36. CHAPTER 36
36
IVAN
It’s ten o’clock at night as I step aboard the boat with Noah and Jules. Call me crazy, but I was expecting some huge ship, but in fact it’s just an underwhelming boat with a few small containers on it. Carlos’ men already have Timmy on deck, bound and ready to feed to the fishies. Carlos has been extra thoughtful and brought along another boat so we can disembark when the job is done. I have zero intention of being out on the water all night and freezing to death.
“Are you sure this is a good idea, bringing him? Dima and Lev will flip out,” Jules says to me as we move over towards Timmy.
“Don’t worry about it. Leave it all to me. You just stand to the side and look pretty.”
“I’ve never been called pretty.”
“Okay, stand and look tough.”
Jules rolls his eyes, moves over to the other side of the deck, and takes his phone out, no doubt texting Kai. The boat starts moving and myself and Noah stand over Timmy who is trying to call out, but it just comes out as muffled sounds behind the gag the guys have put on him. Even if he didn’t, the sound of the engine and water would drown out his cries. After ten minutes or so have passed, and we are a good distance from shore, I turn to Noah.
“Ready to do this?”
Noah is dressed all in black, his hoodie under his leather jacket drowns his head and face. All I can see are intense eyes, focused in on its target.
“I wanna cut him first,” Noah says, and I smile in delight. This is so much fucking fun. I think Noah should be my new brother.
“Jules, come over here and film this,” I shout to Jules, who looks up and walks over to us, phone in hand.
“Do your thing, Noah. But don’t kill him. Dima wants him to drown.”
Noah silently places one knee on the floor next to Timmy’s head. Tim flinches, preparing himself for the inevitable. Noah pulls away the gag and closes his eyes for a brief second, inhaling the sea air, savoring the moment. Fuck being brothers. We’re twins.
Noah pulls out a knife from his jacket that is long and slim. Like a miniature version of a sword. I’m nearly bouncing on my feet with excitement to see what he’ll do. Noah grabs his hair, exposing his jaw and neck, before slamming the knife up into his chin. Wow. Of course, Tim screams, but I’m too distracted at the blade that’s now visible in his mouth to be bothered by the noise. So pretty. A more hardcore version of a tongue piercing.
With an audible squelch, Noah pulls out the blade that’s covered in copious amounts of blood, and Tim slumps back onto the floor as the liquid oozes from his body, shining in the moonlight as it drips down his throat. Spectacular.
Noah stands and takes out his phone.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“Taking a picture for my album. I keep pictures of all my kills.”
“Why the hell would you do that?” Jules asks.
“It’s art. And it’s none of your business.”
“Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to?” Jules asks, walking closer to Noah.
“I don’t know. A lackey?”
“Okay you guys, chill out. Lets toss this fucker overboard so I can get back to my man. Noah, can you film us with Jules’ phone please, as we need evidence the job was done?”
“Sure,” he grumbles, grabbing the phone from Jules’ hand. Jules clenches his jaw, trying very hard to hold himself back from punching Noah.
I grab the top end of Timmy, and Jules lifts his legs as we move him to the side of the boat and lift him over the edge. Tim briefly opens his eyes and looks up at me. Regret is the only thing I can see. Unfortunately he needs to pay the price for his actions.
“Sleep well down there, Timmy,” I say before we toss him overboard, followed by a loud splash. I grab the phone from Noah and get a shot of Timmy disappearing beneath the water’s surface. Thank fuck that’s over.
“Let’s get back to dry land,” I say, patting both Noah and Jules on the shoulder as I go to talk to Carlos’ men. I hate the water.
After dropping off Noah and having a quick wash, I’m now sitting in Starlight with my hottie man, Ty, who looks fucking delicious. His brown hair is styled with a slick back, his honey skin on display under his slightly open black shirt with black pants. Sophisticated is what he is, and all fucking mine. We’re sitting at a booth with Jules and Kai, watching the show and enjoying a break from life. I deserve a drink.
Earlier today, Kai helped me move Tyler’s stuff over to the main house, which didn’t take too long. According to Tyler, we have around another four months until the properties are complete. Dima has brought in extra workers, as the noise and mess are stressing him the fuck out, but there are some things money can’t buy, and that’s making contractors work faster.
“Ivan, come with me for a minute,” Lev calls over, and I leave the table and follow him to the end of the bar.
“Is it done?” he asks me.
“Yep. I got a nice little video here for you,” I say as I open my phone and play the epic footage.
“Is that fucking Noah?”
“You really don’t need to be jealous of him,” I say as I rewatch the events from tonight.
“I’m not fucking jealous. We don’t know him. What if he blabs to the cops?” Lev snarls.
“He kills for fun, Lev. He’s one of us.”
“No he ain’t. He will never be part of us.”
“Look, he deserved to be a part of it. He’s gone now. So just watch the damn video,” I say and Lev looks back down at the screen. When it finally ends, he passes the phone back to me.
“Forward the footage to me. D will wanna see.”
“Okay. And just so you know, he doesn’t know Noah was there.”
“Great. Now I’ll have to listen to him bitching.”
I laugh as it’s true. Dima does love to complain.
“Thank god it’s done. I need a vacation from all this stress,” Lev says, just as Seb places two shots in front of us.
“Cheers to that,” I say to Lev, and he smiles. We knock back the shots of tequila and hiss at the burn.
“The only issue we may have is Kai’s mom,” I say, turning to lean against the bar so I can watch Tyler talk to the guys. He’s so fucking sexy.
“Jules said Kai spoke to her before we came out tonight. She’s a little worried about Tim, but also annoyed. Apparently they had an epic fight before he left to come spy on us. She thinks he’s punishing her.”
“That's a stroke of luck. Happy days. Maybe we can go back to just interrogating wannabe gangsters.”
“Don’t jinx it, Ivan.”
I laugh and walk back over to the table and sit myself next to Tyler. He moves close into my side and I lift my arm around his shoulder so he can snuggle up. He loves to snuggle me and I’m getting used to it.
“I really love this bar,” Tyler says to me, and I look down at him as he stares up at me like I’m everything he has dreamed of. I love that he looks at me like I’m his King.
“Fucking hell, another loved up couple,” Lev says as he pulls up a chair to the side of the booth.
“You’re loved up too,” Kai says, and Lev stares daggers at him.
“He’s right though, Tyler looks at you like a loved up puppy,” Jules teases, and Ty moves to sit upright.
“Of course he loves me,” I say as I take a sip of my whiskey.
“Do I?” Tyler asks, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Are you saying you don’t love me, sweetheart?” I grin and pinch his chin, which he slaps away.
“Do you love me?” he asks, reversing the question.
I think about that for a second. Do I?
“How would I know? I’ve never been in love before. I don’t think,” I say, searching in my mind to see if I ever have.
“Are you fucking serious right now?” Tyler snaps.
“I’m outta here,” Lev says as he walks away, and Jules and Kai quickly follow.
“What?” I ask.
“You don’t know if you love me?”
“Don’t be sassy, Ty. You just said you didn’t love me.”
“I did not say that.”
“But you didn’t say that you did.”
“You’re the most infuriating man I’ve ever met, do you know that?” he says, his upper lip curling in a sneer. Feisty Ty is the best.
“But you love me,” I say, and he groans in annoyance and rests his head on my shoulder.
“Yes I do. I shouldn't, but I do. Very much. Happy now?”
“Very happy. I’m pretty sure I love you too.”
He leans back and looks up at me, those beautiful blues shining like crystals under the soft lighting from the ceiling.
“Pretty sure?”
“Well, I only want you with me, I want to fuck you daily, I want to tattoo my name on your ass to claim you and I’d kill and mutilate anyone who looked at you, so yeah, maybe that’s love.”
“Careful Ivan, I may get used to this romantic side of you,” Tyler chuckles, and kisses me with nothing but loyalty and affection.
Huh, maybe this is what love is. But one thing I do know is that I’ve finally broken that spirit which would’ve kept us apart.