“The girl with your phone,dolboyob. Who is she to you?” This is the last bit of information I want from him. He folded the second I showed up and started asking questions about the information he’d given the authorities about how the Vor operates. Fortunately for everyone involved, especially the Kuzmin bloodline, what he knew couldn’t fill a thimble.
His weight sags in the chains holding him upright as he falls unconscious, and I realize he’s too far gone for comprehension. I don’t really give a shit how he knows Petal. Or at least, I won’t care how he knew her once he’s dead. Right now, it’s a thorn in my palm thinking of him somehow being important to her. Touching her. Believing he has some claim on her. His phone was with her for a reason, and the fury of not knowing why unleashes something feral inside me.
Smelling salts under Gleb’s nose jolt him back to consciousness, but it’s immediately obvious I won’t get anything further from him. He trembles and shakes, rattling the metal chains and setting his body swaying from the hook attached to the beam above him. He moans incoherently, the pain too much for his piss poor constitution to tolerate. I should let it go. Finish Gleb off, report back to thePakhan,and be done with this.
Should but I won’t. Feliks grumbles under his breath at the doorway to the temporary kill room I build in one of the many safe houses the Vor maintains. As Anatoly’sobshchak, the money man of sorts for thePakhan’sentire organization, he rarely shows up for the wet work. Instead, preferring to wield our leader’s money like a blade against our enemies. His presence here in the midst of my work is enough of an oddity to draw my attention from Gleb’s piteous whimpering.
“What is the problem?” I demand. “All the information should already be to the boss.”
I hate having a babysitter, especially one who might have a weak stomach. I respect Feliks. Have seen him kill when necessary. But still, he’s more like a bean counter than a bratva warrior. I imagine he’s already tallying the wasted return on investment that comes with torture and converted it into lost revenue.
“That’s not why I’m here. You’ve withdrawn a lot of money from your accounts today. Enough to raise red flags across my monitoring systems. I’m here for answers.” Feliks sounds bored as fuck, but I hear the steel beneath the words. As irritating as itis to have him crawling up my ass about how I spend my money, I know he’s not leaving without an explanation.
“I’ve decided to invest in some additional real estate. Everything is above board,” I say. Idly, I drag my knife in swirling patterns over Gleb’s heaving torso. Not deep enough to lead to real damage, but enough to keep him drowning in pain.
“You bought a house and a storage lot. Neither of which were on the market this morning. That draws attention, Sin.” Feliks uses my nickname as though we are still youngboeviks, rising through the ranks together to serve at thePakhan’sside.
“The world sees a man who owns several small businesses and properties. Where does the problem lie?” I continue toying with the bleeding man beside me as we talk. Now, I’ve moved on to twisting the tip of my knife into the shallow cuts, the curved end catching the inner meat of his flesh and tugging it out and separating the tissue from the fat underneath.
“Would you stop fucking with that traitor scum and pay attention here?” Feliks grouses.
I flick my knife over Gleb’s throat, slicing the carotid and ensuring the prick dies before this bullshit conversation is likely to. Feliks flinches as I walk toward him, but I don’t mistake it for fear. He’s not afraid of me. He’s disgusted by the gore covering me. It’s a good thing he’s got a head for numbers, because he could never survive doing what I do without hesitation.
“Are you implying I should not spend the money I earn however I choose to spend it,obshchak?” I like Feliks, but if he thinks anything he says will stop me from buying the storage facility where my little bird has been staying or a home to give her instead, he’s got another think he ought think.
“No, Zinovy. Just, maybe, next time, consult with me first? I could have helped you find a better property than that shitholeDino-Mite. Are you aware the man you bought the place from is related to the mayor? No. And now, I have to soothe ruffled feathers because you offended him. Soothe him with your money, so be prepared to see more debits from your accounts.Perestan’ bit dabayobom!”
“I’m not being a dipshit. I have my reasons. Take what is needed to shut up the nephew. I have more important things to do now.” I turn my back to Feliks, conversation over as far as I’m concerned. My pockets are more than deep enough to handle whatever bribe is necessary.
I swing the lever to release the chain Gleb hangs from, and his body drops like a stone to the tarp covered concrete. I really like the layout of this safe house’s basement. I may use it again in the future. For now, I’ve got a mess to clean up and a woman to get to.
Chapter
Nine
CHAPTER 9
Petal
Two days ago, the cameras mounted to poles near the fence line atDino-Mitedisappeared. Then a sign showed up in the window of the office that saidUnder new managementand advertised free drinks and snacks for people who have rental units here. Nothing else seems to have changed, minus the volume of granola bars and fun-sized candy bars left in the baskets after I quietly loaded my backpack with as many of each as I dared.
And maybe, I should feel a little concerned about the removal of the security cameras, but it’s not as if they actually kept anything safe around here. Part of the reason I chose this place to rent a storage unit is the reputation for management ignoring everything possible, barring actual police reports made bycustomers if a break in occurred. Hopefully, the new owner will be as hands off and lazy as the old one, at least, for a few more weeks while I save up to get out of here.
I’ve had a sense of urgency to move along to a new place building in me ever since I first felt eyes on me the other morning. The sensation intensifies every time I squeeze from under the roll-top door to my unit. Jordan finding me comes to mind as a possible reason for the feeling, but I quickly set aside that worry. He doesn’t have the patience to spy on me for any length of time. It’s much more likely he’d slam his way in here, full of fury and violence at having been dumped.
The eyes I feel watching me don’t vibe as violent. The opposite, kind of. I can’t really explain, even to myself, what could possibly be safe about feeling stalked. Still, with a tummy filled with free granola bars and nacho-flavored tortilla chips, it’s hard to be upset at anything.
Three weeks ago, I’d considered it lucky if I made it through an entire night without being hassled by the cops for sleeping on a park bench after hours. Now, here I am, fully rested from a good night’s sleep on my pile of blankets in a safely locked-up room that even has running electricity.
Yeah, maybe, it’d be nicer if it also had plumbing, so I wasn’t stuck buying shower time at the truck stop by the highway and peeing in the bushes behind theDino-Miteoffice. But still, I’m feeling more lucky than I have in years. Maybe ever. Thinking about luck makes me think about the sexy guy who’d been inPete’sthe other day. He didn’t say much, but the tip he left wasridiculous. It’s selfish of me to wish for more good fortune, but I really, really hope he comes back.
Not just for the tip, although that was pretty awesome. He’d been eye candy for my entire shift, and even though I’ve sworn off men after what Jordan put me through, that doesn’t mean I’m dead. Looking is plenty, and I sure had looked plenty! The money he left me, plus the other tips I’ve been hoarding, is enough to open a bank account so I can have a safe place to keep my savings.With that In mind, I head to the bank nearest Pete’s Pastries.
“I’m sorry, miss. Without two proper forms of identification, I’m not legally allowed to open any accounts for you.” The banker schools his expression into fake concern, but condescension is obvious in his voice.
“But I have my birth certificate and my social security card. That’s two!” I argue.
“The birth certificate is only a photocopy of the certified version, and your social security card’s been ripped in half and taped up. Plus, neither is a photo ID,” he sniffs, his opinion of my pitiful lack of a driver’s license clear.
