Chapter 31 #2
Bullseye, at last, unfolds his arms. “Rodion Volkov is a brigadier. It was his men who you lost in an attempt to get your sister. I understand the Pakhan knows nothing of your arrangement, and that a good portion of the money the illegal casino raises goes straight into Volkov’s pocket.”
Stone’s mouth drops open.
Continuing, Bullseye enlightens him. “The men he sent weren’t Bratva, because he couldn’t tap into official resources.
They were mercenaries off the street. They told us everything with a little persuasion.
” His shoulders rise to ear level, then drop slowly back into position.
“I reckon we can do a deal with the Pakhan.”
“You can’t be that fucking stupid.” Stone looks around in disgust.
Bullseye’s expression is granite. “Oh, I don’t think that’s the right adjective when it comes to us.
You see, courtesy of our explosives expert and resident hacker, a twenty-thousand-dollar life insurance policy has been taken out in your name.
I believe you did it last month?” He glances at Pippa who removes her hand from Jade’s back just long enough to give him a thumbs up.
“When you have a fatal accident, your sister will benefit and be able to pay off the Russians.”
Stone’s face has gone red. “It won’t work.”
I think Stone is going to find out soon that it can.
And from Bullseye’s expression, he’s losing patience.
That I’m right is confirmed, when he slashes his hand through the air, and states, “I’ve heard enough.
Dee? Knight? Take our new guest back to the barn.
It’s time to have a more fruitful discussion with him. ”
After the Kings have inflicted a world of hurt on him, Stone will have one final journey.
I suspect Freak’s already thinking how to rig an accident he won’t be returning from.
And after that? Our funeral parlour is the only one in town, the last we see of him will be when he enters Words’s cremator.
Stone suddenly realises the trouble he’s in.
“Amethyst, don’t let them do this. I was never going to hurt you, Rodion’s a good man, he’d make an excellent husband.
He’s got money, connections.” Ames’s face, I notice, is stony.
“Amethyst, I’m your brother. I always had your best interests at heart.
For the love of God, remember what our childhood was like, how we only had each other. ”
“How you broke my arm deliberately? How you pushed me down the stairs and gave me a concussion? How you mocked me in front of my friends? You deliberately hurt me, time and time again.” Hisses come from all of my brothers, but she carries on, “How many times did you force my head down the toilet and flush it? You would have killed me if Grandad and Grandma hadn’t stepped in.
You hated me from the moment I was born. ”
“I was trying to toughen you up.” He attempts to defend himself. “You were a spoiled brat.”
My other crutch crashes to the ground as my impulse is to hit him in the fucking mouth.
To give him a taste of the medicine he tried to dish out to a defenceless child, ten years younger.
I’ve never had siblings, but hell, if I had, I’d have stood up for them.
Unfortunately, instead of making a grand gesture to avenge Ames, my legs give way, and I’d have taken her to the ground except for Short’s quick reflexes, and once again, embarrassingly, I’m in his arms.
“We’ve got to stop meeting like this. People will start talking.” I stare up at his face.
“If you’ve made me put my back out again, I’ll fuckin’ end you,” he snarls. But despite his words, as Woody picks up my crutches, Short hands them to me, and provides his support until I get myself righted again.
My other brothers are oblivious to what’s going on with us, as they crowd Stone, incensed at his admission of how he’d treated Ames as a child.
Short even bends his head and speaks quietly into my ear. “I’ll make him hurt, don’t you fuckin’ worry.”
Stone, becoming aware of his predicament tries to move backward, but Piston and Woody stop his progress.
His next move is to make a futile run for the door, but with laughter bordering on manic, Stalker and Paint block him in.
Freak moves toward him, and ignominiously takes hold of his collar, and starts dragging him away.
Stone tries to dig his feet in, then uses his fists.
Freak just swings him around, and within seconds has expertly captured his wrists in a zip-tie. Then the enforcer waves the prospects over, and they take over.
Bullseye’s eyes follow Stone until he’s out of sight, then he approaches me and Ames. And it’s her that he looks at with sympathy in his eyes.
“You know what’s going to happen.”
Nodding seriously, she replies, “He was never a brother to me. Luckily, he left home for college when I was eight. I think my grandparents knew they had to separate him from me.” She pauses, Prez opens his mouth to speak, but she gets in first. “Will you get an answer from him? Will you ask if he killed our grandparents? I always thought he did, but I’d like to know for certain.
” As he doesn’t know her story, she explains quickly.
“They died of carbon monoxide poisoning, but Grandad wasn’t stupid.
He had his boiler serviced regularly. And I was supposed to be home that night, but I’d gone to stay with a friend… ”
Prez’s eyes harden as he takes in what she’s saying. Then he raises his chin. “I’ll get the answer you need.” He glances at me. “I take it, you want to be there?”
Ames looks up at me. “Go with them, Rattler. See it through to the end. I, I just don’t think I can be there.”
“Wouldn’t ask that of you, sweetheart,” Prez tells her, softly. “You stay here with Pippa. Have a drink, fuck knows you need it.”
“I’m underage,” she states.
“Don’t give a fuck here.”
Short suddenly appears, I hadn’t noticed him leave. He’s pushing a wheelchair. “Remembered we still had this. I’m not carrying your fuckin’ ass out to the barn.”
I pucker my lips and pretend to blow him kiss. “Aww, you do love me.”
“Get your ass in this fuckin’ seat before I change my mind,” he growls.