry glare still burning on her face.
The guy I held off to the side by the back of the neck thrashed. I tightened my hold, making him hiss in pain.
“Why don’t we try this again. And if either of you lie to me, I’m going to kill you instead,” I said huskily, tapping my gun on her cheek.
I didn’t necessarily want to kill her. I wanted to feel that curvy body writhing beneath me, her screaming my name in that sexy Spanish accent of hers at least once before I killed her.
But if need be, I would.
“Do you two know each other?”
When neither of them answered, I started counting down. “One. Two. Thre—”
“Wait!” the guy croaked out.
“?Mantén tu maldita boca cerrada!” Keep your damn mouth shut! she hissed angrily.
“But—”
“Me escuchas. No. Otro. Palabra,” You heard me. Not. Another. Word , she growled, her eyes never wavering from mine.
Even if I didn’t understand Spanish, the fact that they were having a conversation answered my question for me. It also revealed she was high up in the ranks of the cartel, since he obeyed her command, not saying another word.
She glared at me like she wanted nothing more than to claw my fucking eyes out.
Her hand locked around my wrist, her fingers still coated with Darryl’s blood.
At first I thought she was pulling some stupid move, trying to steal my gun, but then she jammed it harder into her skin, no doubt leaving bruises with the amount of force she used.
“If you’re gonna kill me, kill me. I’m not afraid to die. So if you’re gonna do it, hurry up. Otherwise, get the fuck out of my face.”
For the briefest moment, all I could do was stare at her in shock. I could tell by the look in her eyes she was entirely serious. She wasn’t scared to die. There wasn’t an ounce of fear on her face. Just total calmness, complete ease, like this was just another day at the office.
I’d never met a woman like her. She was fearless. Even in the face of death.
Bratva women were tough as shit. If they decided they wanted to be in the life, they were put through the same rigorous training as the men. Taught to be just as ruthless. Just as cunning. To be willing to die for the family, like any of us would.
And yet, none of the Bratva women I’d met had ever shown such a complete and total lack of fear.
Except maybe my sister. But she was batshit crazy.
The sound of my phone ringing cut through my thoughts.
It made me realise I’d been staring at her.
And she had been staring at me. Her face had taken on a slight softness.
For what reason, I couldn’t say. If she was looking to bring out that same thing in me, she was wasting her time.
I didn’t do soft. I was incapable of it.
Keeping my gun locked under her chin (because if I was being honest, looking down at her while she glared up at me, my much larger frame towering over hers, did all kinds of things to the filthy beast inside of me), I gripped the neck in my hand more tightly and hurled the man backwards, confident my brothers would secure him before he even got off the ground.
I reached behind me and pulled out my phone from my back pocket. “Da?” Yes? I answered, never taking my eyes off the little firecracker before me. So much sexual tension burned between us, like a solar flare.
Oh, she hated me. It was obvious by the look in her eyes. But she wanted to fuck me too. And that was okay. Hate sex was fucking amazing.
“What are you lot doing standing around out there like a bunch of idiots?” Father’s voice echoed in my ear. “The mission debrief is in thirty minutes. Lock those prisoners down and get your asses inside.”
I hung up. There was no need for a reply. When Father gave an order, he expected it to be followed without question.
I tucked my phone back into my pocket, keeping my gun pointed at Firecracker. Since she refused to give me her real name, Firecracker would have to do. It suited her a hell of a lot better than ‘Mary’ did.
“Erik, take the prisoners to the pit. Put them in the same room and make sure they’re locked down tight,” I commanded, looking at the man to my left.
Erik was one of our high-ranking Captains, responsible for keeping the soldiers in check.
He’d been with the family for over twenty years.
Loyal to the bone, with an impeccable work ethic.
He had a solid build for a man in his late forties, with a full head of dark hair, a big bushy beard to match and dark brown eyes.
“Yes, boss,” Erik nodded, pulling a pair of zip ties from his back pocket. He slapped them on Firecracker’s wrists and signalled to a few of the soldiers standing around to grab the other prisoners.
Firecracker fought, like I knew she would, struggling as Erik dragged her into the warehouse, cursing us all in Spanish along the way.
My brothers appeared at my side, Nik on my right and Lukyan on my left.
“You sure it’s a good idea putting them together?
You know Father prefers them kept separate to make it harder for them to form an escape plan,” Nik said, bending slightly to pat Boris on the head.
He was still wearing his dirty, bloody clothes, Kevlar vest strapped to his chest and his body riddled with guns and knives.
He was only an inch or so shorter than me, but he had a similar build.
I grunted, turning to head back to the house. The dogs followed me, and I released them with a command. “Vol'no.” Free. Their demeanour changed in an instant and they ran off, nipping at each other playfully.
“I want to hear what they say to each other when they think no one is listening,” I said as Nik and Lukyan walked beside me. “Make sure the cameras are turned on in the room.”
“Got it.” Nik pulled out his phone, logging into the surveillance system.
He was really into that techy shit. He had an affinity for it.
He rigged the entire thing so he could remotely access it from his phone whenever he wanted to.
It was also highly secure, riddled with firewalls and shit.
No one could gain access unless he allowed them to.
“Did you notice the interaction between that chick and the other prisoner?” Lukyan asked, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
“You were totally right, Zander. She’s hooked up with the Zetas.
Whoever she is, she ranks highly enough for the grunts to listen to her.
Do you need any help with the interrogation?
I wouldn’t mind getting a little closer to her,” he winked.
I stiffened, the image of my younger brother touching Firecracker soaring through my mind. “No,” I grunted. There was no fucking way I was letting Lukyan anywhere near her. He was a goddamn sex fiend.
Like me, he would never force a woman. But with those good looks and charm, he never had to.
Women literally threw themselves at him.
If he was alone with her, in an enclosed space, with nothing but him and her and those suave pickup lines he loved to throw out all the time, who knows what could happen.
No. There was no way I was going to allow that.
Lukyan frowned, his brows lowered in confusion. “No? Why? You always let me get in on the fun.”
By ‘get in on the fun’, he meant torture them until they cried. Or pissed their pants. Or both.
Though I knew that wasn’t what he had in mind for Firecracker.
“Because I said so.”
“But—”
“I said no, Lukyan,” I snapped, grabbing his shoulder and forcing him to a stop. “You stay away from her, you hear me?”
“Aww, what? Come on, Zander,” he gave me a shit-eating grin. “I bet she’s never had a Bratva man before.”
“Lay one finger on her and I’ll break it off, got it?
I’m dealing with the Zeta prisoners. Not you.
If I need your help, I’ll ask for it. Until then, stay out of the pit.
Now go get your ass ready for the mission debrief.
” My voice dropped to a dangerously threatening tone, so he’d know I wasn’t fucking around.
This was Lukyan though. He never could take a hint. Even when it was staring him right in the face.
“Seriously, what’s the big dea—ow!”
I squeezed his shoulder to the point of pain, making him cry out.
“Okay! Okay! I got it. Jeez.” I let him go and he rubbed his shoulder, glaring at me. He pounded his chest like a gorilla. “Hulk angry,” he grunted, imitating me.
That little shit.
I stepped forward at the same time he stepped back. Lukyan’s childish laughter hit the air as he ran back towards the house.
Turning back to face Nik, I frowned at the look on his face. “What?”
His brown eyes studied me closely. “Nothing,” he eventually said, shaking his head. “Nothing.”
I wasn’t sure I believed that. He clearly had something he wanted to say. The thing about Nik, though, was if he didn’t want to talk about something, he wouldn’t. And I wasn’t in the mood to beat it out of him. At least, not right now.
“Whatever. Clean yourself up and get to Father’s office for the debrief,” I said, heading towards the house.
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