Chapter 4 #2
But I didn’t go home. I couldn’t…instead I headed for the Lair, slowing the bike as I cruised into the side street and turned, catching sight of the boys sitting in parked hard. One leaned out of the open driver’s door, nodding at me as I passed.
He’d call in, letting them know it was me. Couldn’t be too careful lately. There was some strange shit going down, even here. I slowed the bike, pulling into the derelict compound, past the smashed down brick wall, and parked.
Illegal fights.
Street racing.
Raves.
We had it all.
I parked the bike between a cherry red Lamborghini Huracán and a lime green Nissan GT-R, switching off the Ducati and climbed off.
Iron’s men patrolled the grounds and crowded the doorway.
I stepped up, raising my arms. The pat down was fast, swiping the wand before the big guy ran his hands over me.
“Silas.” Iron called as the thud…thud…thud of his cane echoed before the old guy stepped out from around the ruins. “What do I owe this pleasure?”
I gave a shrug. “Who’s fighting?”
Iron squinted. “A couple of punks from out of town, mostly foreplay really.”
“So not like Carven St. James.”
Iron grew cold suddenly. “No. Not like Carven.”
I gave a nod and stepped past, heading to the right where their homies gathered around. I was here, but I wasn’t here.
“Something you need?” Iron asked.
I shook my head. Yes, that voice whispered. I glanced at him sideways. He waited, not pushing.
“What do you know about the Order?”
“I know enough to stay the fuck away and if you were smart you’d steer clear as well.” Iron turned toward me. “Or you will end up like Carven St.James.”
What was that supposed to mean?
Humm…Humm…Humm.
I froze, staring at the fight master as my cell vibrated in my pocket. Iron slowly glanced down. “You going to answer that?”
I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cell. Dragomir. “Shit.” I pressed answer and turned around. “Alexi.”
“Silas.” The thick Russian accent echoed through the line. “How are you, Son?”
“Good, Sir. I’m good.”
“Excellent. I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch since…since the terrible tragedy. You know how fond I was of your father.”
“I understand.” I kept my voice low. “Is there something I can do for you?”
“Yes.” He sighed. “I was wondering if we could meet. I’d like to discuss with you any potential issues with our current arrangement.”
I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of my legacy. This was what my father and I had been working toward, me taking over the business…and making sure the millions of dollars a day was washed clean. Alexi Dragomir was one of those clients. “Of course. Whatever makes you feel more comfortable.”
“Excellent. Tonight at ten?”
“I’ll see you then.” I finished, but he was already gone, leaving me to listen to the heavy thud of a fist.
Alexi Dragomir, the king of the cocaine trade in the southwest wanted to see what kind of business man he was dealing with…one who’d better get his shit together…that was who.
I pulled into the parking lot behind SudzandCycle Laundromat, taking the midnight BMW M5 instead of the bike and parked.
It was five minutes to ten, because the last thing I needed was to be late, especially for Alexi Dragomir.
I’d spent the day in a haze, locking myself in my room to stare at that email from London St. James.
The longer I looked, the more savage I became and my rage centred around the one person alive to earn my wrath…my unwanted adopted sister, Angelica.
She knew…she fucking knew and said nothing. I shook my head staring at the brightly lit coin-operated business as people came and went carrying in their dirty laundry.
Yeah, well…she was ours, wasn’t she?
Unwanted.
Dirty laundry.
The day mom bought that skinny, timid little bitch home I knew she was trouble. But that’s all Mom ever talked about, having a daughter. Because having four sons wasn’t enough for her.
No, she wanted more.
Now look at her.
The betraying, fucking traitor. I wanted to do more than tear her room apart. I wanted to confront her in front of all my brothers and force the truth from those tight fucking lips.
Then Gabe would see her for who she was…and he’d hate her for it.
Beep.
My cell chimed making me jump.
Unknown: Did you find what you were looking for?
I stared at the message, and that same fear came rushing back. My pulse raced, the thudding ache like a fist in the middle of my chest.
Beep.
Unknown: Maybe, I can help ?
Video incoming….
“What the fuck.” I whispered as headlights flared in the distance, filling the interior of the car.
My hand shook as I pressed the button.
“You will be on your knees. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, Sir.”
A jolt raced through my body at the sound of her voice. I shifted against my seat as the sleek black limousine pulled into the dirty parking lot at the back of the laundromat.
“Open.” The man on the video commanded.
I tried to see her, to catch a glimpse of something.
All I saw was that same fucking room, until the camera shifted, the blur cutting across her.
Her big green eyes looked up at me before they were gone.
My breaths raced, my pulse frantic…sending a shockwave all the way to my cock.
It was her…it was her. My thumb hovered over the rewind, to find those lying eyes once more.
“That’s it.” He groaned. “Jesus, that’s it.”
The sound stopped me.
The slick sucking sounds were faint. Fuck me.
I jerked my panicked gaze up as the driver climbed out of the car and headed around for Alexi’s door.
I needed to be out there. To be the one he saw when he climbed out.
But this video…this fucking video gripped me like a vice.
I licked my lips, sucked in heavy breaths and looked down.
“Deeper.” He groaned, the guttural sound animalistic. “Just like you’ve been trained.”
Trained?
Christ. Outside Alexi climbed out of the car and looked around. I couldn’t fuck this up…everything was riding on this.
“Fuck!” I cast my cell across the seat. It took everything in me not to grab it and slide it into my pocket. But it bounced against the seat, coming to a rest as I shoved open the door and climbed out.
There was a look of disappointment on Alexi’s face as I strode forward.
“Silas.”
“Alexi.” I forced a smile, stepping close to hug him.
“I thought you weren’t coming.” He murmured. “No one makes me wait.”
Liar, he knew I was here. I forced a smile. “Sorry.”
“Another reason why I’m…shall we say, concerned.”
“I have never faltered, not once.” Anger rippled through my voice.
“Not even when you called in the middle of my parents funeral. The moment you sent a message to say your money was late. I called my men, personally taking care of it. Has there been a problem since? Has there been any kind of hint that business isn’t as usual? ”
He shook his head. Thick grey hair caught the shine of the streetlights. “No.”
“Then how can you doubt me?”
Alexi shifted awkwardly, glancing at the open door of the limousine. It was then I saw the shadow shift inside and someone slowly slid across the seat and climbed out.
I clenched my jaw. “You?”
Lincoln straightened, adjusting the open collar of his white shirt. “Nephew.”
“I should’ve known.” Disgust rolled through my voice.
“You misjudge.” Alexi shook his head. “Lincoln is here to ease my fears, to show me you can be trusted.”
I didn’t believe him.
“We’re family.” Lincoln stepped closer, grabbing my arm gently. “I want us to be family.”
That distrust wavered as Alexi urged. “Lincoln told me about your father’s wishes.
That you two should work together, building something more powerful and bigger than your father dreamed.
You know how I feel about family. I want this for you.
Clean the money and work together. You do that and you’ll have my support. ”
The sonofabitch railroaded me…
I stared at Lincoln, even as Alexi nodded, glanced at the both of us, then gave a nod before he climbed back into the limousine.
The rear door closed with a thud. Still, I never looked away, not even when Alexi’s car rolled forward, turning sharply before it headed back out into the parking lot, leaving us behind.
“This is my legacy.”
“It’s your legacy.” Lincoln repeated.
“You don’t own the majority.”
He shook his head.
“Nor do you go behind my fucking back.”
He stilled.
“I don’t like you.” I snarled. “I never have. But it seems as though I’m forced to work with you, to keep what my family has. What little I have left.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
I shook my head and turned away, staring at my car.
“I haven’t been around a lot, I get that. But I’ve always been here, working in whatever capacity your father allowed. But if you or the others are in trouble, Silas…I want you to know you can come to me.”
“Did you know?” The words slipped out before I knew.
“Did I know what?”
I turned around. “Did…you know my mother was having an affair, and whoring out my goddamn sister?”
He froze, his eyes widening. I knew surprise when I saw it. Maybe some part of me deep down suspected he was in on this. But this look said the opposite.
He shook his head instantly. “That’s a lie.”
“No, it isn’t.”
The muscles of his jaw flexed as he strode close and grabbed my arm, hissing.
“Your mother loved Dante. You know that! There’s no way in Hell she’d even look at another man.
I should fucking know. God knows I tried my best to get her to notice me when she first started dating your father.
She was the most beautiful, dynamic woman I’d ever met in my life.
But she never even gave me a second look.
Her eyes were for Dante. She fucking worshiped him and there is no way she’d throw that away. ”
“But she did.” I answered coldly. “And I have the recordings to prove it.”
Lincoln unleashed a low tortured moan and turned away, running his fingers through his hair.
But then he stilled as slow resignation overtook his anger.
But he didn’t believe me completely. Instead, he turned, met my gaze with that pain filled stare and said.
“Show me…show me and we’ll find this bastard and murder him in his sleep. ”