5. Preacher
5
PREACHER
“S o, you’re really considering this?”
“Need more information before I can make a final decision.”
Memphis gave me a look, and I got it. This was out of the norm, and it was weighing on me in ways I couldn’t begin to explain. His scowl intensified as he grumbled, “They kidnapped Seven’s girl and did God knows what to her brother. I’d think that would be all the information you should need.”
I thought back to my conversation with Nikolai, and while it was brief, it left a lasting impression.
As soon as I sat down, I told him, “Alright, you got my attention. Now, why don’t you tell me what the hell you’re doing here.”
“I was hoping to have a word with you.” He leaned in and rested his elbows on the table. “I’m guessing you know who I am.”
“I do.”
“So, that means you know about my brothers as well.” I nodded, and he quickly continued, "You’ve really built something here."
“Yeah, and?”
“It’s impressive.” He glanced around the club, and his eyes were sharp as he took everything in. "Satan’s Fury has a name that carries weight, and not just in Little Rock. And this place runs like a goddamn machine. No loose ends. No unnecessary heat. Just steady business and total control. That’s rare."
I wasn’t one for flattery, especially from someone I didn’t trust, so I leaned forward and rested my forearms on the table between us. "If you came here to stroke my ego, you’re wasting your time.”
Nikolai smiled like he expected me to push.
His smirk remained as he told me, "I’d like to request a meet between your brothers and mine."
Before giving me a chance to ask questions, he stood and said, “Our place. Tomorrow night at 7:00.”
I was tempted to tell him to fuck off, but something in my gut told me this was a meet we needed to take. With that in mind, I looked up at my son and said, “Broader picture than that. They brought no harm to Tallie, even when they knew we had their driver and guard. In my book, that means something.”
“I guess you have a point.” Memphis crossed his arms. “So, now what?”
“I’m waiting to hear back from Cotton. He’s got more connections than anyone.” I leaned back in my chair and sighed. “He’s gonna do some digging, and hopefully, he can tell me exactly who these boys are involved with and what they have planned for this casino they’re building.”
“He gave you no idea what they might want?” Grim asked, sounding more than a little skeptical.
“Showed an interest in how we run things. Didn’t give many details. Just that he wants us at their place tomorrow night. And before you say anything, I don’t like the idea either. I got a feeling something is up there.”
“Like what?” Grim asked with concern. “You think they’re gonna pull something?”
“No, not exactly.” I thought back to my brief conversation with Nikolai, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t telling me something. “I just think there’s something off like he wasn’t even all that sure what he wanted from us.”
"Ain’t too keen on walking into their house blind." Grim let out a low breath as he shook his head. “Especially when you’ve got a feeling, cause those feelings of yours are never wrong.”
"That’s why we aren’t going in blind."
Goose leaned forward with a smirk pulling at his lips. "What’s the play, then?"
"We go in prepared.” I tapped my fingers against the table as I ran through the plan in my head. “Me, Creed, and Seven will take the meet. Ghost and Grim, you’ll be outside, watching the perimeter. Rusty and the prospects will keep eyes on the road in and out, so if something goes sideways, we’ll have a way out."
Creed nodded. "Weapons?"
"Low profile," I said. "We’re not walking in there looking for a fight, but we sure as hell aren’t going in there unarmed.”
Memphis let out a low chuckle. “Glad we’re on the same page there.”
“I see no point in taking any unnecessary risks with these guys. They’ve been here for a couple of years now and haven’t caused us any trouble. I’m hoping to keep it that way.”
"You really think they want to work with us?” Goose asked. “Or is this just a way to size us up?"
"In all honesty, it could be both," I admitted. "We all know what Sergei’s done to get that casino. He’s made some enemies along the way. Maybe he’s trying to decide if we’re one of them.”
“Or he’s going to try to get us to clean up his mess,” Creed suggested. “They know what kind of power the Fury name carries.”
“It’s a possibility, but we won’t know until we get there.” I let my gaze sweep over the room. "Make no mistake… this meet isn’t about what they want. It’s about what we want. We will decide if it is worth our time, and we’ll discuss the terms. If it’s not something we’re up for, we walk.”
Ghost cracked his knuckles, the only sign he was even remotely interested. "And if they try to play us?"
"Then they learn real fast why no one fucks with Satan’s Fury,” Grim growled.
And just like that, the table went quiet. Everyone knew this wasn’t just some business meet. This was about control and making sure the Volkov brothers knew exactly who they were dealing with. I stood as I told them, “Tomorrow night at seven. Be ready.”
I dismissed the meeting with a nod and walked out, leaving the brothers to talk amongst themselves. I made my way down the hall toward the bar. The club was quiet. Most of the regulars had gone for the night or were tucked away in their rooms. I was ready to do the same, but first, I needed a drink.
As soon as I got to the bar, I grabbed a bottle of bourbon and claimed a spot in the back. I was about to pour myself a drink when Misty slid up next to me. She was one of the hang-arounds, and one of her many jobs was to keep the brothers happy—and that didn’t just mean keeping their bellies full. Misty was one of the younger hang-arounds, and she was eager. Not only to please but to get her hooks into one of the brothers.
And tonight, she had her sights set on me.
Her lips curved into that teasing little smirk she always wore when she had something on her mind. “Hey there, handsome.”
She was a pretty girl and always accommodating. She was wearing a pair of tight, cut-off jeans and a low-cut top that showed off plenty of cleavage, and she had no problem showing it. I gave her a slight nod. “Hey, yourself.”
“You having a good night?”
“Pfft. I’ve had better.”
“Ah, that’s too bad. Maybe I could turn things around for ya,” she purred, dragging a finger down my arm.
I brought the glass to my lips and took a slow sip, letting the burn settle deep before answering. "That so?"
“Um-hmm.” She leaned in, pressing herself against me just enough to make her point. "You’re always taking care of everyone else. Maybe it's time someone took care of you for a change."
On any other night, I might’ve let her.
I might’ve let her lead me back to my room and let her drown out the thoughts raging in my head.
But not tonight.
I took another sip of my drink before answering, "Not tonight, Misty."
"Are you sure?” she pouted. “ I’ll show you a real good time.”
I gave her a stern look, and her smirk instantly faltered. Embarrassment marked her face as she stepped back and nodded. “Okay. But you know where to find me if you change your mind.”
She gave me a wink before sauntering off. I ran my hand down my beard and grumbled under my breath before picking up my drink again. I glanced over my shoulder and watched as Misty planted herself in Goose’s lap. I had to give it to the girl. She was tenacious.
I finished another glass before deciding to turn in early. I left the bottle on the table and headed down to my room. After a long, hot shower, I crawled into bed and closed my eyes, but as usual, sleep didn’t come.
I just lay there letting my mind drift from one thing to the next, and my head was all over the place—Beckett, Memphis, the club, the brothers lost, and the brothers gained. Most of all, I thought about the Volkovs and what lay ahead.
When the sun finally broke, I gave up on sleep and got to work. I kept myself busy going over inventory and checking in with the prospects. I handled all the usual day-to-day shit that kept things running, and when I was done, I went out and worked on my bike.
Before I knew it, the boys were gathering, and it was time to load up. Seven and Grim did a final check, making sure everyone was prepared for what lay ahead, and then, it was time to roll out.
Creed and Seven got in the SUV with me, and seconds later, we were pulling through the gates. We didn’t speak. We were all doing what we had to do to get our heads in the game. I was eager to get there and find out what the hell these guys wanted from us.
I thought back to my earlier conversation with Cotton.
He’d called while I was working on my bike, and he made it clear from the start that the Volkov brothers were not their father. They’d walked away from his businesses and cut ties with most of his old affiliates, especially the ones who’d helped build his empire.
They wanted a fresh start, but that didn’t mean they had a clean slate. Cotton didn’t mince words when he said, "They might’ve turned their backs on their old man, but they didn’t change their ways. They still do business the way he did. Fast, brutal, and without a second thought. They don’t give a damn about burning bridges. With the kind of money they have, they don’tneedbridges. They’re the kind who think they can just build new ones whenever and wherever the fuck they want."
That stuck with me.
Most men had to play their cards right to stay in the game. The Volkovs thought they could throw down whatever hand they wanted and still come out on top. That was a dangerous way of thinking, and eventually, it would catch up with them.
When we got close, I glanced over at Creed and Seven. Like me, they were sitting on go and didn’t say a word as I pulled up to the long, gated driveway. I had to give it to the Volkov brothers. Their place was impressive. They had wrought iron gates that stood tall and were monitored by security cameras and a security booth, leaving no doubt there were plenty of eyes on us.
As we rolled up, one of the guards stepped forward. Already knowing who we were, he gave me a nod and pressed the button to open the gate. I drove forward, and the full sight of the Volkov estate came into view.
The mansion itself was massive and screamed power and money. There were stone columns, towering windows, and balconies that overlooked the front drive.
But it wasn’t the house that impressed me the most. It was what sat behind it. There was a large pasture with a hundred to two hundred acres lined with dark, wooden fencing and a barn big enough to put most homes to shame. It was brown with black trim and looked to be at least two stories. And then, there were the horses. From what I could see, there were twenty or more, ranging from thoroughbreds to the downtrodden.
I hadn’t taken Nikolai or Sergei for the horse-raising type, but then again, I didn’t know shit about any of them. We came to a stop at the end of the circular drive, and I killed the engine. Ghost and the others held back, watching from the main road as we got out and more guards stepped forward.
A tall, broad-shouldered bastard with cold eyes gave me a single nod. "Sergei’s waiting inside."
That was it.
No bullshit security check.
No pat down.
They weren’t worried about us being armed. Either they trusted we wouldn’t start shit, or they were confident they could put us down if we did. I didn’t question it. I simply met the guard’s eye and nodded back before turning to my brothers. “Alright. Let’s do this.”
As we drew closer, the door opened, and Sergei appeared with a stern look on his face. He was dressed in a tailored, black suit that made him look like he was meeting with a bunch of bankers instead of outlaws. He tucked his hands in his pockets as he sized us up, then gave us a quick nod. "Preacher. Creed. Seven. I appreciate you accepting our invitation."
He knew us each by name. That meant he’d done his research. That was fine by me. I’d done my own. “Nikolai requested a meet.”
“So, I’ve heard.” Something about his tone made me question whether he had known about the request. Before I had a chance to question him, he motioned his hand behind him and said, “Why don’t we talk it over in my office.”
I nodded, and Sergei turned and started down the hall. We trailed behind him, moving down a long hallway lined with expensive paintings and antique furniture. We hadn’t gone far when Sergei opened a door and led us into his office. It was a big, lavish room filled with more expensive furniture and a table in the back corner. Sitting at the table were two men I already knew by name, Viktor and Nikolai.
We all made our way over, and my eyes met Nikolai’s. Like before, he was calm and collected. He showed no emotion as he gave a slight tilt of his head, silently acknowledging my presence. While Viktor was bigger with narrowed eyes, he seemed the less threatening of the three.
Like his brother, he didn’t speak, but I wasn’t surprised. These were the kind of men who didn’t speak unless they had to, but when they did, people listened.
Sergei gestured to the table. "Make yourselves comfortable.”
We all complied, and as soon as we were settled, I looked Sergei dead in the eye and said, "Alright. We’re here. Now, tell us why.”
“Well, to start, you should know that I knew nothing about this meet.” His eyes skirted over to Nikolai. “It was all my brother’s doing...”
Creed and Seven exchanged a look, but I kept my focus on Sergei. He was clearly the one in charge. He exhaled and rolled his shoulders like the whole thing was an inconvenience to him. "I was against it. Didn’t see the need, but Nikolai convinced me otherwise.”
“And how did he do that?”
“It took some convincing. We’ve worked hard to build something here, something we can be proud of, but even with our father’s legacy, we’ve run into some setbacks. They’ve been minor, but there’s no guarantees that the problems won’t continue and possibly even grow worse.”
“What kind of setbacks?”
“Just some random issues. Some vandalism and a few stolen goods…”
“Over a hundred grand of goods,” Nikolai interjected.
“Yes, and a fire at the site,” Viktor answered. “We found the culprits and dealt with them quickly and harshly. It should’ve been enough to end our troubles, but we’ve had some vandalism and issues with security cameras and lights.”
“They keep fucking with us, even though they know there will be consequences.”
I cocked my brow. “Fear is a powerful thing, but it has limits.”
“Exactly. We don’t just want power. We want respect ."
"And you think we can give you that?"
"I know you can,” Nikolai answered without hesitation.
“And I have high hopes that my brother is right,” Sergei added. "Your club runs like a fucking empire. Your men are loyal, disciplined, and your Vault is a goddamn goldmine. And that’s because of you and how you run it. No one questions Satan’s Fury. No one underestimates them. That’s the kind of weight we want behind us."
I studied them, taking my time before answering. "You’re not looking for a partner. You’re looking for a way to clean up your mess."
" We want a partnership." Sergei kept his eyes trained on me as he said, “Not just some temporary deal or a one-time favor. We want to work with you . We want to work with Satan’s Fury."
Before I had a chance to respond, there was a tap on the office door, and one of the guards stepped in. He looked at Sergei and said, “I need a word.”
“Not now.”
“It’s important,” he insisted.
“It will be just as important five minutes from now,” Sergei snapped.
I could see the hesitation in the guard’s eyes, and he was clearly struggling. He went to close the door, but stopped and announced, “We have looters at the casino.”
“Okay. Take care of it.”
“Your mother is there.”
The blood drained from Sergei’s face as he and his brothers stood. “Dammit, Denson! Why didn’t you say that from the beginning!”
“I’m sorry,” Nikolai started. “We’ve got to cut this short.”
“If it’s all the same to you, we’d like the opportunity to see how you boys handle your business.”
Sergei was already halfway to the door. “If you want to come, then come.”
I didn’t respond.
I simply gave Creed and Seven a nod, and the three of us followed the Volkov’s outside. As we started out of the drive, I glanced over at Creed, and I could tell by his expression that he was thinking the same thing I was.
We didn’t have to wonder whether they needed us.
It was clear they did.
The question was whether we needed them.