“You’re right,” he finally conceded. “You’ve always followed me blindly and trusted me. I’m doing the same.” He stepped closer—so close, our feet touched. “But make no mistake, Alfonzo, if whatever you’re doing blows back onmy boy, I will force you to watch as I slaughter your boy, and then, I will shoot you where you stand, clear?Nothingtouches my husband, do I make myself clear?”
I nodded once. “I’dneverlet someone come after Anurak,” I swore. And I meant that. Anurak was sweet and kind, and I adored the boy with every fiber of my being. It was absolutely impossible not to. Even Niran, who was a cold-hearted psychopath that barely felt a single human emotion had a soft spot for Rico’s husband. And after everything Anurak had been through, he deserved to live the rest of his life in peace and happiness.
“Good,” Rico said. “Now get out of my face and report back to me in the morning, got it? And take Niran with you. You don’t meet this son of a bitch alone, even if Shaw will be there. I don’t trust the Russians. They’re shady.”
I snorted. “And we’re not?” I retorted.
Rico just grunted and shut the door in my face. I turned on my heel and headed for the stairs. Just as I began descending them, the burner in my pocket began to vibrate. I tugged it free, flipped it open, and answered the call.
“I believe I hear jingle bells,” I teased.
“You’ve got thirty minutes to meet me at the GBMC clubhouse,” Rurik said. And then, he was gone, the line going dead.
Well, it didn’t get much more neutral than that. Neither of us wanted to do anything shitty in Ghost Born territory. Jax, who was like Rico’s brother, lived there with his old lady, and Ace, who was Anurak’s boyfriend, lived there with his husband, Gunner. And considering Anatoly Balakin’s daughter was married to Shaw…
Rurik had made a good call. This protected both of us.
Who knew… maybe I might actually like the bastard after all.
Chapter Eighteen
Alfonzo
The Ghost Born MC clubhouse was full of people when I got there. All six members of the mother charter were present, as were their significant others. Rurik and one of his bodyguards were sitting at the bar, but the moment I walked inside with Niran, they stood. Shaw appeared from the back hall, where I knew his office was located, and he jerked his chin toward the chapel. Konrad, whose road name was Bender, whispered something to his husband and wife, then followed us inside.
Niran shut the door behind us, then took a seat beside me. Shaw leaned back in his chair, then looked between me and Rurik. “I get you two don’t like each other. I don’t fucking care why. Just know, no shit gets started in my territory, clear? And you keep your bullshit away from my family.”
I dipped my chin at him. Rurik looked at me. “You have Maksim?”
“He’s in my bed sleeping,” I told him. “That hasn’t changed since the last phone call.”
Sliding my phone from my pocket, I began a video call with Bento. He answered on the second ring, his face filling my camera. Grunting, he curled his lip up at me playfully. “Ugh, did not want to see your face this up close and personal.”
I snorted a laugh. “Can you pan the camera to Maksim? Rurik wants proof of life.”
Bento flipped the camera, and there was my man, sleeping peacefully, still snoring. I turned my camera to show Rurik, and he nodded once. Ending the call, I slipped my phone back into my pocket. “How bad was the shot?”
“Clean through. Went in the front of his shoulder, came out the back. He got a couple of blood transfusions, and our doctor sewed him up. He was lucky he didn’t get an artery hit. He was on morphine throughout the day. Now that he’s in my bed, he’s on pain pills, has had food, and is in comfortable clothes. I’m taking care of him.” Leaning forward, I steepled my fingers together on the table and leveled him with a flat gaze. “Now, whothe fuckhas it out for my man?”
“If I knew, I wouldn’t be sitting here with you. I’d be tracking them down myself,” Rurik drawled. “I rescued Maksim and gave him a home within the Bratva. I’m not a fan of people going after the ones I have a personal investment in. I haven’t figured out why Anatoly put him on the task of taking you out. He wasn’t ready for a job of that caliber. And Anatoly is remaining tight-lipped about it, though he doesn’t seem to be actively hunting for Maksim fortechnicallybetraying the family.”
“Then, who the fuck is?” I growled.
Rurik shrugged. “I’m digging, but so far, I’m coming up empty. I checked the cameras around the vicinity of the hotel, but there’snothing. Not even a record of me dropping Maksim off there. Whoever went after him wiped everything clean. They’re not amateurs. They know what they’re doing.”
I looked at Niran. “And you’ve found nothing?”
Niran shook his head. “Not a thing. No word on the streets. Nothing on the dark web. No one followed him to the house that I can see. Whoever this is… they’re a fucking ghost.” And he didn’t look happier with that fact than me and Rurik did.
“I want a meeting with Anatoly,” I told Rurik.
Rurik snorted. “You think Anatoly fucking Balakin is going to rearrange his schedule to accommodate you? I think not.”
“Oh, he fucking will,” I retorted. I looked at Shaw. “You have Anatoly’s number?”
Shaw arched a brow at me but nodded once. “I do. Why? Don’t drag me into the middle of this shit.”
“You might be in the middle of it if we can’t figure out who’s targeting Maksim. We have no idea if they’re just after him, or if they’re after all of us.”
