Chapter 14
fourteen
A few days later, I find myself pacing anxiously outside of Liam’s car on the edge of one of the old shipping docks Dante uses to secure his more illegal goods. It’s a small port that rarely sees any traffic outside of fishing vessels, but it’s the best place to hit.
I’ve managed to piece a few of my more lucid memories together. I didn’t spend my entire time in that cell. Christian dragged me to a few of his meetings in the main building not far from the stables. Parading me around behind him while I was nearly naked seemed to keep him in less of a foul mood.
“They’re five minutes out.” Seamus pulls the phone away from his ear.
Matthias is almost here.
“How many men?” Liam asks. His own men shift uncomfortably in the background. Some of them have made their dislike about working with Matthias known, but that rebellion was squashed quickly.
The Irish are still growing in the Pacific Northwest, and unlike the Bratva, they don’t have large numbers to draw from. They are, for all intents and purposes, still considered a gang by most standards. Limited in number and assets.
In order to pull this off, we need the skills and men that Matthias can provide.
“Fifty on site, plus two snipers and a hacker with infrared.”
I smirk. Mark. Vas informed me that Matthias grounded him after his stunt at the bar and is still on thin ice after working with Archer. Which means he isn’t leaving the compound anytime soon and is being heavily monitored.
Better than dead.
Headlights bob in the distance, tires sloshing through mud puddles as Matthias’s convoy approaches. Jesus, I’m sweating like a nun cornered in a whorehouse. Liam tried to convince me to stay behind. He doesn’t like putting me in the line of fire, and neither do the twins, but I’m set on this.
It’s my plan, and I’m not going to let them get into the thick of it without me.
“What the hell is she doing here, Kavanaugh?” Matthias’s tone holds a deadly edge that sends a shiver of wanton desire up my spine.
I never thought I’d say this, but—I need to get laid.
“It’s her plan, and she wanted to come along,” Liam replies casually, without raising his voice. “She told you she wasn’t changing her mind at the meeting. Isn’t my fault you didn’t listen.”
“Fuck that,” Matthias hisses angrily. “She doesn’t have any defense training. She’ll get killed.”
Liam shrugs nonchalantly. “What would you have me do? Tie her up and put her in the trunk?”
“Yes,” Matthias growls. My biological father laughs.
“Okay, Dashkov.” He points a finger at me. “Have at it. Good luck, though. The twins made sure she was well prepared for tonight, and I doubt your wife will submit as easily now as she once did. By all means, go right ahead. Just don’t come crying to me when she hands you your bollocks.”
I struggle to keep my face impassive as Matthias scrutinizes me, his forehead creasing as he stares me down, eyes narrowed. Liam is bluffing. Mostly. The twins have been teaching me weapons and self-defense, and according to them, I’m a quick learner, but Matthias has something I don’t.
Time.
A reason to fight.
I’m no match for him. But Liam gets one thing right. There will be no going down without a fight. Because, well—fuck him.
“She gets killed; it’s on you.” My husband points a finger at my biological father, who only smirks at the subtle threat.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Russian,” Seamus drawls. “Kiernan and I have Ava duty. You really should give her some credit though. She’s more talented than you think.”
“I don’t need you to tell me about my wife, kid,” he sneers. “I’m well aware of her talents.”
Don’t blush. Don’t blush. Don’t blush.
Shit.
I feel the heat creeping up my neck at his words. I’m pretty sure the talents he’s referring to are not how well I’m doing with firearms.
Pretty sure, anyway.
“All my men are in position.” Liam breaks the tense silence that hangs in the air at Matthias’s last comment.
“I’ve got men on the south entrance, and the rest are spread throughout the small port, disguised as security guards.
Don’t shoot any of them, please. They can be identified by a red ring around their left upper arm. ”
Matthias turns his hardened gaze to him and nods.
“My men are covering the north entrance, as well as the high ground.” He’s all business now. “I’ve got several container trucks ready to go as backup on the water if needed.”
“We’re still not sure if it’s human cargo or not,” I speak up, joining the small circle of men that begins to form near the two mob leaders. “We need to make sure we aren’t shooting into the containers until we know what’s being transported.”
Maksim, who comes up behind me, makes a disgruntled sound.
“I don’t like going in with an unknown.” His thick Russian accent startles some of Liam’s men. A few of them look up at the Russian giant with wide, fearful eyes. I can’t blame them. The man is massive and could snap half of the men here like twigs.
“Everything is solid,” Kiernan speaks up. “The only unknown is the cargo itself. We’ve got tabs on every guard, hobo, port official, and tiny dicked Italian in the place.”
Vas, who silently joins the group, snorts in amusement.
“No one here wants to be responsible for accidentally killing helpless women.” My pulse wobbles when Matthias’s gaze turns back to me.
Warmth floods my stomach, a tingling sensation building between my legs at his intense stare.
His stormy eyes hold mine, and I think I see a flicker of longing, but there’s no way to be sure. It’s gone faster than I can blink.
“Fine,” Maksim growls. “Clock is ticking.”
Everyone nods and files back toward their respective cars, except Matthias. He leans in close and whispers something angrily to Liam, who just laughs and nods his head at my husband like he’s a puppy rather than a giant wolf.
Shaking my head, I make my way back toward Liam’s SUV.
“Not you, Ava,” Liam hollers to me, jerking his thumb back at my burly Russian husband. “Change of plans. You’re going with him.”
“Da!” the twins exclaim at the same time.
“Don’t da me,” he scolds them. “He’s better equipped to keep her safe, and the two of them have some marital kinks to work through. Don’t you think?”
I curse under my breath. If he means that Matthias will ignore me the entire operation, then yeah, we’re working through so many kinks.
“He promised me he wouldn’t throw you in the trunk,” Liam adds, as if that small bit of information will help.
“Could still throw me in the water though,” I pout, grabbing my pack from Seamus’s hand. I shoot him a small smile before turning to where my husband and his entourage wait.
Shoot me now.
“Let’s go, Ava,” Matthias barks. “Time is ticking.”
Liam grins broadly down at me as I shoot him a glare, hoping it will melt his face off. No such luck. This is payback for our conversation about Marianne. I just know it.
“Coming, darling.” I smile sweetly at my husband, my voice drenched in saccharine as I make my way toward him. Vas barks a laugh.
“Let’s do this.” The jovial Russian claps his hands together in anticipation. Matthias simply grunts as he slides into the passenger seat of the vehicle, not bothering to open the back door for me first like he used to.
“In you go.” Vas winks at me as he holds open the door, allowing me to slide into the back seat.
“Everyone in position.” Mark’s voice crackles through the small radio that is mounted on the dash. “Keep everything in the shadows. You’ve got two large cargo trucks three clicks out from the north entrance.”
Luckily it’s one of our men on the gate.
We sit in silence. The tension in the car is stifling as we wait in the shadows for the trucks to pass through the gate. Once we know where they are going, we can pursue. The plan is in place, set to near perfection.
Jake, our man on the gate, routinely checks their credentials while simultaneously sticking a small tracker on the side of one of the trucks. From there, we are able to triangulate their position and follow them in.
Mark’s infrared drone hovers above the small port, giving him a real-time feed of the area. He’s able to inform us of how many men are in the trucks, positions, and any surprises that might come up.
Easy as pie.
I hope.
“You’re staying in the car, Ava,” Matthias finally speaks, his tone grave as he slides the slide of his gun back to double-check there is one in the chamber. Vas does the same with his. “There is no reason to be out there where you could get hurt.”
I scoff. “Thanks for showing concern,” I sneer as I check my own gun. A decently sized Smith and Wesson 9mm. Perfect for me. “But you won’t be able to access the digitalized containers without me. I’m the one with the codes, and I’m not sharing.”
Matthias snorts derisively.
“Assuming he didn’t change the codes.”
I miss him calling me Red. Or Krasnyy. Fuck, I wish we could go back to that. To before the staunch silence and titanium walls he’s erected between us.
“By all means, Matthias,” I shoot back at him, gesturing toward the port. “Feel free to conduct this plan without me. Let me know how that goes.”
“We need her, boss.” Vas levels a hard gaze at his Pakhan. “You know that. Stop being so fucking stubborn.” A beat passes before he tacks on a respective if not somewhat sarcastic “sir.”
Matthias growls, the sound coming from low in his chest. It makes me shiver, an unwanted flush creeping up my neck, heat suffusing my cheeks.
Fucking body doesn’t seem to be getting the message that we aren’t on team asshole now. Traitor. But man, do I miss the sex.
So badly.
Goosebumps litter my skin as I recall the gentle caress of his rough hands on my skin. His hot mouth sucking on my puckered nipple as he teases my clit with his fingers.
My body remembers what it feels like to be held by him. Dominated by him. Even when my mind wants to erase the memories, they hold on tight like a desperate man on a sinking ship. We are explosive together. Two broken halves of the same coin that don’t quite fit back together the way we had before.
“Trucks are coming your way.”
Shit. Now is not the time to be getting sentimental about the past.
Or turned on by it.
The three of us tense, holding our breath in anticipation as the two trucks roll by us toward the gate. Vas’s hands tighten on the steering wheel as he watches the security feed from the small display they’ve rigged over the radio.
None of us utter a word as we watch Jake smile at them, his body relaxed and at ease as he checks the driver’s credentials in the first truck.
Then the second. This only works if they don’t suspect him.
It’s a risky move, replacing the guard at the gate with one of our own.
But it’s necessary. One of Christian’s men could have seen us sitting in the shadows or recognized any one of the men we’ve used to replace the guards.
It’s lucky for us that Christian uses a private security firm to roam the port and not Dante’s men.
It would require a whole new strategy. One that would have been riskier.
I prep Jake on how to act. What to say. He’s the perfect fit with his coal black hair.
We add caramel contacts to make him look more Italian, because green eyes are a dead giveaway, and make him watch a few horrible Italian movies to help him with the accent.
Not the best plan, but it looks like it’s working, and that’s what matters.
A few moments later, Jake waves the two trucks through the gate, and we’re all set.
“We’re a go,” Jake whispers through the radio.
“Location thirty-six Alpha,” Mark’s voice crackles. “Twelve north, four east, five north, and eight west. Identification codes, 27-43-45 and 27-43-46.”
Well, that is confusing as fuck.
“Let’s move,” Matthias orders as he gets out of the SUV.
Taking a calming breath, I move to do the same, only to find him blocking my path as I go to climb out.
“You gonna move?” I ask.
“You stay between me and Vas,” he whispers dangerously. “If anyone starts shooting, you fucking duck and hide.”
“I can handle myself, Matthias.” I attempt to push past him, but his large, calloused hand on my throat stops me. My pussy clenches at the familiar action.
Hussy.
“I mean it, Ava.” His lip curls up on one side.
“This isn’t how it works, Matthias. You made your choice, husband. Showed your cards.” I lean forward against his hand, the pressure on my neck sending delicious tingles through my body, and whisper in his ear. “You don’t control me anymore.”
Before he can see what is happening, I grab the hand that holds my throat and twist before applying added pressure to his elbow and forcing it in the opposite direction. The large Russian stumbles back, eyes wide, pupils dilated as he takes me in.
He should have seen the joint lock coming, but like most men I know, he underestimates me.
Now he can clearly see who he is dealing with.