Chapter 32
ASH
T wo weeks after we got Sawyer back from the Russian Mafia, I’m sitting in the center of War’s bed drinking a decaf latte as he dresses in his work gear.
An automatic pistol sits on the nightstand.
One I will use to defend the house if anyone gets past the Crue guys standing guard in the downstairs parking lot.
“You sure you wanna hear this?” War asks. “Trick didn’t want me to tell you.”
“Did you promise him you wouldn’t?” I ask curiously.
“Nah. I said I wouldn’t volunteer information, but I’d tell you if you asked, since you and I agreed we wouldn’t keep secrets.”
Since the day the truth about War’s background came out, Scott and War have talked quite a few times. There seems to be a truce in place between them, which makes me happy and relieved.
“Well, don’t get gross with the details,” I say.
He pauses and looks over at me with a skeptical expression. “You wanna know or not?”
“No gore. Just facts. ”
“Right.” War straps on a shoulder holster.
“Seems like a couple of these fraternities got tired of hiring escorts for group sex at very high prices, so they started paying the Petrovs to use trafficked girls for a week at a time. They’d feed them drugs to keep them mellow and put them in the cell under the house.
One of the girls spoke enough English to tell a guy she wasn’t a prostitute.
She was tricked into coming to the country.
She wanted them to let her go, or she would name them as accessories the next chance she got to get a message out.
The guy forced a big hit of drugs onto her, and she overdosed.
Madelyn was involved with one of the guys at the time.
She secretly took video of the guys discussing what happened and of the Russians coming to take the body.
Apparently, the frat guys had to pay such high reparations for accidentally killing the girl that it wiped a lot of them out.
Then, Hearn started blackmailing Beta House.
When the frat guys told the Russians Hearn had evidence of the girl’s death and their guys moving the body, they came for her. ”
“They killed her?”
“Assume so. They had her at some point. I doubt they meant to kill her before they got all the digital evidence back, but they might have worked her over too hard, and she died before she gave it up.”
I shake my head. Stupid girl. “And somewhere along the way, she told them I had the evidence or copies of it. She might have figured they wouldn’t dare come after me because of my ties to C Crue.
Everyone at my high school knew Scott by reputation.
So does most of the East Coast, really. What does C say about the Russians taking Sawyer?
Is he gonna let it go if they send Scott a nice enough gift? ”
“What do you think?”
“I think no.”
War shakes his head. “Yeah, no way.”
“And oh, my God, Petrov tried to make light of things and asked me out? My brother’s expression and yours. I really thought we were gonna get in a gunfight.”
“With you and J’s girl there? No.” War sits on the edge of the bed and drags his socks on. “Besides, revenge is a dish best served cold. Otherwise it might be over too soon.”
He leans closer, so I can give him a kiss, which I do. “Be careful tonight.”
War licks his lips. “If you’re asleep when I get back, I’m gonna wake you up.”
“That’s not a good boyfriend move,” I tease, batting my eyelashes. “Girls need their beauty sleep.”
“Can’t hurt you. You’re too beautiful already.” He rises and stalks out of the room.
I finish my coffee before I turn on the television. The guys haven’t been forthcoming with details and I haven’t asked, but I know revenge is on tonight’s agenda, too. And the operation is close to home.
I saw gas cans lined up in the operations shed. Killian likes fire. I have a feeling they’re going to let him set one.
WAR
We’re underground, dragging Bergmann’s unconscious body through a tunnel corridor. The Beta House cell hasn’t been repaired, so it won’t hold him. Instead, J and I have taken him down through the Lambda House basement.
He rouses as J pours gas on the mattress and backs out. I lock the Lambda cell.
Bergmann’s battered face rises, and he looks at me with the one eye that hasn’t swollen shut yet. Satisfaction courses through me. I enjoyed beating him senseless.
“I wouldn’t have given Ashling to them,” he slurs. “I had to say that. Had to lie to?— ”
“Doesn’t matter to me either way.” My tone is unconcerned.
J backs up, running a trail of fuel. “You gave them my wife’s name. Without that, they never would’ve taken her.”
Bergmann spits out a mouthful of blood. “She wasn’t hurt. I made sure?—”
“You were sure of nothing. They’re fucking gangsters.” J lights a match. “What you wanted was to save your own skin. How’d that work out for you?” He tosses the match, and we head up through the defect in the wall with the flames and Bergmann’s screams echoing at our backs.
Down the block, Killian’s set fire to the Beta House at the same time we’re making sure the whole Lambda House burns.
Because of their bad behavior, both organizations have a line of enemies who want their frat houses closed forever. We’re performing a public service really.
Though, that’s not our intention, of course.
What we have in mind is a message.
Fuck with C Crue, and we’ll burn down your world. With you in it.