Chapter 41
Chapter
Forty-One
Alexei
The smell of body odor is an assault, pungent and potent, clouding the atmosphere as it hits me. I take a single step inside Angie's bar, only knowing I'm in the right place from legend.
Isla steps in behind me, dodging something sticky on the floor and crinkling her nose as she does. She looks at me with gentle concern that is unique to her. But it is anger that overwhelms me now. I let it take over as it drives me forward.
I've done something with Sage that I have never done before. I have shown my cards. I have played my hand, presented it to her and allowed her to read me. There's a sting behind my ribcage that I can't name.
There was no reason for me to show myself so fully.
Nothing she said was wrong or unreasonable.
But when I think about every night that she invites me into her bed and lets me touch her, hold her, fall asleep next to her...
Then she goes and says something like that.
She reminds me how little I mean to her when these interactions mean something to me.
Is that why there's this aching in my chest? Is that why my anger is bubbling beneath me like an incoming storm?
If I mean nothing to her… Then she doesn't deserve to mean anything to me, and once again I have been played by her. I've seen her clearer than anyone else and yet I'm still the one that keeps falling for it.
Every time I think about it my blood boils higher and I feel even more justified in what I have to do.
Everything was far easier when we hated each other.
I wish we could go back.
I scan the patrons in the bar, who clearly recognize me as they stop in various states to gawk at me. I make eye contact with the bar tender who carefully places down the glass he was holding and slinks off into the back.
I fold my arms as I wait for him to play messenger.
Angie swiftly follows in his exit and comes blazing out of the back room. She stops when she sees me, raising an intrigued brow. I get it. I'm surprised I'm here, too.
She nods at everyone else, sending them back to their conversations, before gesturing for me to follow her into a booth.
My anger is still like a snake hiding in the grass. Not always seen, but always there and ready to strike. At least I have calmed enough to have this conversation, but not so much that I wouldn't be able to go through with what I'm about to do.
I slide into the booth.
"Alexei, I know what Sage said was-" Isla pleads as she slides in next to me.
My eyes snap to hers and I silence her with a look. She raises her hands in surrender. Even if she doesn't always like it, she'll always have my back.
Angie watches with curiosity and a hint of amusement. I'm sure our problems are mere amusements to her as she so often excuses herself from the equation.
The bartender places Angie's signature drink in front of her. She takes a sip all while maintaining eye contact with me. The fact that she wasn't here waiting for me means I have surprised her.
"Another Rushkoff," Angie says. "I haven't yet had the pleasure of doing business with you."
I smirk. "It may be the first time I've come to you, Angie, but it will also be the last."
"That's a confident statement from someone sitting on the other side of my booth."
I scoff but she just stares me down, swirling the drink before taking another sip.
"They say they'll never need my help and yet they always do. There's always something."
Isla watches us, her eyes flicking nervously back and forth between us. She doesn't know what I'm here to do and I suppose I'm curious to see if she's going to try and stop me.
"It will be the last," I say, and I mean it as a promise. There's only one person who could drive me to need to ask Angie for help. Sage. Always Sage.
"Well," Angie says, a smile on her bright red lips. "Please enlighten me as to what favor you could possibly need that would finally lead you to me."
My heart skips a beat and for a split second I wonder if I'm doing the wrong thing. I wonder if I'm taking things too far. I made a death promise with Sage, one that I meant every word of. It never once felt like too far or too much.
Maybe part of me knew I could always take it back. That I would always take it back.
There's no coming back from this.
I feel Isla's eyes boring into the side of my face and I know if I look at her, I'll cave. So I must push ahead. Before I decide that this is a bad idea.
"You have something I don't," I say, stiff in my resolve even as it feels shattering.
"And what is that?"
"A line to Chet."
Angie's smile drops. She places her drink down carefully and the bartender comes to refill it but she stops him before he can get too close to the table.
"Why would you want a line to Chet?" She frowns, all amusement and fun gone.
"I need to cut a deal."
"Your brother tried to make a deal with Chet. It didn't go so well for him."
"I'm not my brother."
"And what do you think you have that's going to stop you from sharing his fate?"
I can't answer that question. What I have to offer is exactly the same thing he had to offer. I just have the better chance of pulling it off.
"That's what I thought," Angie says.
"I just need you to get him a message."
At this point I can't tell if Angie looks distressed or intrigued. If it's the former, Chet has made himself a formidable enemy to have even Angie running scared.
"Alright," she says, though her reluctance is clear. "What's so important that you need to pay me to tell him for you?"
"Alexei, please, we can just-" Isla starts, but I stop her with my hand.
"Tell him I have Sage, and I plan to give her to him."
Isla sinks into the chair in disappointment, but says nothing. Angie's eyes actually widen as her face contorts and all the tough facade she puts on falls away as she looks at me like I'm crazy.
Her mouth opens a few times but all she can manage to say in the end is, "Why?"
I once told Sage I would do anything for my brother except give him her. That moment plays in my mind now as I recall everything that's happened to lead me to this moment.
Every near miss, every kiss and every touch. The look on her face and fear in her voice when she told her father that I am nothing but a fling. A wave of hurt rises to sweep me under, but I close my eyes and take back control as I allow my anger towards Sage to take over again.
"I've had enough," I say, letting my eyes go hard so she knows in no uncertain terms that I am not here to fuck around. "I've had enough of Chet hunting me. I've had enough of him attacking my shit. I've had enough of him killing my men."
"Alexei-" Isla tries to pipe in again, but I put my hand on her arm to silence any protests, warning her away with a look. I've had enough feedback. I've started it. I must finish it.
"Everybody knows he doesn't really give a fuck about me. He wants Sage."
Angie watches me carefully, looking between my eyes until she finds whatever confirmation she's looking for.
I think about Sage's face. Picture it in my mind. The way she looked at me today and then discarded me like once this is all over she really could go back to trying to kill me. Before I can let her take me down again or make me think differently about this, I make it happen.
"All he really wants is her. I can deliver it. If he promises to leave me and mine alone."
"Fuck," Angie says. She blows out a breath and runs her hands through her hair. "Well I didn't see that coming. And I usually see everything coming."
"Will you do it or not?"
Angie contemplates for a moment, leaning forward to whisper like she's interfering just to give me personal advice. "Are you sure you want to do this? You know what it means."
"I know."
"This isn't some silly death promise with the two of you, you can never take this back. Chet will k-"
"I know," I say, jaw grinding as I repeat myself. The fact our death promise is being called silly enrages me to no end, but that's not what I need her for.
Angie sits back. "Alright. I don't usually go giving warnings… but…"
I know she means to warn me about what happened to my brother. I am just about sick to death of hearing about him and all his mistakes now.
My breath comes in harsh pants. "I know he'll never leave us alone until he has what he wants. And what he wants is her. I'm done watching my people die for her. If handing her over to him is what stops this, then hey, perhaps my brother was onto something after all."
"Damn."
I nod, waiting for her to tell me the ridiculous amount of money she's going to charge me for using her service. Her and I both know this is why I usually don't come near her. There's nothing I need enough that I can't do myself. Except this.
"You really want to betray them?" Angie asks, studying me carefully. Like she's not judging me but is just genuinely curious as to what has driven me over this edge.
"I need this to be over."
In the end, that's all I decide to say.