“Fuck you, Lev,” he grumbles and Dima gathers him in for a hug like he has been a good boy. Ridiculous.
“D, is Jules still on the line?” I ask
“Yep, he's still here. I'll put him on speakerphone.”
I bring up the app on my phone and thankfully it hasn't been disconnected. Luckily either Jake hasn’t found his burner, or he is too fucking dumb to have checked.
“Got him. Looks like he's in an abandoned house at Lakeshore Woods just on the edge of town. It's around twenty minutes away. Let's go.”
“On our way,” Jules confirms before ending the call.
I rush to my car, Dima following me along with Seb.
''You need to stay here, beautiful, it's too dangerous and I want you here with Kai in case Aaron gets back here on his own,” Dima tells him.
Seb, I’m shocked to say, doesn't argue just as Kai walks in. I walk over to him and he steps back, clearly my intent is written on my face. I punch him across the jaw.
“Do your job properly next time, Kai, or you won't be alive to tell the story. I don't give a shit if you are Jules’ nephew. Do we understand each other?” I say.
He stands there holding onto his jaw, wiggling it to make sure it’s not broken.
“Sorry, Lev. I'm so sorry,” he says, and I believe him.
“Stay here with Seb. We found him so we are going in.”
“Okay,” he responds, and I head for the door not looking back, knowing my brother is with me as always.
Speeding down the roads, I can feel Dima’s eyes on me. I’m in the driver’s seat. I didn't have the patience for him to drive so as usual I took control.
“We will get them brother, but you need to control yourself. We don't know what state Aaron will be in so leave all the wanting to kill for when we get back to the pen, yeah?”
“I’m not fucking stupid, D. I know,” I shout at him.
I wish he would stop trying to tell me how to feel or behave because I am struggling to work that out myself. I have been thrown off kilter from this. Never given a shit about anything or anyone apart from D.
Obviously the little fucker has gotten under my skin if I’m in this state, but I’m not good at showing it like D is with Seb. I can never be sweet or gentle and who the fuck would want that. Then again, Aaron isn’t like anyone else so maybe that's why I’m in this shit, trying to navigate fucking emotions. Christ, the idea of it makes me want to stab my own eyes out.
I hit the dial on the hands free to Simon.
“Hey Lev, we just pulled in. Where are you?” he asks.
“Just at the end of the road, be there in a couple of minutes. Don't go in without us,” I say.
“Got it,” he says, and ends the call. I let out a long breath I’ve been holding in since I felt something was wrong. We pull up to the end of the track where the house sits. I look over at my brother.
“Let's do this.”
He nods and we get out, removing our guns from our hidden holsters. Jules and Simon appear from the shadows, both armed too.
“You see how many?” I ask in case there are more involved than just Jake.
“Just one van and it looks like it's only Jake's crew with Aaron. No movement in the rooms, not sure if there is a basement,” Simon says.
“What's the plan, Lev?” Jules asks.
“Simon, you stay out here and guard the exits. D and Jules, come with me. Anyone tries to leave, kill them, but do not kill Jake. If needed, injure him enough so he can't move, but nothing fatal. You don't wanna deal with me if you kill him. Is that clear?”
They all nod.
