Chapter 4
“Max.” A hand slaps down on the counter I’m crouched behind.
Startled, I drop the box of pens I was trying to stock.
“Joey.” I grumble his name, picking up the pens before getting up to my feet. “Where the hell have you been? It’s been days.”
Keith’s with him this time, and there’s a look of panic in their identical faces. Other than the mole on Joey’s left cheek, near his ear, the two of them are hard to tell apart. At least to anyone who doesn’t know them like I do.
“Yeah, we ran into some trouble.” He rubs the back of his neck.
“What kind of trouble? Are you all right?” I do a quick survey; all hands and feet are accounted for, and I don’t see any other outright evidence of injury. No bruises, even.
It must not have been a lot of trouble.
“So far, yeah.” Joey huffs. “We were just at your apartment; the key doesn’t work.” He shoves the key Keith snagged from my purse three days ago at me.
“I know it doesn’t. I had to get the locks changed when you’d didn’t come back or get back to me. I couldn’t just leave the door unlocked without knowing how long you’d be gone.”
It’s not unheard of these two taking off for a week or more at a time. I normally don’t worry too much, but given the way things went with Lev, I have more concern than usual.
“Okay, well, anyway, we need to get back in there. We left something behind; we need it.”
“That’s what you said three days ago.” I lean back against the counter.
“Or did you not leave anything the first time, but needed to stash something, and that’s why you needed to go to my apartment when I wasn’t there?
Because you knew I wouldn’t let you leave that thing in my place if I knew what you were doing? ”
The shop’s empty at the moment, making this conversation easier to have.
Joey winces. “No. Of course not. When I went to pick up the thing I left the first time, I accidentally left something else the second time.”
My bullshit radar trips.
“I’m not as stupid as you want to think I am.
What did you leave the first time, and why did you leave a loaded gun in my apartment the second time?
” I demand, keeping my voice low even though we’re alone in the store.
I’m almost certain the CCTV Mr. Miller set up won’t pick up voices, but it’s better to be safe.
“Do you still have it? I mean you didn’t do anything stupid, did you?” Keith accuses, his eyes narrowing as he takes a step toward me.
“No. I didn’t do anything stupid.” I fold my arms over my chest. “But, no, it’s not there.”
How the hell am I supposed to tell them a friend of the Russian mafia currently has possession of their illegal firearm.
“What did you do?” Keith crowds me.
I have to lean backward over the counter to keep his face from bumping into mine.
“I didn’t do anything, Keith.” I try to push him back a step, but the vein in the side of his neck is pulsating.
He’s not going to listen to reason.
“Hold up, Keith. Get off her, man. Let her explain.” Joey grabs Keith’s shoulder and pulls him back enough that I can stand straight again.
“Fine.” Keith shoves his fists into his jean pockets. “Explain.”
“First tell me where you got it.” I keep my attention focused on Joey now. “I need to know how you got it.”
“Why?” Keith looks ready to launch at me. “Why do you need to know?”
“Because, that gun isn’t legal. How did you guys get it?”
“A new business opportunity popped up. It’s our business, and you need to stay out of it.” Keith’s lips thin as he speaks. “Now, if it’s not at your place, where the hell is it?”
“A friend has it.” Even referring to that hulking, egotistical, judgmental man as a friend makes my stomach sour.
Unfortunately, the feeling is only going to get worse, because I have a good idea as how this conversation is going to go.
“What friend? That girl next door? Or that pretty thing you’ve been hanging with?” Keith smiles, but it’s predatory.
Lev’s sister, Nicolette, has gotten my brother’s attention. I’ll have to make sure she doesn’t run into him; he can come off as a jerk when he’s attracted to a girl. He’s never quite outgrown the whole pulling a girl’s hair on the playground bit.
“No, neither of them.” I push my glasses back up the bridge of my nose. “Lev Yakovlev has it.”
Fire bursts into Keith’s eyes. The steam blowing out his ears would burn me if it were real.
“How the fuck—” He covers his mouth with his hand and turns away, starting to pace in a circle.
My instinct is to reach for him, but history has taught me it’s best to let him walk off his anger than to engage. He’s a good boy, a grown man now, but he needs some time to process when things derail.
“How did he get the gun, Max?” Joey steps in.
“When I was locked out, he came over to help me get into the apartment. You didn’t leave me the key, Joey.” I remind him.
“How does that put him in possession of our things?” Keith snaps, his cheeks reddening with each lap he takes.
“When he opened the door for me, he saw it. You left it right out in the open.”
“Do you know who Lev Yakovlev is?” Keith moves over a step, blocking my view of Joey.
The pacing doesn’t seem to be helping this time. He’s getting himself wound up even more.
“Yeah. He’s friends with Ivan Volkov, Vee’s fiancé. He’s a bit full of himself, but otherwise fine.”
“No, Max.” Keith takes a breath. “Lev Yakovlev is the top fucking guy in the Bratva when it comes to weapon sales. He’s a fucking arms dealer.”
“Like a big one.” Joey adds. He’s stopped his pacing and is now biting his nails.
I straighten up, looking to Joey then to Keith. “How do you know that? How do you know anything about the Bratva or arms dealing?”
“That doesn’t matter right now,” Keith says. “What matters is that we need that gun back. Today.”
The front door of the shop opens, and a couple walks in holding hands. Oblivious to the situation they’ve walked into, the woman smiles brightly at me.
“Hi. Do you have wedding planning stuff? Like magazines or books?”
“The magazines are on the left there. The wedding planning books are in the self-help and relationships section.” I gesture to the signs hanging from the ceiling.
“Great. Thanks!” She forges ahead, pulling the man behind her.
He pauses a beat, taking in our positioning and the state of Joey’s annoyance, decides better not to get involved, and catches up to his bride.
“Guys, we can’t be having this talk here. Come over tonight, we can figure it out then.”
“No.” Keith hisses his response, stalking over to me. “We can’t come over tonight to figure it out. We need it now.”
There’s a something different in him today. It’s not annoyance that things are going this way; it’s fear. Real panic bubbles beneath the surface.
“What have you gotten yourselves into?” I keep my voice low.
“Nothing we can’t handle, but you have to get it back for us.” Keith grabs my forearm, squeezing. “You have to. Today. Now. This afternoon.”
“How am I supposed to do that? You just said he’s some big guy in the—” I cut off when the happy couple reappears from the magazine section and crosses over to where she’ll find books to plan her perfect wedding.
“You know him, obviously. Just tell him you need it back.” Joey comes closer, they’re huddled around me. “I’m serious, Max. We need it back.”
“I get that, but I already told him he couldn’t take it, and he did.” The asshole. “He said if you wanted it back, you’d have to go get it.”
Keith’s lips turn white as he presses them together, and for the first time in the all the time I’ve been with them, I’m not sure he’s not considering turning over a few tables.
“Tell me what’s going on; I can help.”
Keith lets my arm go. “You can’t.”
He shoves his hand into hair, leaving it spiked.
“Maybe I can try;” I offer.
“Can you call him?” Joey asks. His annoyance flattens out, and he’s back to strategic thinking.
“I don’t have his number, but I have his sister’s.”
Keith’s eyebrows raise. “That’s who that new girl is? His sister?”
“I didn’t realize who or what he was when I’d met her. She’s a fashion guru, or will be soon, and was helping Vee with something. Her brother wasn’t a concern at the time.”
“Well, he is now.” Keith reaches around me and grabs my cell phone that’s sitting on the counter. “Call her, get his number.”
A shadow appears to my left. The happy couple is ready to check out.
I grab the phone from Keith and shove it into my back pocket while giving him a look that I hope he reads as give me a damn minute.
“All set?” I ask the bride as I grab the stack of bridal magazines and two books from her.
“I think so. Sorry if we’re interrupting?” She gives a wary glance at my brothers, who have stepped back far enough not to crowd us, but not so far away that she doesn’t realize they’re waiting for me.
“Oh, no. Not at all. Did you find everything all right?” I scan the bar codes then bag the items.
“Yes, you have a nice selection. I was surprised, given how small the store is.” Her fiancé hands over his credit card. A black Amex. It’s heavy and thick, and with no limit.
“Thanks. I try to keep the stock up as best I can. Paper receipt, or would you like it emailed?” My fingers hover over the register.
The heat from Keith’s glare will burn my skin if this goes on much longer.
“Oh, none needed.” The bride takes the bag from the counter.
I finish the transaction, swiping the luxury card and handing it back to the groom. He’s dressed in a suit that’s clearly tailor-fitted, and on his pinkie is a thick gold ring with a diamond nestled in the top and a five-pointed star with the initial D in the center on the side.
“Great. Well, have a good day, and congratulations.”
I hold my salesmen smile in place until they’re back on the street before I return my attention back to my brothers.
“Call him.” Joey demands.
“Her.” Keith corrects him. “She has to call the girl to get the number for him.”