Chapter 19 - Iosif
I was tired of these lowlifes hanging around. These drifters are invading my turf. It was time something was done. They had to learn their lesson, and today was the day. I have decided to clear them out once and for all before something else happens.
But more than that, I wanted to show them they couldn’t mess with my family. Startled, I was pulled from my thoughts as Avgust suddenly stopped. Looking to the side, I saw we were parked in front of an abandoned warehouse. We were close to the edge of the city, as I saw the harbor ahead of us.
This was the location we had for the new crew that had moved into our territory. They were said to be small but deadly. We got out as the Vasiliev brothers arrived. Between them and our men, I was positive we could put a stop to this tonight.
We gathered quickly to confirm the planned strategy.
All the Vasiliev brothers, as well as the men that the Dubow family had sent, were gathered outside the premises.
Lifting my hand and making a fist, I indicated to the men to follow me as I moved in.
I knew everyone was ready to take down the enemy.
Pushing open the door, we stormed inside, guns raised. To my surprise, the place was empty. As we moved further into the dwelling. A loud cracking noise drew my attention as a shot was fired. I froze and glanced back at my men. They were either crouched or hiding behind furniture.
As a second shot ran through the air, we could see the light cast off of the gun, and we started firing back. The enemy suddenly stopped shooting, and we moved forward. Before we could get through the door, an explosion went off.
Rubble, bricks, and furniture came raining down around us. Getting up, I shook my head to clear the ringing sound. Glancing around, I ensured my men were all still alive. Hearing the sound of more men arriving, I screamed at my men to retreat.
I felt it was a better option to pull out, as we had no idea of how many more bombs there could be. The crew was also bigger than we had anticipated. Piling back into the cars, we pulled away and regrouped about six blocks away.
We managed to escape successfully, with no man down. As we pulled over, I was relieved to see no casualties on our side. There were, however, a couple of men with injuries that would require medical attention.
We did a full assessment of all men present. Four of my men and two of the Dubow men would need to call it quits for tonight. Even though they were out for the fight, they would recover fully.
I called Alexandr Dubow and arranged treatment for the men. I asked the rest of the men left to reconvene at our warehouse. Upon arrival there, I was met by Anton Dubow. We discussed the events of the evening and decided more information was needed.
After sending all our men home, I did the same. As I returned home, I tried my best to stay as quiet as possible. I snuck inside, not wanting to wake up Clara. I entered the front door with no issues. However, as I started ascending the stairs, the lights came on, and I froze.
Glancing up, I saw Clara standing at the top of the staircase. Her hands were on her hips, and her look was disapproving. She glared at me, her eyes narrowing as she shook her head in disapproval. Without a word, she came storming down. Clara grabbed me by the arm and dragged me to the lounge.
Clara pulled me towards one of the couches and forced me to sit down. She studied me for a moment, then turned and walked out. I sat waiting, confused, as I didn’t know what she was up to. It wasn’t long before she returned, carrying a medical kit in her left hand.
In her right hand, she held a bowl of water and some towels. Watching her prepare everything to treat me, I was flooded with a mixture of emotions. Clara started by wetting a towel and wiping away all the ash marks from my face and arms.
Once most of the dirt was wiped away, she proceeded to wipe most of the blood surrounding my wounds. She used a cotton ball soaked in disinfectant to wipe the abrasions and cuts.
Clara then carefully applied antiseptic cream to my wounds. There was a light sting, but it didn’t compare to the guilt I felt. After gently rubbing in the cream, she covered my wounds with bandages.
Clara placed a warm hand on my arm as she spoke. “Please take better care of yourself.”
I had never intended for her to see me in such a light, and I swallowed hard before replying. “I am so very sorry.” I was stunned at her concern and saw her differently suddenly.
She sat down next to me, placing her hand on my thigh and looking at me with clear concern. Clara took my face into her hands before pulling me into a hug. I was filled with a strange new sensation as she hugged me tightly. I wrapped my arms around her, enjoying the sensation flooding my body.
I had always had a possessive streak, but I noticed, the more time I spent with her, the worse it got. I would try and hold onto her for as long as I could. I wanted to know that she would always be there, and that I would never have to look over my shoulder.
Trust was something we would have to work on from both sides. Without trust, such a relationship could never work. I didn’t want to be troubled by the thoughts of her brother showing up and ruining things.
Clara suddenly stood up. She looked down at me, smiling as she spoke. “I’m going to bed. You’re welcome to join me if you would like to.”
Grinning, I nodded at her as I replied. “I will be up in a little. Don’t wait for me.” I watched as she turned and walked out the door. With her out of sight and out of range, I thought the timing would be perfect to call Kolya.
As I took my phone out of my pocket, it started ringing. Looking at the screen, I was shocked to see Kolya’s number showing. Swiping left on my screen, I answered the call. “Kolya,” I huffed. “I was just about to call you. Did you read my mind?”
Before I could continue questioning him, he started yelling at me. “You must have some major balls.” I heard him take a deep breath before continuing. “You are the fucker that kidnapped my little sister, and now you want to talk.”
As I opened my mouth to reply, he interrupted again. “The men you tried to mess with tonight came to see me. I now know where you are. You better sleep with one eye open.”
It took me a moment to realize that he was, in fact, talking about the men who tried to kidnap Clara. I swore under my breath as I realized that the men who tried to kidnap Clara were changing their plans.
I burned to tell him the truth, but decided not to.
He would learn the hard way what pain was.
Clara was in danger, but I would protect her.
Before I could come back with a snarky remark, Kolya spoke again.
“I will make sure that this time I get my hands on your sister. She will be tortured, and I will send you a copy of the video.”
Kolya laughed before he continued. “I will also send you her body parts in boxes until you break.”
I felt the fury in me winding up to a point where I could no longer control it.