Chapter 26
SETH
Nikolai made a huge fucking mistake going after Wren the way he did. He made an even bigger one by having Jagger try to kill Ripp. An eye for an eye was how I’d been raised, and I still planned on living by it.
Jagger didn’t succeed in killing Ripp, but that didn’t matter. The rules were the same, only I wasn’t going to fail. I looked down at my watch; it was half past one in the morning. As soon as Wren fell asleep, I left to make my plans.
“You know where he’ll be, don’t you?” Benny said as he walked over to my desk.
I made sure my SIG Sauer was secured in my holster and nodded.
“I do,” I replied. “He was the same way in New York.”
Every night, Jagger would go to one of his favorite strip clubs. It wouldn’t be different here in Vegas. I aimed to search the ones in the area until I found him. I grabbed my suit jacket off my desk and slipped it on.
“I need you to watch after Wren. I’m going alone.”
Benny huffed. “One of these days, you’re going to get yourself killed. You need someone with you.” I glared at him, and he lifted his hands defeatedly in the air. “Call me if you need backup.”
First, I was going to handle Jagger on my own. And then, once he was dealt with, I would go after my brother. I marched into the kitchen and grabbed my car keys off the counter.
Once in the garage, I hopped in my car and turned the ignition.
The second my lights flipped on, a figure in black stood in their path.
Wren stared at me with daggers in her eyes and her arms crossed over her chest. She looked like she was going to rob a bank, dressed in a black tank top and pants, with her dark hair pulled back in a low ponytail.
I got out of my car, and she stormed over to me. Her gaze moved to the gun in my holster and she huffed.
“What are you doing?”
Benny appeared in the doorway and cleared his throat. “I couldn’t stop her.”
I focused back on Wren. “I’m doing what needs to be done,” I told her.
Her brows lifted. “Are you going after Nikolai?”
There was no reason to lie to her, but I feared how she’d look at me if she knew the truth. “No. I’m going to find Jagger.”
Wren blinked a few times and then dropped her arms. “Okay. I’m going with you.”
She tried to march to the passenger’s side, but I stopped her and grabbed her arms.
“No, you’re not.”
Wren stared down at my hands holding her. “Yes, I am. You might want to let me go before I break your wrists.”
And I had no doubt she’d try it, too, but we both knew I was stronger than her.
I let her go and looked over at Benny who shrugged. “She has just as much reason to go after him as you. She’s in our world now; she might as well see it.”
Wren opened the passenger’s side door. “Exactly. I promise I can handle it.”
“We’ll see about that,” I said, glaring at her over the hood of my car.
We both got in and I drove us toward the city, the night sky illuminated by the lights.
“I knew you were up to something,” she confessed.
I peered over at her, my brows furrowed. “How?”
She blew out a sigh and met my gaze. “I don’t know; it was just a feeling.”
That made me smile.
“That’s how I felt the night you tried to sneak out.”
She leaned her head against the seat. “Guess it’s just our good intuitions.”
“Which is good to have,” I said, placing a hand on her thigh. “It means we’ll live longer.”
A few minutes later, we arrived at the bustling Sin City streets. “Where exactly are we going?” Wren asked.
We weren’t far from the first strip club on my list. There were three that Jagger could be at.
“We’re driving by a certain type of club. Jagger is obsessed with them.”
Wren scoffed. “I see. It’s probably because he can’t get a girl any other way.”
We pulled into the parking lot of our first stop. I scanned the cars and there was no sign of the black SUV I knew he’d be driving.
“He’s not here.”
Our second stop was on the other end of the Strip, and the third was further than that.
When we made it to the second one, Jagger wasn’t there.
However, when I pulled up to the last one, a gleaming black SUV was parked out front.
Jackpot. Wren sat up in her seat, her chest rising up and down with her rapid breaths.
“That’s his car, isn’t it?”
Nodding, I parked out of sight. “Yes. And as soon as he leaves, we’ll go from there.
” I pulled out my gun and set it in the center console.
Wren glanced down at it and then focused back on Jagger’s car.
“Do you know how to use a gun?” I asked her.
“I’m assuming you do since you stole one of mine to kill my brother. ”
Wren bit her lip sheepishly. “When it comes to fighting with my fists, I know everything. But I’ll admit, I don’t know much about guns. I watched a video on how to use one the morning of the meeting. You can learn pretty much anything on the internet.”
Out of all the things she could say, I wasn’t expecting that. “Thank God you didn’t get a chance to try. When all of this is over, we’ll go shooting together.”
Wren exhaled a sad sigh. “When all this is over, I don’t see our paths going the same way. You will take over your family’s empire, and I want to pursue my fighting career. How could our lives possibly work together?”
I didn’t have the answer to that, but I knew I loved her enough to do whatever needed to be done. Before I could tell her that, Jagger stumbled out of the club and fumbled with his keys.
“There’s the cocksucker now,” I growled, putting my car in gear.
Jagger drove out of the parking lot, and I could hear his music pumping as he went down the road.
We followed at a distance, and I was shocked to see him venture into the old downtown.
The streets were darker, with fewer lights.
Not to mention, the bastard was probably drunk. This could work to my advantage.
“Where is he going?” Wren wondered.
His brake lights brightened, and I slowed down when I noticed him pulling over to the side of the road by a dark alley.
“We’re about to find out,” I said.
Jagger opened his door and rushed out, leaving his car idling on the side of the road. Turning off my lights, I parked and watched him pull out his cock and scurry into the darkness. I grabbed my gun, and Wren clutched my wrist, her eyes filled with worry.
“Be careful.”
I leaned over and kissed her. “This is for Ripp.”
It was late and dark, with no other cars in sight. When it came to ending someone’s life, I never thought too much about it. It was always something that had to be done. With Jagger, though, I was excited about killing him; I could feel the anticipation coursing through my veins.
I walked into the alley, focusing on Jagger leaning against the brick wall and spraying his piss everywhere.
My finger twitched to pull the trigger, but I had to wait.
I wasn’t the type of man to shoot someone in the back.
I wanted to look them in the eyes and make them look at me when I killed them.
Jagger zipped up his pants and whirled around, his face full of shock when he spotted me.
There was no time to waste. He scowled and tried to reach into his holster for his gun, but I pointed mine and pulled the trigger.
His blood splattered across the brick building, and his body landed with a thud against the concrete.
One down, one more to go.
* * *
The drive to my house was silent, but Wren kept her hand on my leg. I knew she saw everything that happened. Luckily, I sensed no fear from her. The last thing I wanted was for her to be afraid of me.
When we pulled into the garage, Benny opened the kitchen door. Word traveled fast in my world. If anyone knew that Jagger was dead, I’d hear about it.
“Have you heard anything yet?” I asked him.
Benny shook his head. “No, but it won’t be long. Nikolai’s probably expecting one of us to go after Jagger.”
I looked over at Wren. “It’s time to give my brother a call.”
She nodded and followed me inside to my office. Once behind closed doors, I pulled her into my arms, and she laid her head on my chest.
“Are you scared of me?”
She shook her head and looked into my eyes. “No. I’ve never been afraid of you, nor will I ever be.” Her brows knitted together. “Is that what had you worried tonight?”
“Yes,” I admitted truthfully. “I was afraid you’d see the brutality of my world and decide you don’t want to be a part of it.”
She lifted her hands to my face, her lips spreading into a sad smile. “I know brutal, Seth. What you did tonight was nothing compared to what I’ve seen.”
“It can get worse,” I said.
She shrugged and shook her head. “Then I’ll figure things out when that time comes.”
I pulled out my phone and was about to call Nikolai when his name flashed across my screen.
“Nikolai,” I said, my voice devoid of all emotion.
“You went after Jagger, didn’t you? I can’t seem to get him on the phone.”
“That’s because he’s dead,” I hissed. “You don’t go after one of my own and live through it.”
Nikolai blew out a long breath. “You’re changing, big brother. Your loyalties aren’t with your people anymore.”
I scoffed. “Jagger wasn’t one of mine. And you have no fucking clue what loyalty is. That’s why this ends now. You and me, Nik. One fight, one winner. The last one standing gets everything.”
Nikolai chuckled. “Are you sure you’re ready to fight me?”
“I’m ready to end it,” I growled.
“What will happen to that whore of yours when I kill you?”
I glanced over at Wren, who tensed at his words. “If anything happens to me, she’ll be perfectly fine. You, on the other hand, wouldn’t fare so well.”
“I’ll put a bullet in her head just like I did her brother.” Nikolai responded venomously. Wren’s eyes blazed and she turned away, her body shaking with rage. “She’s working with the fucking FBI! Who’s to say she’s not getting close to you to take you down, too?”
“Enough!” I shouted. “I’ll call you with a place and time. You have two days, brother.”
Nikolai scoffed in disgust. “Is our father going to be there to see his golden boy fall?”
“Everyone will be there,” I fired back. “That way, you can’t fucking cheat.”
Nikolai huffed. “I don’t need to cheat. I look forward to your call. Make sure to get your affairs in order.”
Wren glared at the phone, her resolve hanging by a thread. I knew it took a lot out of her not to say anything.
“Sleep well, Nikolai,” I said and hung up.
Wren stepped up to me, her emerald gaze wild with fury. “I am not working with the FBI against you.”
I pulled her into my arms. “I know that.”
“What happens now?”
I exhaled a tired sigh. “Now, I find a place for me and Nikolai to fight. I don’t want anyone else getting hurt. Unfortunately, the hardest part is what I’ll be doing tomorrow morning.”
Wren looked up at me, her forehead creased. “What will that be?”
A strand of hair had come out of her ponytail, and I tucked it behind her ear. “My father and I have to tell my mother what’s happening.”
She winced and closed her eyes. “I can’t even imagine what this will be like for her.”
“I don’t want to break her heart, but I have no choice. This has to be done.”
Wren grabbed my arms with a look of determination on her face. “I want to be at the fight.”
“No!” I snapped, shaking my head. “It’s too dangerous. I want you here with my mother. You’ll be safe with her by your side.”
Wren’s eyes blazed. “But I want to see Nikolai dead, Seth. I want to see him suffer for all he’s done.”
I lifted my hands to her face, and clasped it gently.
“If you’re there, I’ll worry about you the whole time.
I have to focus on the fight.” I leaned down and kissed her.
“I’m ending this for you. You won’t be completely safe until he’s gone.
” Looking into her emerald eyes, it was so easy to get lost in them; they were beautiful. “I love you, Wren.”
A small smile spread across her lips. “I never thought I’d like hearing that so much.”
“I’ll say it as many times as you want,” I promised her.
She rubbed her cheek against my hand. “I didn’t want to fall for you, Seth. I fought against it for as long as I could. It’s the first fight I’ve ever lost.” But then her gaze narrowed. “And I don’t plan on losing any more.”
I let my hands fall from her face. “Neither do I. That’s why I need you to promise you’ll stay here and let me deal with Nikolai alone. It has to be this way . . . it has to be me.”
Wren crossed her arms over her chest. “Are you really going to kill him? He’s your brother, Seth. Will you be able to look him in the eye and end his life?”
I knew without a doubt that I could. I would do anything to keep her safe. There was no hesitation when I stared right into her eyes.
“Yes. I need you to trust me.”
Wren hung her head, and a tear fell down her cheek when she lifted it. “I do. That’s why I’m going to stay here with your mother.”
A wave of relief washed through me and I kissed her. “You’ll be free of all this in two days. You can do whatever you want, live wherever you want, and be whoever you want.”
Wren smiled and another tear fell down her cheek. “That’s great and everything, but where does that leave us?”
I reached for her arms and pulled them away from her chest, bringing her hands to my lips. “That all depends on you. My world isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s messy and dangerous.”
Wren flippantly shrugged her shoulders. “Sounds like my kind of world. The only problem is where our lives take us. You belong in New York, and I’ll be traveling for fights.”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. If you let me, I want to be a part of your life.”
Her lips tilted into a smirk. “I’m good with that.”
I knew she could handle my world, but I hated the thought of her being in danger all the time.
That was what I would be giving her . . .
a life of looking over her shoulder. The best thing to do would be to let her return to California and forget about me, but I was too selfish.
I’ve never felt this kind of love before, and I refused to give it up.