Chapter 4: Bratva Prince: Chapter 4

Something wasn’t right. I knew it the second ‘Mary’ spoke in Spanish, thinking I couldn’t understand her words.

I didn’t believe for a fucking second her name was actually Mary. It was obviously fake. She was determined to keep me from finding out who she really was, even at the expense of me hurting people she so clearly knew.

Oh, she’d tried to hide it. Tried to conceal the recognition that flashed across her face for the briefest moment. But it was too late. I saw it, and it confirmed what I already suspected.

She was tied to the Zetas.

I had no idea how, no idea who she was to them, but I would sure as shit find out.

My gun tucked under her chin, I forced her head back, staring down at her. Anger burned in her eyes, her jaw locked tight.

She was such a pretty little thing. Defiant. Full of fire and attitude. All things that turned me on and made my cock throb. My eyes darted to her lips. What I wouldn’t give to see them wrapped around my cock, preferably with that same angry glare still burning on her face.

The guy I held off to the side by the back of the neck thrashed. I tightened my hold, making him hiss in pain.

“Why don’t we try this again. And if either of you lie to me, I’m going to kill you instead,” I said huskily, tapping my gun on her cheek.

I didn’t necessarily want to kill her. I wanted to feel that curvy body writhing beneath me, her screaming my name in that sexy Spanish accent of hers at least once before I killed her.

But if need be, I would.

“Do you two know each other?”

When neither of them answered, I started counting down. “One. Two. Thre—”

“Wait!” the guy croaked out.

“¡Mantén tu maldita boca cerrada!” Keep your damn mouth shut! she hissed angrily.

“But—”

“Me escuchas. No. Otro. Palabra,” You heard me. Not. Another. Word, she growled, her eyes never wavering from mine.

Even if I didn’t understand Spanish, the fact that they were having a conversation answered my question for me. It also revealed she was high up in the ranks of the cartel, since he obeyed her command, not saying another word.

She glared at me like she wanted nothing more than to claw my fucking eyes out. Her hand locked around my wrist, her fingers still coated with Darryl’s blood. At first I thought she was pulling some stupid move, trying to steal my gun, but then she jammed it harder into her skin, no doubt leaving bruises with the amount of force she used.

“If you’re gonna kill me, kill me. I’m not afraid to die. So if you’re gonna do it, hurry up. Otherwise, get the fuck out of my face.”

For the briefest moment, all I could do was stare at her in shock. I could tell by the look in her eyes she was entirely serious. She wasn’t scared to die. There wasn’t an ounce of fear on her face. Just total calmness, complete ease, like this was just another day at the office.

I’d never met a woman like her. She was fearless. Even in the face of death.

Bratva women were tough as shit. If they decided they wanted to be in the life, they were put through the same rigorous training as the men. Taught to be just as ruthless. Just as cunning. To be willing to die for the family, like any of us would.

And yet, none of the Bratva women I’d met had ever shown such a complete and total lack of fear.

Except maybe my sister. But she was batshit crazy.

The sound of my phone ringing cut through my thoughts. It made me realise I’d been staring at her. And she had been staring at me. Her face had taken on a slight softness. For what reason, I couldn’t say. If she was looking to bring out that same thing in me, she was wasting her time. I didn’t do soft. I was incapable of it.

Keeping my gun locked under her chin (because if I was being honest, looking down at her while she glared up at me, my much larger frame towering over hers, did all kinds of things to the filthy beast inside of me), I gripped the neck in my hand more tightly and hurled the man backwards, confident my brothers would secure him before he even got off the ground.

I reached behind me and pulled out my phone from my back pocket. “Da?” Yes? I answered, never taking my eyes off the little firecracker before me. So much sexual tension burned between us, like a solar flare.

Oh, she hated me. It was obvious by the look in her eyes. But she wanted to fuck me too. And that was okay. Hate sex was fucking amazing.

“What are you lot doing standing around out there like a bunch of idiots?” Father’s voice echoed in my ear. “The mission debrief is in thirty minutes. Lock those prisoners down and get your asses inside.”

I hung up. There was no need for a reply. When Father gave an order, he expected it to be followed without question.

I tucked my phone back into my pocket, keeping my gun pointed at Firecracker. Since she refused to give me her real name, Firecracker would have to do. It suited her a hell of a lot better than ‘Mary’ did.

“Erik, take the prisoners to the pit. Put them in the same room and make sure they’re locked down tight,” I commanded, looking at the man to my left.

Erik was one of our high-ranking Captains, responsible for keeping the soldiers in check. He’d been with the family for over twenty years. Loyal to the bone, with an impeccable work ethic. He had a solid build for a man in his late forties, with a full head of dark hair, a big bushy beard to match and dark brown eyes.

“Yes, boss,” Erik nodded, pulling a pair of zip ties from his back pocket. He slapped them on Firecracker’s wrists and signalled to a few of the soldiers standing around to grab the other prisoners.

Firecracker fought, like I knew she would, struggling as Erik dragged her into the warehouse, cursing us all in Spanish along the way.

My brothers appeared at my side, Nik on my right and Lukyan on my left.

“You sure it’s a good idea putting them together? You know Father prefers them kept separate to make it harder for them to form an escape plan,” Nik said, bending slightly to pat Boris on the head. He was still wearing his dirty, bloody clothes, Kevlar vest strapped to his chest and his body riddled with guns and knives. He was only an inch or so shorter than me, but he had a similar build.

I grunted, turning to head back to the house. The dogs followed me, and I released them with a command. “Vol’no.”Free. Their demeanour changed in an instant and they ran off, nipping at each other playfully.

“I want to hear what they say to each other when they think no one is listening,” I said as Nik and Lukyan walked beside me. “Make sure the cameras are turned on in the room.”

“Got it.” Nik pulled out his phone, logging into the surveillance system. He was really into that techy shit. He had an affinity for it. He rigged the entire thing so he could remotely access it from his phone whenever he wanted to. It was also highly secure, riddled with firewalls and shit. No one could gain access unless he allowed them to.

“Did you notice the interaction between that chick and the other prisoner?” Lukyan asked, a thoughtful look in his eyes. “You were totally right, Zander. She’s hooked up with the Zetas. Whoever she is, she ranks highly enough for the grunts to listen to her. Do you need any help with the interrogation? I wouldn’t mind getting a little closer to her,” he winked.

I stiffened, the image of my younger brother touching Firecracker soaring through my mind. “No,” I grunted. There was no fucking way I was letting Lukyan anywhere near her. He was a goddamn sex fiend.

Like me, he would never force a woman. But with those good looks and charm, he never had to. Women literally threw themselves at him. If he was alone with her, in an enclosed space, with nothing but him and her and those suave pickup lines he loved to throw out all the time, who knows what could happen.

No. There was no way I was going to allow that.

Lukyan frowned, his brows lowered in confusion. “No? Why? You always let me get in on the fun.”

By ‘get in on the fun’, he meant torture them until they cried. Or pissed their pants. Or both.

Though I knew that wasn’t what he had in mind for Firecracker.

“Because I said so.”

“But—”

“I said no, Lukyan,” I snapped, grabbing his shoulder and forcing him to a stop. “You stay away from her, you hear me?”

“Aww, what? Come on, Zander,” he gave me a shit-eating grin. “I bet she’s never had a Bratva man before.”

“Lay one finger on her and I’ll break it off, got it? I’m dealing with the Zeta prisoners. Not you. If I need your help, I’ll ask for it. Until then, stay out of the pit. Now go get your ass ready for the mission debrief.” My voice dropped to a dangerously threatening tone, so he’d know I wasn’t fucking around.

This was Lukyan though. He never could take a hint. Even when it was staring him right in the face.

“Seriously, what’s the big dea—ow!”

I squeezed his shoulder to the point of pain, making him cry out.

“Okay! Okay! I got it. Jeez.” I let him go and he rubbed his shoulder, glaring at me. He pounded his chest like a gorilla. “Hulk angry,” he grunted, imitating me.

That little shit.

I stepped forward at the same time he stepped back. Lukyan’s childish laughter hit the air as he ran back towards the house.

Turning back to face Nik, I frowned at the look on his face. “What?”

His brown eyes studied me closely. “Nothing,” he eventually said, shaking his head. “Nothing.”

I wasn’t sure I believed that. He clearly had something he wanted to say. The thing about Nik, though, was if he didn’t want to talk about something, he wouldn’t. And I wasn’t in the mood to beat it out of him. At least, not right now.

“Whatever. Clean yourself up and get to Father’s office for the debrief,” I said, heading towards the house.

After I showered and got a quick bite to eat, I walked into Father’s office feeling refreshed but tired. It had been a loooong forty-eight hours. First with the attack on Illayana’s wedding, then tracking down those fuckers who stole hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of inventory from our armoury, and lastly mounting a rescue mission to get my little sister back. It had all left me running on fumes. The last of my energy was all but depleted.

My limbs ached, the faint traces of a headache starting to creep into the far corners of my mind. The smell of weed and alcohol lingered in the air, curling around the room. The weed was courtesy of Lukyan, who sat in front of Father’s desk, hair still wet from his shower.

Father had a strict ‘no drug’ policy. He needed all of us with clear, sound minds. Not hyped up on drugs. But he was a bit more lenient with weed. Especially right after a dangerous mission.

Lukyan had switched his combat gear for a pair of grey sweats and no shirt, leaving his chest bare. A joint hung loosely from his lips, his eyes dazed and glassy.

Nik sat beside him in his own chair, one hand clasped around a tall glass of vodka. He didn’t look any worse for wear, but I knew he had to be just as exhausted as I was. His laptop sat closed in his lap. The damn thing was like a security blanket for him. He carried it everywhere.

Like Lukyan, he was wearing a pair of sweats (his dark blue) and he also had a dark, long-sleeved shirt on.

“Good, you’re here,” Father said, his deep voice cutting through the silence. He sat behind his desk still dressed in his bloody clothes, his fingers tapping impatiently on the wood. “We can begin. Sit down,” he inclined his head to the couch off to the side and I took a seat, stretching out my body.

“What about Illayana?” Lukyan asked, puffs of smoke leaving his lips as he spoke.

“Your sister is exempt from this debrief. She needs to rest.”

Father was a man of many rules. He was a creature of habit. Routine. Always doing the same thing the same way for as long as I can remember. One of those things was the after mission debrief.

It didn’t matter if we were doing an unplanned infiltration—like tonight—or a regular drop with one of our clients. We always had a debrief afterwards. We discussed everything that happened and if there was anything we could have done better.

Father believed there was always room for improvement. That we could always be better. Do better. He expected the best from his children, and if we didn’t give it…

Lukyan coughed violently. “What?” he choked, smacking his chest. “How is that fair? Even when I broke my leg when that deal with the Triad went bad, you still made me show up to the after mission debrief.”

Nik snorted. “Not exactly a solid argument on your part, idiot. You had to be there. It was your fault the deal turned sour.”

“Hey! How was I supposed to know the chick I fucked the night before would turn out to be the Yakuza’s daughter? Or that she was engaged? She didn’t say shit to me about it.”

“You should have known better than to hit a Triad club the night before a meet with them,” Nik said, taking a sip of his drink.

Lukyan waved a hand. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever. The point is—”

“Enough you two,” Father cut in. “We have a lot to get through tonight, so sit back and shut up.”

Father began, delving right into it. He checked things off one by one on his notebook as he addressed each issue he had with our actions. “Lukyan, you fucked around too much, not taking things seriously enough. Pull your head in. Nikolai, too slow, move faster. Aleksandr, pay more attention to your surroundings.”

He spoke about both the gun retrieval mission and Illayana’s rescue, focusing on key points he thought we needed to improve on, as well as questioning us on why we pulled certain moves.

By the time he was done, we had all been well and truly put in our place.

“Alright, onto the next point of business. Your sister said Rayna was the one who drugged her and handed her off to Nero—”

“Wait, what?” I frowned, leaning forward. “Rayna? As in our cousin, Rayna?”

Lukyan turned slightly to look at me. “Oh shit, that’s right. You weren’t in the car when she told us what happened. Rayna pulled her away from her guards and stuck a needle in her neck, knocking her straight on her ass.”

Adrian—one of Illayana’s guards—told us Rayna had asked to speak to her privately. It was the reason they weren’t with Illayana when she was taken. But I never would have thought she was the one responsible for kidnapping Illayana. She was a selfish, entitled bitch, but she was family. We’d never had a betrayal so close to home before.

“Do you think Dominik knew? That he was involved?” Nik asked.

“He has to be. Rayna doesn’t do shit without her father’s say so,” I replied, shaking my head in frustration.

There was a lot of bad blood between us and them, but betraying the family and handing Illayana over to be raped and murdered? No. Even I would never have foreseen such a treacherous move.

Father leaned back in his chair. “I agree. My brother had to have known, maybe he even orchestrated the whole thing. The truth is, we have no way of knowing exactly how involved he was with the whole thing until I speak with him. At this moment, he’s ignoring all my calls and has gone into hiding, like the little bitch he is,” his eyes locked on Nik. “How long will it take for you to find him?”

Nik frowned in thought. “Depends how well he hides, if he chooses to stay out of the spotlight. But I can set up a facial recognition program that will scan for him over the thousands of cameras in Vegas, and it will alert me when he shows his face. If he’s still here.”

A dark, angry look crossed Father’s face. “Oh, he’s still here alright. This was a power move of his. There’s no way he’d leave the country now. Do it. Find him. And search for Rayna too. I want them both.”

“Yes, Father.” Nik flipped open his laptop, typing with one hand as he slowly sipped from the glass in his other.

Father’s gaze cut to me. “While Nikolai’s doing that, Aleksandr, I want you to interrogate the Zeta prisoners. Find out everything you can about them, including why the fuck they’re taking orders from the Outfit. If they don’t talk, you make them talk.”

I inclined my head. There was no point in telling him that was what I was planning to do anyway. He wouldn’t take kindly to it. Not in the presence of others, at least.

Father was a bit more lenient when we were alone. He didn’t care if I spoke back to him or disagreed with him, as long as it was done privately.

Father continued handing out our next assignments. “Lukyan, you’re on inventory.”

My younger brother groaned. He hated inventory. Loathed it. But it was a necessary evil. We inventoried our supplies once a week to ensure everything matched with our records. And since our armoury had recently been raided, an inventory was even more essential.

“Go through all the guns we recovered and match them with what we have on file. Make sure none are missing,” he continued.

“Yes, Father,” Lukyan all but whined.

“Good, now we have another issue to address. We’ve been approached by a new up and coming MC gang operating out of North Las Vegas. The Dirty Vultures. They’re wanting to buy a case of MP5s and M4 SOCOMs.”

Lukyan whistled. “That’s alotta hardware.”

“How did they get our information?” I asked.

Father was paranoid at the best of times. He only ever did deals with people he knew or people that had been vetted. Which meant someone we’d worked with in the past had given them our details.

“I have no idea. They refused to say. But they were adamant we could provide them with what they needed. And they offered to pay double.”

“Double?” Nik placed his now-empty glass down on Father’s desk. “Where are they going to get that kind of cash?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Father grunted. “You know I don’t deal with people I haven’t vetted.”

“So you told them no?” I highly doubted they took kindly to that.

“Of course I did. They weren’t happy about it, obviously. Said we’d regret turning them away, that we didn’t want to make an enemy out of them. All that threatening, posturing bullshit. So I want to keep a close eye on them, monitor their movements and make sure they’re not planning anything stupid. Everyone reach out to your contacts on the streets and gather as much intel as you can about them. I want to know where they eat. Where they sleep. If they’ve got wives, children. Everything.”

“I think they call them Ol’ Ladies in the MC. Which I never quite understood. Who would wanna call their woman an old lady?” Lukyan took a long drag of his joint, blowing smoke rings. “Seems super weird to me.”

“It’s a position of authority in the MC. Some of those Sweet Butts hang around for years hoping to be made someone’s Ol’ Lady.” Nik’s eyes never left his laptop screen as he spoke.

“I know that,” Lukyan snapped. He hated when Nik explained things to him like he was stupid. But that was just Nik being Nik. He was a fact checker, and sometimes he really couldn’t help spouting off some technically correct statement.

Nik and Lukyan started to argue, which I wasn’t all that surprised with, to be honest. Lukyan had the power to make anyone argue with him.

“Alright, enough,” Father sighed, cutting in. “That’s all for tonight. Go get some rest and you can start your tasks tomorrow,” he waved towards the door, dismissing us. “Aleksandr, you stay,” he said briskly when I stood to leave.

I held in my sigh of annoyance because I knew if Father wanted to talk to me alone, it meant something bad was about to happen.