Chapter 20
TWENTY
S creams of terror ripple through the air as Kai turns to glare down at our victim.
“ Please ,” Grigori chokes out, bloody saliva strings pouring from his mouth. “ Please stop !”
I lean down until I’m nose to nose with his slumped form. He’s tied to a metal chair, clamps latched to his nipples as Kai sends an electrical current through his body. He jolts and contorts, spasming so violently that his back arches off the chair, his limbs rebelling against themselves.
Stepping back, I nod at Kai. He dials down the voltage, but the distant hum of the battery Grigori is linked to will be the perfect reminder of what awaits him, because he’s not getting out of here alive.
“ Did you stop when she pleaded for her life ?” I growl. “ Did you stop when she said enough was enough? Did you fucking stop when she fought back ?”
Grigori’s eyes widen. He must know by now that there’s no getting out of this. He took advantage of Konstantin’s generosity, killing a girl at Amadeus that he had no business killing. The poor girl was working her shift in the back rooms when Grigori took things too far. Now we’re dealing with the aftermath, cleaning up where we can while making sure Yulietta’s family is compensated for their loss. Money won’t make up for her murder, but we’re hoping it’s enough to keep their mouths shut.
“ I didn’t… didn’t know she was dead, ” he explains between stolen breaths. He’s playing stupid, something I’d consider to be real if it weren’t for the guilty look on his face. Nodding to Kai once more, he turns up the dial again, this time increasing the voltage until Grigori’s eyes roll to the back of his head.
I know the truth, though. I know that he had every intention of harming her, of leaving her dead body for someone else to find, and he would have gotten away with it if not for the fact that we have eyes everywhere. Accountability and responsibility are taken seriously when it comes to the Federovs, and this muzak isn’t taking ownership of his actions.
The deep, heavy buzz of the battery drones on, Grigori’s pathetic squeals permeating the atmosphere as electricity zaps through his body. Fortunately, the scrap yard we’re in is too loud for anyone to hear him. The clanging of machinery in the background conceals the torture, and soon, it’ll conceal him.
Kai smirks from where he stands beside a heap of abandoned cars, fingers hovering over the dial, watching Grigori’s body with sick satisfaction as it convulses maniacally. I raise my hand in the air, commanding him to turn down the voltage. I don’t want Grigori dead just yet. Nor does Konstantin. He wants him to beg for his life first, plead for mercy until his throat is raw, and then he wants him to suffer. Giving me the pleasure of seeing to the disposal of the Federov soldier, it’s up to me to ensure Konstantin’s orders are followed through.
The other soldiers stand around their comrade, each solemnly watching the show. They know it could be any one of them in Grigori’s position, that’s why they haven’t defied the Federovs. They remain silent, accepting the reality as Bratva Sheshtyorka, and how disposable they really are .
Grigori pants through his evident pain while I circle his chair. “ You want this to end?”
“Please,” he whimpers.
I pause my footsteps, glancing at the men who were once Grigori’s comrades. “Do you think he deserves mercy?” I question them. I watch them all shift under my command, the unease ripping through each one. “ This man took advantage of Pakhan’s generosity. He intentionally killed an innocent, one who couldn’t defend herself.”
The men dart their gazes to one another, a mixture of sadness and disappointment all evident on their faces. They know that Federov’s women are untouchable. You can play, but no harm will come to them. As soldiers, it’s their duty to protect them, and Grigori failed.
“Let me ask you again. Do you think this man deserves the Federov’s mercy?” I bark out, anger soaring through me.
“No, Sovietnik!” they all answer in unison.
I turn with a smirk on my face, watching Grigori’s features shift into unfiltered fear. “ Your colleagues have spoken.”
“No! No!” he screams, his pleas coating the night air, tinging it with desperate cries.
I gesture for two men to come forward. While one unhooks the wires from his body, the other unties him from the chair. When they’re finished, they pull him up to stand, and I direct them to the compactor that sits a few yards away from us.
There’s an abandoned car already in position, a Honda Civic that has rusted over time. One soldier pries the trunk open with a crowbar, while the other walks Grigori to it. With a harsh shove, Grigori lands inside, whimpering and crying. I find it almost ironic that now he’s about to meet the same demise as the poor girl he murdered a few nights ago, he’s not acting so confident. In fact, he’s a complete mess.
I march up to the trunk, pulling out my gun and aiming it at his head. Kai approaches with his phone, filming the next interaction. This’ll be proof that I’ve done my job. “ You have two choices. You can take this gun and kill yourself, or you can die in this metal box.”
Grigori sniffs, eyes bloodshot as his frightened gaze peers up at me. Even though I know that’s a tough decision to make, ultimately, I’d take the bullet over being crushed to death.
“ Please. I’ll do better.”
Disappointment ricochets through my body, and I withdraw my gun with a sigh. “Sorry, Grigori. That’s not an option.” I slam the trunk closed, muffling the man’s cries as he kicks the inside. It’s no use, though. He won’t be getting out of this alive. In fact, he won’t be getting out of this at all.
The machine kicks in as I direct the forklift truck towards the car. In moments, the battered vehicle is lifted into the air and placed inside the crusher. The squeal of metal grinding against metal overwhelms the screaming coming from inside. I turn my back away, watching Kai closely as he video records the whole thing. The crusher rolls down, the screams and cries getting louder and louder until…
Silence.
I pass my gaze over the remaining men, who are all watching the moment with rapt attention. This is a lesson for everyone here today, that you don’t take what doesn’t belong to you and never defy the Federovs. Ever.
* * *
I know this is what Konstantin wants, and I shouldn’t question that. Grigori fucked up and he had to pay the price. But the little voice in my head keeps ringing out, calling me an asshole for my part in it.
I run my hand through my hair as I try to wash away the guilt, but it never works. Killing people just doesn’t come easily to me, and I don’t think that’ll ever change.
Tilting my head back, I let the water fall over my face. Another piece of my morality falls away, circling the drain below. Moments go by where I wallow in self-pity, wishing there was a way out of this, but there isn’t. The only way I’m getting out of this life is in a body bag, but I know that the Federovs wouldn’t even grant me that much respect.
My phone rings from the counter by the sink, the shrill tone echoing through the small bathroom. I step out, towelling myself down quickly before reaching for it.
“ Yeah?”
“Konstantin wants you in ten minutes. Prescott is here.”
I frown at Kai’s words, because why the fuck is Prescott here? If the whole point of his involvement is to help us, he’s doing a shitty job. It’d be so easy for him to be caught here, and then we wouldn’t have leverage or intel. So much for being a smart cop. He’s clearly too fuelled on revenge to think shit through. We need to be careful around him, because who knows how trustworthy the man is.
“ Milo?”
“Yeah,” I answer back impatiently.
“ You coming?”
“ Yeah, just let me get dressed.” I hang up before he can question me, stepping out of the bathroom and into my bedroom. I pull out a fresh shirt, suit jacket, and slacks, quickly running through the motions of dressing. Swiftly pocketing my phone, I head out of my bedroom and towards Konstantin’s office, raking a hand through my damp hair.
The door is already open when I reach it, Vadim pacing in front of his brother’s desk. Kai is standing beside the leather couch in the far corner with Prescott seated on it. I step inside, closing the door behind me before I greet Konstantin.
“ Sovietnik,” he acknowledges me with a smile.
“ Pakhan.” I nod in response, taking a seat beside his desk. “ I see you’ve met Prescott?”
“Was this your idea?” Vadim questions me, not even attempting to hide his distaste.
I shake my head, nodding towards where Kai was, only he’s closing the door. “ You have Malakai to thank.”
While I know Konstantin will be impressed with Kai’s level of forward thinking, I can tell Vadim is pissed he didn’t think of this himself, which is probably why Kai has just been excluded from this meeting. But I’ll give credit where credit is due– he might be a questionable source, but Prescott is a tool we can use until he’s useless.
“What are you all saying?” Prescott asks, shifting nervously in his seat.
“Federov wants to know what you have to offer him,” I supply, which isn’t a total lie.
Clearing his throat, Prescott stands up, but I shake my head. You don’t approach Konstantin unless you’re trusted enough to be alone with the guy, and Prescott is definitely not on that list yet.
“I can get any information you need with regards to The Five,” Prescott explains, taking his seat once more. “A lot of the NYPD is on their payroll, but it’s not too hard to find weaknesses.” His eyes land on me expectantly, like I need to translate what he just said. The guy is seriously lacking brain cells.
“ Why is he looking at you, Sovietnik?” Konstantin grumbles beside me.
Smirking, I look at my boss. “ He thinks you don’t understand what he’s saying.”
“ Muzak,” he huffs, shaking his head. “What do you get out of this, Prescott?”
His eyes widen like he wasn’t expecting Konstantin’s English to be so good. “I… umm… I want the same thing as you.”
“Which is?” Vadim interjects, folding his arms across his chest.
“I want to see The Five gone from the city.”
Vadim laughs boisterously, the sound bouncing from the walls. “And you think we can’t do that ourselves? We’ve been around them long enough to know how they work.”
“Yes, but you don’t have the tools to take them down without starting a war. The Five can’t eradicate the police.”
He makes a fair point. While we could take The Five out ourselves, we would be drawing a lot of attention to our organization, some of which wouldn’t do us many favors. “He has a point,” I say. “The police can get more done than we can.” I glance at my boss, switching to Russian. “ Plus, it takes the heat off us. Let this asshole take the bullets.”
Konstantin nods with a sinister smile on his lips.
“We can start by taking out their businesses, raid them, shut them down. You name it.” Prescott grows more and more excited as he reels off his ideas.
“And what of the men under their payroll? How do you suppose you’ll get around that?” Konstantin asks.
“I know plenty of people who want to see the fall of Bonanno,” Prescott smirks.
I look at Konstantin, wondering if he knows this man’s background. Usually, I’d be giving him all the information, but since Kai blindsided us all, I’m assuming he’s also explained what Prescott’s motivations are. Konstantin remains passive, probably thinking how best he can utilize our new ally. I can tell he doesn’t want to give much away, but at the same time, Prescott is the perfect pawn.
He might think he’s gotten away with using us, but little does he know, we’re using him, too.