Under My Skin (Skin Deep #1)

Vanya

Sitting alone in my cell, re-reading old letters from Andrei and I think about our visit coming up in a few weeks. I miss him terribly, but I did what I had to make sure that he was set on the outside. The exchange for a life on the outside for him? I might be in here for the rest of my life.

I sit up at the sound of “Ivanov!” being called from the hallway. Shaking thoughts of what could have been from my head I yell “WHAT!?” from my cell.

Cas appears in the doorway of my cell, “You have visitor,” he tells me, a worried look on his face.

Thinking, ‘I should not have any visitors today,’ as I look at him quizzically and ask, “You sure?”

“Da. Zak. He look pissed,” Cas continues

‘Fuck, this can not be good.’ I think as I pull my uniform on and follow Cas down to visitation.

Walking into the visitation room, I take a seat at the table, staring at my son, Zakhary, sitting across from me.

He doesn’t come often, I know he is here for a reason, social calls aren’t really our thing.

He usually only shows up if I ask for him or something is wrong.

I wasn’t expecting him today, so I am already worried.

“Moi syn, I was not expecting you today. What happened? Andrei is okay?” I ask.

He takes a deep breath and flashes icy blue eyes my way, “He’s fine, shop is running great. But we have problem.”

Taking in the serious look on his face, I glance around to ensure Cas is covering us before motioning for him to continue.

“Malachi fucked up on shipment. Numbers are off. It looks like someone is skimming. He swears it wasn’t him, but he was being loud, talking about cutting out middle man and that he could get anyone a better deal in some shithole bar.

Now cops are looking very closely at docks.

We can’t move anything in or out.” Zak explains in a hushed tone.

“What do cops know?” I ask, keeping the conversation quiet so that no one can overhear. Not that the guards would care, this is my house. I run my business from home, so to speak.

Cracking his knuckles, Zak says, “They know drugs are being dealt at docks. They suspect it is Mack because tupitsa runs mouth in bar.”

Leaning back in my chair, I play with my beard as I think of what to do about this shitshow situation. I need the cops away from the docks, Mack needs to be knocked back down to his pay grade and I need shit to move so Andrei has the money he needs to pay the bills.

I watch Zak rubbing his forehead with two fingers, he may be second-in-command and run things in person, but all orders come from me and Mack has been stirring shit up for decades, trying to oust me.

Most things I can overlook because, for what he lacks in brain-power, he makes up for in size and muscle, but this goes too far.

Now, he’s fuckin’ with my money and he’s fuckin’ with my family. Again.

He seems to be forgetting who’s in charge, he’s fuckin’ with the wrong damn person and it is time he gets a reminder.

Leaning back in, I motion Zak towards me.

“Call a meeting with Mack and his boys, Ollie and Nik. Mack will get himself arrested, cop to possession of coke and get his ass in here for a few months. Ollie and Nik will run the Pump Palace, under your supervision. They can bring in the younger boy to help, but Mack will be here.”

The last time I did this, I sent him home with broken ribs as a reminder of who was in charge and how shit runs. This time, he’d be lucky if all I broke was his ribs.

Zak nodded, “Understood, Otets. It will be handled. Any messages for anyone else while I’m here?”

“No, Andrei will be here in three weeks for one of our visits. He will think something up if you go to him now. Get that shit done and do it quick. I don’t like people fucking with what is mine.”

Standing for a quick hug, I slap Zak on the back once, and then he’s gone. I nod at Cas as I head back inside so he knows to come see me before going home for the day. I have some cell assignments to relay.

Malachi

Getting a call to meet Zak was not what I expected.

Getting orders from Vanya was not what I’d planned.

I leave the meeting raging, blood boiling in my veins and steam coming from my ears.

‘Who the fuck does Vanya think he is? Orderin’ me inside, and for what?

To take another beatin’ like last time. Fuck that! ’

Stopping at a gas station a few blocks from the meeting spot, my mind reeling, I pull a vial from my pocket, tapping some coke onto the back of my hand, I snort the bump.

Sighing as the drugs filters through my system, I can feel my rage calming slightly.

I snap my eyes open as a thought hits me.

Plans running through my drug-addled mind, I trade the vial for my phone and call my pissant lawyer, Ronnie.

“Hello?” he asks as the line connects.

“My house, 10 minutes,” I tell him, ending the call without waiting for a response.

He owes me almost ten grand for making his job easy.

All the punks I threatened to keep from testifying and don’t get me started on the drugs I supplied for the junkies he defended.

God knows that fat fuck should do a line or two himself to lose a few pounds.

He owes me big, and it’s time to pay up.

I have plans, and they don’t involve me on the inside.

Pulling into the driveway, I see Ronnie’s car sitting out front and Ronnie leaning his fat ass against the side.

Eyeing the miserable fuck, I shake my head at the sight, thinking, ‘fucking Boss Hog look-a-like,’ as I climb off my bike.

I nod towards the house for him to follow me. ‘Time to earn your keep, Fucker.’

Ronnie and I had been discussing plans for dealing with the seem’-ya and how to make my plans work when Maddox walked in the house. Eyeing the weak runt, I had another brilliant idea. ‘Zak did say he could help out,’ I think, a vicious grin spreading across my face and a wicked glint in my eyes.

Hollering through the house from the kitchen, “Maddy, get your ass in here!” My grin grows as I hear his bag hit the floor with a heavy thud and his boots clomping slowly across the house. “Hurry the fuck up! I don’t have all fuckin’ day.”

I hear a clipped, “I’m fuckin’ comin’, damn!” as he appeared in the doorway with a cautious look in his eyes, “What!? I have homework.” He said, impatience lacing his voice.

Licking my teeth as I stare him down, clenching my fists at the disrespect.

Noticing my icy glare, he cowers slightly and moves carefully towards the kitchen chair I point at, “Sit the fuck down and shut the fuck up. Forget the homework, you won’t be needin’ it,” I snarl at him through gritted teeth.

The chair screeches across the old linoleum as he slides it out and sits. Confusion spreads across his face as he asks, “Why wouldn’t I need my homework?”

Looking between him and Ronnie, “Because I have a job you’re gonna help with.

” I say, pausing to eye him, almost daring his defiance.

When none comes, I continue, “We need the cops away from the docks. You’re gonna take the heat for it.

You’re young enough, you’ll only get a few months and some probation,” I finish explaining with a smirk.

He slouches back in his chair, scratching his eyebrow and glancing between both of us as he takes in this information. After a moment, he shrugs and asks, “If I don’t?”

‘Who does this little pussy think he is?’ I think, cracking my knuckles one by one, “Who the fuck are you talkin’ to? You don’t have a choice, snowflake. Ronnie filed the paperwork. Court is tomorrow. And you will be there,” I say, malice dripping from every word.

Jumping up quickly, the chair clatters on the ground from the movement, “NO! I don’t, I can’t…why? I didn't do anything!!” Dax screeches, wide eyes bouncing between me and Ronnie.

My eyes narrow into slits as I stand and cover the distance between us in three steps.

He’s backed himself against a wall, and I get in his face, shoving him into it.

“You’ll do as your told boy. You can do it by choice or by force.

I don’t give a fuck how, but tomorrow, 9am…

you will be at the courthouse. Not like you have anything goin’ on that you can’t put on hold to help your father out,” I spew, caging him in with my massive size.

Grabbing him by the shirt, I jerk him forward so we are nose to nose, forcing eye contact as I pull my fist back, “Do you understand me?” I growl lowly.

He swallows thickly, blinking rapidly, he mumbles, “yeah, yeah, I understand.” through gritted teeth.

Making sure my point gets across, I slam my fist next to his head, putting a hole in the wall, “Good. Now, get outta my sight. Ronnie and I needta finish the plan.”

I chuckle, watching the kid tear outta the house, I think, ‘I don’t give a fuck where he’s going, as long as he shows up tomorrow morning.’