46. Arsen
46
ARSEN
I am ready to put this whole sordid day behind me and follow Laila up to bed when Vasily bursts through the front door.
“Boss!”
Laila jumps and it takes everything in me not to carry her up the stairs and ignore whatever new fire I’m supposed to put out. But I turn back. “Now what?”
“It’s—” He looks past me to Laila, his mouth clamping closed as he recalibrates. “There’s something I need you to see.” His hand twitches towards his holster. “Outside.”
Well, shit.
Not good. Not good at all.
I keep my face neutral as I turn to Laila. She’s already taken two steps down the stairs towards me. “What’s going on?”
“Don’t worry,” I assure her. “It’s nothing. Go up and get ready for bed. I’ll be back soon.”
“I’ve heard that before.” But she isn’t angry—she’s scared. I see it in the pinch of her brows, in the way she reaches for me.
“This time, I mean it.”
Her expression doesn’t shift, but she nods. “Okay. Please be fast.”
The moment she’s out of sight, I charge through the front door with Vasily tailing me. “What’s going on?”
“Jasper.”
“ Blyat’ . I can’t believe he actually had the audacity to show up here. Is he alone?”
“Looks like it.”
As we make it to the end of the driveway, security has converged around the gate. Dominik’s voice carries over the rest. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you where you fuckin’ stand, you worthless piece of shit!”
“Because I’m the only man Arsen can depend on!” Jasper shrieks. “I’m the only one here who is loyal to him!”
The man nearly killed us both and has been blowing my shit up all over town, and he calls that loyalty? If it wasn’t so deranged, it would be laughable.
“Fuck that,” Dom spits back. “You’ve never been Arsen’s man. The only person you know how to look out for is yourself.”
“Enough.” My voice carries through the throng of men. Dominik and Gedeon part to allow me through. “What’s going on here?”
No one answers, but only because there isn’t a need. Jasper is standing a few feet away with a manic gleam in his bloodshot eyes. It looks like he hasn’t slept in days. Which only makes the guns in his hands that much more of a threat.
“You don’t look so good, Jas.”
“I’m sober,” he snarls, answering a question I didn’t ask. He waves a gun in the air, sending my men scattering backward a few more feet. “I’m totally fuckin’ sober. And I’m here for you.”
I eye both weapons. “What do you want with me exactly?”
He follows my gaze. “You think I’m here to—? No, no. I’d never kill you, Arsen. I’m still loyal. I’m working for you.”
“That’s not how it looks.”
“Appearances don’t matter. Your men—these fuckers—” He waves his guns around wildly once again. “—not all of them are loyal. They’re working against you, Arsen. They’ve defected to the other side.”
“And which side is that?”
“The fucking Italian scum, of course. I told you that alliance was a bad idea. I told you that fucker would betray you!”
“You’ve been the only one setting fires, Jasper. Literally and figuratively.”
He shakes his head hard enough for his jowls to wobble. “That wasn’t me.”
“For God’s sake,” I mutter under my breath. He’s lost his mind. Up until now, there were traces of the Jasper I once knew. Now, he’s a hollow shell of himself.
“Enough of this shit, Arsen,” Dominik grunts. “End this now. Kill the bastard. This has gone on long enough.”
My stomach turns at the thought. But Dominik is right. He’s been right about Jasper all along.
“Jasper, I need you to put your guns down.”
“Why, ‘cause he wants me to?” His jaw squares. “Dominik is betraying you, too. He’s working to bring you down from the inside.”
“Look around you, Jas. You’re outnumbered. Don’t make this more difficult than it needs to be. Lower your arms.”
As if he’s only just doing the math, his eyes scan around the circle. Slowly, a sickening smile spreads across his face. “You think I’m alone?” he practically cackles. “You think I would show up here without backup?”
Gedeon, Dominik, and I share a look. None of us know what the hell Jasper is talking about.
“He’s bluffing,” Dominik finally snorts.
At that exact moment, a gunshot sounds from the thicket of trees just behind Jasper. One of my men hits the ground, clutching his side.
Dominik and Gedeon throw themselves in front of me, scanning the tree line for an enemy we can’t see.
“That’s right!” Jasper cries triumphantly. “I told you I wasn’t alone. There are more men behind me. And they just might outnumber you.”
Vasily is already half-turned towards the house, waiting for my signal. I nod. “Make sure security is covering the entire perimeter of the property. I don’t want anyone getting in from the back.”
He disappears, taking a handful of men with him while I push Ged and Dom aside to focus my attention on Jasper.
“I’ve underestimated you, Jas.” He smiles for a second before I add, “You’re clearly way more fucking insane than I ever gave you credit for.”
The smile drops off his face. “I had to get your attention somehow. I’m trying to warn you. You’re trusting the wrong people, Arsen. You have to believe me.” His voice cracks. “I’m family.”
There was a time that was true, but it’s over now.
“Who are you here with?” My gaze flits towards the treeline, but I can’t see anything other than darkness.
“Friends,” he murmurs. “Friends who are willing to put their support behind you if you would just listen?—”
“I’m done listening, Jasper.” Behind my back, I signal to my men.
They move forward, ready to take him.
Jasper scrambles backward. For a second, he’s a cornered animal, helpless and terrified. Then his lips pull back behind his teeth as he raises his weapons.
“Take cover!” I warn.
But it’s too late. Bullets fly aimlessly over our heads. I duck and roll out of the way.
The shots stop as fast as they started, but when I stand, Dominik is crouching over a body. “You killed him! You fucking killed him!”
Killed who? I can’t see who fell.
Jasper is still standing alone, set against the dark trees. His face is ghostly pale as he stares at the body on the ground.
“He worked alongside you for months!” Gedeon hisses, lunging for Jasper like he’s forgotten the man is still armed and insane. By the blank look on his face, it looks like Jasper has forgotten, too. “He was one of the men who didn’t think you were a waste of space!”
Gedeon leaps over the body, closing in on Jasper, and I finally see who it is.
Matvei. He was one of my first recruits after I took over the Bratva. He’s been loyal through and through… and now, he’s dead. Dead because I couldn’t do what needed to be done. Dead because he trusted in me, and I failed him.
Guilt and rage swirl into a volatile cocktail in my chest. I narrow my eyes at Jasper. “This ends now.”
“Arsen?”
I freeze, the sound of the voice behind me filling me with dread. I whirl around. “Get back inside!”
But Laila is cresting the hill. “Arsen?” She can’t hear me. She can’t see what’s happening.
“Laila!” I bellow, rushing towards the sound of her voice. “Get back inside now.”
Jasper seizes the opportunity and bolts for the woods.
“I have the shot!” Gedeon declares raising his gun.
“Guns down!” I roar. “No one shoots!”
Gedeon hesitates, his finger itching for the trigger.
“If there’s anyone in those woods, they could shoot back!” It might have been worth the risk a second ago, but not now. Not with Laila here.
Laila reaches the top of the hill and stops, scanning the scene below her with panic. “Arsen?”
I grab her arm and drag her back to the entrance. “I told you to stay inside!”
“I heard something. I didn’t know where you were. I thought—” She twists out of my hold and crushes herself against my chest instead. She melts against me. “I thought you might be hurt. I was scared.”
I’m livid with her—for ruining my chance to nab Jasper, for putting herself in danger. But I hold her tight. “I’ll be fine, roza . You don’t have to worry about me.”
“But Jasper was down there!” she cries out. “And I ruined everything.”
I smooth down her hair and kiss her forehead. “We’ll get him.”
“Boss.” A voice echoes in the darkness. This night will never fucking end.
I turn to find Vasily walking towards me. “Boss, it’s the Oryx warehouse… They’ve just been attacked.”
I stiffen. And it’s Laila who asks the obvious question: “When?”
“Just now. Three minutes ago.”
Gedeon and Dominik appear on either side of Vasily. One look at them, and I know we’re all thinking the same thing.
Scattered, manic, and pathetic though Jasper may be, he’s definitely not working alone.
The only question now is, who has been stupid enough to join him?