Chapter 32
Getting confirmation that Ivan would be at Elio’s party was easy. We were already pretty certain he would be there. It’s everything else that's proving to be a problem.
I haven’t spoken to my father in years, and I only receive the occasional letter from my mother to check in.
She’d begged me not to go after Jade, said she couldn’t stand losing another child, but I had to.
Losing her tore us apart, and I knew she was the only way to fix it, fix us.
I couldn’t just go on living knowing she was still out there, alone.
I never told my father why I left. At this point, he probably thinks I just ran off, which is fine.
One day he’ll understand.
Mother’s letters never came from places she actually stayed, though.
They were postmarked from all over the world.
A perk of being the wife of the leader of the Bratva means you have connections all over.
I’d had her on standby with Charlotte to make sure she had somewhere to go had Leo pushed us to return home.
Jade might hate me now, but she would have killed me on the spot if something happened to Charlotte because of me.
She might think I’m the bad guy, but I refused to hurt harmless kids or my sister if I could avoid it.
Besides, that never panned out. Jade turned our plan around in her favor just like I’d hoped she would, the way I knew only she could.
Which leaves us back at square one. I don’t have time to wait around for her to reach out, and I can’t exactly hop on a plane home in hopes of stumbling upon her.
Jade needs me, even if she refuses to admit it, and I won’t let her down again.
For now, I’ve sent word to each of her contacts from whom she’s sent letters in the past, waiting to see if anyone gets back.
It’s not a lot, but it’s the best I can do at the moment.
Jade isn’t helping make life easier, either. Leo and I had been here for the last hour and had yet to do anything. She doesn’t trust us. Which is fair, but we need to train her guys if they have any hope of coming out of this shit alive.
The Bratva isn’t like anyone they have ever faced off with before. We’re trained from the time we can walk to kill, mercilessly. Being in Vengeance gives them a good basis, but it’s not the same, and she knows it. We all do.
“Jade,” I sigh, quickly losing patience but trying hard not to show it. Fighting with her won’t do anyone any good, and physically, I’m pretty sure she can take me now.
She’d been working on Trent and Jake’s stances with them.
Of all of them, they need the most help.
Trent is a cop, so he’s fit but not really ready for a street fight, and Jake…
Well, he might not be the spoiled brat I thought he was, but he’s still pampered.
She’s not wrong to give them attention, but while she does that, everyone else sits around waiting.
We’re wasting valuable time, time when Leo and I could train the others.
She turns to look at me across the room, and I see the anger in her eyes even before she opens her mouth.
“What?” she snaps.
This would be so much easier if she didn’t hate me. What I wouldn’t give to make her understand, but right now isn’t the time, and she’s still too angry to really hear me.
“We're wasting time. Just let us train them. It’s not like you won’t be right here the whole fucking time.” Leo butts in, rolling his eyes where he lies on one of the benches, looking like he’s seconds from dying of boredom.
If looks could kill, Leo would be dead at least ten times over. Not that he gives a shit. I mean, he’s right, but he didn’t have to be such a dick about it. He knows she hates both of us right now, and he’s not exactly helping.
“Leo,” I say in warning, but he waves me off, sitting to look around the room.
“This is doing nothing. We have very little time to get them ready, and so much of this plan rides on us being able to pull off the impossible as it is. So we need every advantage. Which means you can hate us all you want, but you need to put that shit aside for now so we can all survive.”
Leo stands, walking toward Jade, and I feel the shift in the room.
These guys might not be trained like we are, but for Jade, they would fight us anyway.
Not to mention, having Jade on their side drastically tips the scales.
The last thing we need right now is for this to break out into a fight.
And with the way Leo is handling this, it very well might end up in one.
Leo stops shy of being toe-to-toe with Jade before looking down at her with the most condescending smile. “Unless, of course, you don’t mind losing a few of them.”
Shit.
That’s it. The final straw, I see it on Jade’s face.
She’s going to fucking kill him.
There’s no way I’ll make it to them in time, but that doesn’t stop me from trying. I only make it two steps before I falter and come to a halt.
Jade’s eyes dart around the room, looking at each of her guys, and I see the fear that shines in them.
Scared Jade isn’t something I’m used to seeing, at least not anymore.
Angry, murderous, pissed off, sad, even happy recently, but not scared.
Not since she was a little girl, but looking at her now, that little girl seems like a completely different person.
Her eyes find mine, and I have to resist the urge to run to her.
Offering her comfort the way I did years ago, when life was simpler.
When I was the one she turned to when life was scary.
Back then, she followed me around all the time, looking to me for answers and safety.
I see a hint of that same uncertainty in her eyes now, mixed with her worry, and all I can do is offer her a sad smile.
I know she hates this, hates us, but this is our best bet. Their best bet.
In the blink of an eye, her worry and uncertainty vanish, replaced with determination, as she turns back to Leo. She steps toward him, and I see the worry shine in his eyes, thinking she might come for him.
“Fine, you get Zander and Spencer,” she tells him, staring up at him in defiance, before she turns to me.
“And you're getting Kratos and Rick. But if you so much as step a toe out of line, I’ll fucking kill you right here,” she snaps, pointing down at the mat below our feet, and I know she’s serious. I can hear the promise in her words.
Her hands snap out, slamming into Leo’s chest, pushing him back a step, and he winces before reaching up to rub at the spot.
“Whatever you say, boss. We won’t hurt your pretty little fuck toys,” Leo says, reaching out to boop her nose before walking back to the bench.
He’s so full of himself. I don’t know if Jade noticed, but he was scared for a second there.
He might have trained to keep his father happy, but he hasn’t been through half the shit I have, let alone Jade.
She would wipe the floor with him, and with how he’s acting right now, I wouldn’t even try to intervene.
I glare at him as he walks away, even though he doesn’t so much as glance back.
Did he have to say it like that? She might be grown, but she’s still my sister, and that’s not something I want to think about.
I know the guys are fucking crazy about her, but I happily tell myself that’s all it is on purpose.
A hand claps hard on my back, pulling me from my death glare on the back of Leo’s head, and I turn to face Zander.
“Ya alright there, man? You're looking a little green,” Zander asks as he steps past me. He turns back to look at me as he goes, arms folded behind his head with a smirk.
“I don’t think he likes the idea of us with Jade,” Trent pipes up from where he and Jake still stand, waiting for further instruction from Jade.
I’m sure if any of them were going to understand, it would be him. Hazel has been his main priority for a long time now, ever since their dad died. I doubt he would enjoy hearing about her sex life.
Speaking of, a smile splits my lips as I turn to look at Leo. If he wants to play that game, I can too.
“Don’t worry about it. Your sister sucks dick like a champ. She can handle us,” Zander says, barking a laugh as he reaches Leo, and I honest to God retch as my stomach churns at the thought. If I had eaten anything for breakfast this morning, I’m sure it would be on the mat right now.
Leo catches my eye over Zander’s shoulder, and I don’t need to be a mind reader to know what he’s thinking.
Keep my mouth shut.
Yes, fantastic idea, because secrets have done us a lot of fucking good so far.
Rubbing a hand down my face, I turn to look for my two new students. Both Kratos and Rick stand across from me on the mat. Looking at me as if they want nothing more than to paint this room with my blood.
At least they have the right mindset for a life in the Bratva.
Today’s going to be long and painful if they have anything to say about it.
After only four hours, the guys are making a shocking amount of progress. They might hate us, but they aren’t letting that stop them from learning. If anything, I think it’s helping them improve since we’re their opponents.
I know Jade set me up with Kratos and Rick on purpose.
Both of them are fucking huge and have fighting backgrounds.
Kratos might not be trained, but he’s done enough fighting in and out of rings to be deadly.
I’ve seen it. All the two of them really lack is technique and the ability to kill effectively without guns and knives.
Don’t get me wrong, guns and knives are important tools to know how to use. But if you find yourself without a weapon or not wanting to draw attention to yourself, you need options.