Chapter 14 #4
“I’m curious,” I said over the man’s screams. “Are the kids for you or for a client?” I did not bother hiding the venom in my voice.
The man glared down at me, but he did not speak nor did he move. He likely knew just how close I was to his femoral artery. One twist of my wrist, and it would be lights out.
“I realize we’re strangers and you don’t know me from Adam, but I don’t like to give orders twice. I said drive. If I have to say it a third time, pieces of you will start being thrown out the window.”
I stared unblinking at him until he nodded slowly and put his hands back on the wheel.
“Good boy,” I said condescendingly. Then I ripped the blade from his leg. It took him a moment to start driving.
“Did you have to do his right leg?” Tangaloa asked as I sat back.
I wiped my blade clean on the passenger headrest. “Would you rather I had taken his ear?”
“Seeing as he’s driving, yeah.”
I shook my head at my ex-brother-in-law. The clubhouse wasn’t that far. We’d be fine.
Leaning forward, I tapped the flat of my dagger against Konstantin’s shoulder.
“To be honest, it took us so long to find you that I thought you’d be long gone.
You had to have heard about Baranov by now.
How he was burned alive in that church of a home?
Want to know what his last words were? I can tell you. ”
The man’s jaw twitched, but there was something in his expression that told me he didn’t mind Baranov’s death. He must have had other contacts within the flesh trade to be so confident about losing a—for lack of a better word—vendor.
Unfamiliar with the streets of LA, we only took two wrong turns to get Konstantin to drive to the Royal Bastard’s clubhouse, where we’d been staying the past three days.
The sliding gate was already open and waiting for us as the cage pulled in.
Konstantin was sweating bullets by now, and his leg did not look good.
A crowd of bikers, and even some Ol’ ladies, were waiting for us when the vehicle came to a stop.
“Get out,” I ordered before exiting from my side of the car. Tangaloa would keep his gun trained on Konstantin until we could get him restrained.
Spirit, who had already been at the LA clubhouse when he was hunting down the asshole who hit Lu, was more familiar with the vast number of members. He walked forward now with the LA President, Capone. I was grateful for the cuts, because I was shit when it came to remembering names.
Capone was about my height and reminded me of those old mafia movies.
Like if I rewatched The Godfather, I wouldn’t be surprised if I saw Capone in the background as one of the extras.
He had this air of authority that I respected and was just psycho enough for me to actually like him.
His dark, almost black, eyes were a vault, only ever showing emotion around his Ol’ Lady, Danyella, and his daughter, Nina.
Out of all the hardened bikers in this place, it was that teenage girl who scared me the most. How did someone so young and innocent bring a man like Capone so readily to his knees?
It was why I was so certain I was having a boy.
The universe would not be so cruel as to give me a girl and still expect the world to survive.
While Aftermath and Red welcomed us to their clubhouse with open arms, it was clear they were pissed about the reason we’d ended up in their territory. In that regard, we were in agreement.
“Brought you an Audi,” I told Capone. “A gift for your generous hospitality. It’s a tad bloody, but nothing a bit of elbow grease can’t get rid of.”
The man’s jaw ticked. “I’ve had better gifts.”
I was tired enough that I actually chuckled. “Yeah, it sucks, but don’t worry, it’ll get better.”
“That right?” he raised a skeptical eyebrow. To two of his Prospects, he ordered, “Take him out back. We’ll be there shortly.”
The LA Chapter had a garage they’d reconfigured into, as Lu would call it, their torture room. The set up was impressive, and it would hold Konstantin, but I still preferred my way.
“If you don’t mind,” I added to Capone, “my guys are getting what we need. I’d like to show you how I get answers.”
Capone raised an eyebrow. “I heard your style’s a bit,” he glanced at Red and Aftermath, “different. Color me intrigued. What do you need from me?”
My smile was wolfish. “Once my men are ready, just a ride to the marina.”
The marina was deserted this time of night. Still, we worked fast to keep down the chances of witnesses.
“Gotta say, Ali-Ali-Oxen Free, this is not what I expected,” Aftermath said from beside me. He had his arm around Kensi, who looked far too excited to be present for what was to follow. I liked that about her.
Capone looked skeptical. “They’re tying him up too high. He won’t drown from up there.”
Tommy and Tangaloa were working quickly to tie Konstantin to the keel of the boat, just below the bow.
Like a live-action figurehead. Tangaloa and I were barefoot and shirtless again, which felt more freeing than being released from a pair of handcuffs, while Tommy was wearing a pair of water shoes, loose muscle shirt, and cargo shorts.
“Ye of little faith,” I scolded good-naturedly. “I don’t want him to drown.”
Once Tangaloa and Tommy were ready, we all boarded. Spirit and the twins were back at the clubhouse. Even with the size of the boat, I didn’t want to weigh us down. Capone, Aftermath, Kensi, Tangaloa, Tommy, and I needed the ability to have a quick escape.
Tommy had chosen a forty-footer. He would have ensured it was gassed up too. I didn’t ask if he’d asked to borrow the boat or if he’d stolen it. If it met my specifications, I didn’t honestly care.
Konstantin wasn’t gagged. It would make breathing harder for him, and breathing would become essential in a few minutes. As I said, I didn’t want him to drown. Not fully anyway. I was good with a little drowning. He couldn’t give me answers if he was completely drowned.
Tommy took the helm. Despite living within spitting distance of the ocean, none of Capone’s people owned a boat and very few had ever been on a boat. I did not understand it. The water was right there, and they looked at it like it was just a pretty addition to the landscape. Fucking haoles.
It took us less than twenty minutes to reach open sea. When Kensi asked what that meant, I explained that it was a term used when we weren’t near land. Either it couldn’t be seen in any direction or it was too far away to be helpful.
I turned to Tommy. “Open her up.” To Kensi and Aftermath who were standing by the bow, I said, “You might want to hold onto something.”
Both of them frowned slightly but readjusted their positions to now be gripping the rail. Tommy revved the engines and then we shot forward. I put a hand on Capone’s arm to steady him as he started to topple over.
“You’ll get your sea legs,” I shouted over the noise of the motor and the crashing waves.
Capone looked at me like he was questioning my sanity. I didn’t care. I was back on the water. No shirt, no slippahs, and lots of waves. This was as close to paradise as I could get outside of Lu’s pussy. And her mouth. And her ass. Well, basically anywhere that she wasn’t.
Tommy did a series of donuts and fast turns to increase the number of waves we hit. Every once in a while when his screams and cries got too quiet, we’d stop to check on Konstantin. Fucker was still kicking, so we kept going.
Capone had said that we’d tied him too high, which was true if we were going for a quick death.
By placing him just below the bow, Konstantin would not have been submerged on the journey out to sea.
But with the crashing waves of Tommy’s maneuvers and the increased speed, he’d be propelled underwater numerous times in quick succession, having the force of the water coming down on him.
“It’s called keelhauling,” I informed Capone with a smile. I had to raise my voice to be heard over the crashing waves and the engines. “In case you were wondering. It’s like waterboarding, but a hell of a lot more fun.”
Other than me, Kensi was the only one who looked like she was having the time of her life.
She even let go of the rail and tried to mimic the titanic bow scene at high speeds.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, for her, she kept losing her balance and would end up sprawled on her husband’s lap. No wonder Lu liked her so much.
Eventually, I gave the signal. Tommy cut the engines. As soon as the propellers stopped, Tangaloa cut the lines securing Konstantin to the keel. All three of the LA Chapter rushed to the front of the boat to look over the bow.
“He’s gone!” Aftermath shouted, like I had just performed a magic trick.
I pointed over my shoulder with my thumb. The three of them headed past the helm to the stern. In the low light provided by the lamps on the captain’s shade, they were able to spot the body floating in the water.
Tangaloa dove overboard in his swim trunks. I dropped my trunks, winked at Kensi, who giggled, and then followed him over.
There were always dangers in the open ocean.
Even professionals came up against surprises, which was why it was always best to have a spotter.
Konstantin’s body was roughly twenty feet from us.
He had the open wound from his leg and would be scraped to hell from being dragged across the barnacles on the bottom of the hull.
Barnacles caused resistance in the water and were bad for both the boat and gas mileage.
But they did have their uses. At least, to me.
It was why Tommy had specific requirements when he’d been boat hunting earlier today.
Together, we got Konstantin back to the boat. Only this time, we brought him up the small swimmer’s platform next to the idling motors.
As soon as I climbed up, Aftermath tossed my trunks at me. “Get fucking dressed, Aloe-Dicky. No one wants to see that little pecker.”