3. Nazai
CHAPTER 3
NAZAI
I stood in front of the man currently tied to the chair with my arms crossed, waiting for him to wake up. My brothers—Emmet, who was the youngest, and Ezra, who fell right before him—stood on the side of me. The latest target had been knocked out and gagged in his kitchen, currently waiting for his final resting.
“Can we get this over with now? I’m bored.” Ezra yawned.
Cutting my eyes at him, I made eye contact with River, my best friend and the muscle in operation, and nodded.
River and I had been friends our whole lives. Our parents were close, his dad worked under mine. Unfortunately, his parents were murdered when he was fifteen and my family accepted him with open arms. Loyalty and family were big in the business; so taking in River was a no brainer.
Nodding back, he walked to where the guy was tied up with his head dropped and pulled a rag out of his pocket, putting it to the guy’s nose. The man’s head lifted and he blinked lazily before widening his eyes.
“What, what, what’s going on?” he stammered, bouncing his eyes around.
I smirked, stepping forward. “You know one thing I hate more than anything in the world is a pedophile,” I snarled.
“No, I was found innocent! I never touched that girl.” He quickly shook his head and wiggled, attempting to get free.
“These pictures say differently,” Emmet objected, tossing the pictures at him. They slapped against him before falling to the ground around him. They were pictures of kids; some had him in them, others were the kids dressed and posed in ways no kid should be.
“Those aren’t mine!” he blurted out with a bewildered look on his face.
Ezra snorted behind me. “Can we just kill him already?. Wilma wants some action.” He stepped closer to me with his custom steel mallet he had personalized in hand.
Marvin’s, the guy tied to the chair, eyes widened.
“You thought you hid your kiddie porn, and to an amateur you did, but unfortunately for you, my brother isn’t an amateur,” Ezra boasted, causing Emmet to grunt.
Marvin’s eyes slowly lifted from the pictures on the ground and he swallowed heavily. “Look, I beat those charges. They didn’t have enough evidence on me. Those pictures are photoshopped.”
Glancing over my shoulder at Ezra, I nodded, giving him the go ahead. He grinned and light filled his eyes. He swaggered over to Marvin, whose eyes bulged larger.
“Wait, wait-ah!” he cried when Ezra sent Wilma slamming into his kneecap. The crack of his bones filled my ears faintly, his screams drowning it out. Ezra hit him in the other kneecap, making sure to put extra force in it.
“Please,” Marvin sputtered, with tears and snot running down his face. “I won’t look at another kid, please.”
Disgust filled me. “Your promises mean nothing to the kids you’ve already hurt,” River said, sending his fist across Marvin’s face. He and Ezra got off on this type of thing. For the next twenty minutes I let them work Marvin over as they pleased. River and Ezra took turns, throwing punches his way.
Marvin coughed out blood and his head sagged more. I went into the small of my back for my gun. While I got a thrill out of killing, torture wasn’t really my thing. I preferred to get the job over with and move on. People like Marvin, however, didn’t deserve easy deaths though. People like him were special cases that got handled accordingly.
Marvin, and many others who the justice system failed, were the reasons me and my family did what we did. While we got hired for some jobs, the ones like tonight I preferred. Taking out trash like Marvin would always be my guilty pleasure.
____
A smile formed on my face as I stared out of the two-way mirror, looking down into the strip club floor. The rush of last night’s kill still had me on a high. Business was booming, which wasn’t shocking. Since I’d opened The District it’d been a cash cow that only continued growing in revenue. It was two clubs in one. The bottom level was a nightclub always maxed to capacity and the top half was a strip club, Euphoria, that employed only the baddest fantasies a man could want. Anyone who came to The District knew it was a high-class establishment that was strict when it came to dress code and conduct. People couldn’t walk through the doors wearing everyday street clothes. My girls were all vetted and knew to keep their hair, nails, and clothes up to par always or they wouldn’t step foot on the floor. Same with my waitstaff. People waited in line for hours to get into The District for a reason, it was a high class experience.
I brought the glass of liquor to my mouth and watched as Majesty worked the pole. All the girls who worked for me made good money, but Majesty was one who made more than others each night. She dropped down into a split and made her ass cheeks clap. Bills flew on the stage.
Taking my eyes off the glass, I shifted them to the screens on the wall. They gave a visual of the bottom half of the club and different angles of the strip club.
The District was my first big investment. It was a way to show my dad I was able to make money and be in control of my own shit without him. While he wanted me to have a profession that benefitted the family, more like my brothers, I chose a different path. Being in charge was something I was built for, but I wasn’t meant to be in the courtroom or behind a desk all day. The District was my way to rebel against the plan he had for me and show him I determined my own future.
Happy with what I saw, I turned and faced the men on the other side of my desk. My brothers and River were all seated around me. River smoked a blunt, nodding at whatever Ezra was saying to him.
“Did Monty give you any trouble?” I asked as I walked to my desk, sitting down and setting my glass down. My eyes settled on River. I had sent him after Monty, a low-level criminal, after he ran up a large tab at the club then dipped out on us without paying. He thought he would get away with crossing me, but he should have known no one crossed a Tavarez and got away with it. When it came to certain jobs, River had no problem getting his hands dirty.
“I did.” He smirked, stretching out on the couch.
“And?” I raised a brow.
“And we handled it,” Ezra jumped in. “Let’s just say, Monty’s hand gon’ be in a cast for a few weeks and your money is handled.” He nodded toward the briefcase River brought in with him.
Lucas snorted and shook his head. We all knew that meant Ezra had used Wilma on Monty’s hand. Whenever he needed to teach someone a lesson, Wilma came into play.
“Crazy fucker,” River mumbled. “The situation is handled. And we got the money he skipped out on, plus interest.”
Ezra smirked while Emmet laughed quietly not looking up from his Rubik Cube. Most people thought they were twins, but they were eleven months apart. The two had some screws loose too, that often came in handy. “As long as it’s taken care of.” I waved them off.
I focused on River. “How’s your end looking?”
River would be my head enforcer when I took over. He would make sure security surrounding me and my family was tight. With my dad being who he was, he couldn’t have built his name in the justice system without having enemies too. While we all hated having the extra people, we knew it was necessary in our line of work. We never knew when our enemies would attack. We listened as River went over the last couple of guys he had hired. He also handled security at my club so I never had to worry about major issues going on when I wasn’t around.
The meeting wrapped up and everyone left except River.
“I heard your dad’s on your ass about a wife again.” He smirked and relit his blunt, blowing smoke out and leaning forward.
Sighing, I loosened the tie around my neck and leaned back. “It’s a pain in the ass, but he isn’t budging on it.”
A week had passed since talking with my dad and I was still no closer to resolving the wife situation.
“What about Anastasia?” he suggested, blowing smoke out.
I scratched my cheek thinking about it. Anastasia was a girl I fucked off with from time to time. It was just sex between us, but occasionally I used her when I needed a date to an event. She was the perfect eye candy and hardly gave me any hassle.
“I thought about her.” She would make the most sense. While she didn’t know the ins and out of my family’s business, she was quiet and stayed in her lane. I knew whoever I took as a wife would have to be trustworthy enough to be involved with certain things. A person couldn’t be weak and be a part of this family. She would be chewed up and spit out easily. Anastasia was a better choice than my dad’s suggestion.
River stayed around a little longer before dipping out to find some entertainment downstairs. A few minutes after he left, there was a knock on the door. I loosened my tie more and undid my suit jacket.
“Enter,” I called out, lifting my glass and finishing my drink.
Majesty stepped inside the room and closed the door behind her with a grin on her face. “You called for me, boss?” Her head tilted slightly and she dragged her tongue across her lips. On his way out I had River tell one of the guards outside my door to page her to come up.
Standing, I walked around my desk and took a seat on the couch with my legs gapped. “You know why I called you up here.” Her eyes lit up and she strutted over to me. She didn’t hesitate to drop to her knees and reach for my pants.
As soon as she removed my dick and took me in her mouth, I closed my eyes and laid my head back. My hand went to her hair and I gripped it tightly, forcing her to take more. She moaned and gagged around my dick, always loving when I took her mouth roughly. Having the freedom to fuck who I wanted was one luxury I enjoyed while being single. There was no way I was looking forward to giving it up with marriage.
____
“I’ll be looking forward to working with you more.” I shook Zylus’s hand while my dad stood next to me, observing quietly.
“Same here. Since I’m back in the city permanently for the time being, I hope to do more business with you.” He turned to my dad. “As always Dominic, it’s good doing business with you.”
Dad stepped forward and shook his hand. “I heard about your brother. I hope everything pulls through.”
Zylus stayed quiet but I didn’t miss how his jaw flexed slightly at the mention of his brother, whose car was shot up recently.
“We’ll be on the lookout for your call,” I followed up.
Zylus ran a large shipping company and specialized in moving guns in and out of the city. He normally came into the city every couple of months but now he was back for family reasons, at least that was what the rumors said. If someone was ever in need of heavy artillery, he was the man they got with. He supplied our organization, and for that, we kept his pockets laced. My father had been doing business with him for years and was setting me up to be in communication with him going forward.
Jackson and Luke, my two guards, fell in step behind us along with my dad’s guards when we headed for the exit. I didn’t use them often unless I was out handling business and it was only because my dad insisted.
“Your mother told me to tell you to stop by soon. It’s been too long since she saw you,” Dad commented as we approached our cars. We came to meet Zylus separately, meeting here at his building down near the docks where his office was located.
Devin, my driver, was waiting outside the blacked-out Range Rover for me. When I got closer, he pulled the door open and waited for me to climb in.
“Let her know I’ll be by this week.”
We stopped in front of our cars. “Have you thought about what we spoke on?”
I bit the inside of my jaw and shook my head. I should have known I wouldn’t leave here without him mentioning it. “I’m working on it.”
His eyes narrowed. “I hope you are. Time’s running out, hijo.” He held his hand out. When I took it, he pulled me into a fatherly hug and patted my back. “Be sure to visit your mother soon,” he called out on his way to his car where his driver was waiting.
Turning for my truck, I slid in the back seat with Jackson behind me and Luke taking the front. Devin closed the door and walked around to the driver seat.
I pulled my phone out and scanned the messages. “Headed home, sir?” Devin asked.
“Take me by the barn first.” The Barn was where the family meetings took place. It was on the outskirts of town, toward the country, with no neighbors in sight. The country house we used as the central operating area, but the barn in the back was where we took people for their last moments. Me and River used it more than anyone.
I kept my eyes on my phone. I was in the middle of reading a text from Ian, the manager of my club, when an alert came across my phone. My brows furrowed when I clicked on it. Someone had triggered the silent alarm at my house on the outskirts of the city near the mountains. It wasn’t one I stayed at often, mainly when I wanted to duck off and get off the grid.
I switched to my camera app and pulled up the grid, locating the culprit right away.
“Change of plans, head to my house on the east side,” I told Devin.
“Yes, sir,” Devin answered.
“Everything okay boss?” Jackson asked.
“I’m not sure yet.” I watched a girl and young boy move through the house. Most of the time this house was left alone outside of the staff I hired to maintain it. It was in the suburbs and break-ins were hardly ever an issue. I didn’t keep much security at the house unless I planned on being there.
I watched the pair move around the house without a care in the world. The girl seemed to be scoping it out. It was summer but she had on a hoodie and leggings. However, she must have felt comfortable because she removed the hood and turned to face the young boy. I switched to a different camera to get a better view of her light brown face. She had on large sunglasses so I couldn’t see her eyes. Her jet-black hair was pulled into a ponytail at the top of her head.
I tried to think if I’d seen her before but came up blank. Most people weren’t stupid enough to try me like this. She didn’t look like a threat, but in my line of work I knew I could never be too sure.
Sitting back, I pressed my lips together and my trigger finger itched. It had been a minute since I’d had to punish someone for something outside of the job.
____
I made sure to let my guys know to keep quiet when I opened the front door to my mansion. It was a four-bedroom, four-and-a-half bathroom, two garage, two-story house. On my block were only three other houses and there was enough space between us that I had privacy. The high shrubs surrounding the property helped too.
With my gun in hand, I stepped behind Luke and Jackson. I knew where the woman was already and planned to head her way.
“Keep an eye on the boy. Don’t hurt him,” I told them when we got into the living room. He was laid out on my couch asleep. Looking at him, I noted he couldn’t have been older than twelve.
“Do you want one of us to come with you?” Luke asked when I turned for my bedroom, where the girl was.
I shook my head. “Nah. Stay here.” The master bedroom was across the hall from the living room. While I was sure there was no reason for me to have backup, I still kept alert.
I made a quick sweep of my bedroom, making sure nothing looked out of place. I had kept eyes on the girl on the drive here, but it never hurt to be on guard.
I could hear the shower running and it grew louder the closer I got to my ensuite bathroom. Steam filled the room and heat hit my face soon as I stepped over the threshold.
Through the foggy glass I could briefly see the girl washing her hair—her head thrown back and hands massaging her scalp. My eyes swept over the bathroom floor. Her clothes were scattered in a pile on the floor along with a purple backpack.
Walking over to it, I kneeled, keeping my eyes on the shower and picked up the bookbag. I searched through the contents inside, mostly clothes and toiletries. Buried at the bottom was a wallet. Grabbing it, I opened it and was happy to see an ID inside.
My eyes widened when I noticed the name on the license. Flickering my eyes up toward the shower, the corners of my mouth lifted. With my gun still in hand, I dropped the bag and stood before dragging my tongue over my top teeth and stepping around the small mess.
Cashlynn finally must have sensed me because her eyes snapped open and her head whipped in my direction. She pushed the glass door open and looked shocked to see me.
“Fuck!” she cursed. Her eyes went to the gun at my side then darted behind me. A frantic look switched onto her face.
“Don’t move,” I warned her.
Not listening, she reached for something and launched it at me.
“Shit!” I gritted when it hit me in the face. Water flicked in my direction as she rushed me, throwing hits. My gun fell from my hand, causing me to curse under my breath.
Cashlynn was like a wild animal, throwing hits my way left and right.
“Stop!” I bellowed, finally gaining my bearings and grabbing her wrists.
“Let me go! Where’s my brother?” she shouted, attempting to wiggle free.
She was shorter than me, stopping at my chest. Water and soap dripped down her body, covering my arms and floor.
“Settle the fuck down before I shoot you,” I warned her.
Her eyes lit up mockingly, then narrowed. “I’d like to see you try.” She shot her head up and pain radiated through the bottom half of my face when she slammed the top of her head into my chin. I groaned and my knees gave out when her knee connected with my dick.
“Muthafucka!” I let her go. She rushed to grab her things and attempted to run. I could taste blood filling my mouth. It took me a second to recover, ignoring the slight pains from her attack.
“No you don’t.” I snatched her by her hair and pulled her back. My blood ran hot with fury.
“The fuck!” she shouted.
Sick and tired of fighting with her, I pulled her so she was pressed against my chest and secured my hold on her hands. It was time to get this shit under control. No way was I about to let some girl make a fool of me. Her fight was comical at first, but now I was growing annoyed.
I spit some of the blood that filled my mouth on the floor and seeing it only caused my mood to grow sourer.
Moving one of my hands to her neck, I pressed the pressure points and soon her body relaxed and sagged against mine. Breathing hard, I shook my head and lowered her to the ground.
“Jackson!” I called out, looking around my bathroom, noticing the shampoo bottle on the floor and realizing that’s what she must have thrown at me. The liquid mess scattered around it pissed me off even more. I walked to the shower to turn the water off.
Jackson came rushing into the bathroom and paused with wide eyes seeing the naked woman on the floor.
“Look in my nightstand and grab the handcuffs,” I demanded.
My eyes went to Cashlynn. I’d never met her, but I knew of her family. The rumors weren’t pleasant. She was a feisty one, I could give her that. She’d caught me off guard, but she had to try a little harder to outdo me.