22
VIKTOR
We walk through the doors and are immediately hit with the smell of cigarettes and stale beer. Tati, who had been quiet for most of the trip, is standing stiffly at my side, still clutching her brother’s journal in her hands. The dress she’d been wearing all night hangs off her body loosely under the jacket I’ve thrown over her shoulders, hiding the large rip from where she was grabbed on the side.
I’ve been trying not to look too hard at her, not to think about the fact that Yanov put his hands on her. I’m trying to stay focused on keeping us alive for tonight.
The bar isn’t as busy as I’m accustomed to at this time of night. There are only a few club members around. Two of them are playing pool near the back and one of them is sitting at the bar talking to Sandy, the bartender. He looks at me as we walk in and his eyes dart to Tati.
“Hey, Vik,” he says with a little frown of concern. “What’s up?”
“Teddy come through here?”
“He’s in back.” He looks at Tati again, then back to me. “Can I get you guys anything? Some coffee, maybe?”
I glance over at Tati and I want to pull her close. She looks shaken and terrified, and I wish like hell I could take that from her. “Just get Teddy out here, pronto.”
The bartender leaves and I turn to Tati. “We’ll be safe here,” I tell her. “Everybody is well armed and this building is fortified to the teeth. Anybody comes looking for us, they’ll regret it.”
She bites her lip and turns her eyes to me. “Can… can we really trust them? I mean…”
“We can,” I say softly. “And if we can’t, you still have nothing to worry about. I’ve got you.”
The ice and fear in her face melt a little when I say that and her shoulders relax.
“Vik,” Teddy says as he walks into the room, Sandy right behind him. He gives me and Tati the same look of silent concern that Sandy just did. “Looks like things have escalated.”
“They have. We need a place to crash… and some help, if you’re willing.”
“You never have to ask, Brother,” he says with a slight smile. He looks over at Tati, then turns to the bartender. “Sandy, take her to one of the back rooms to get cleaned up. And call Luanne. Tell her to come through with some clothes she can change into. Something decent, please.”
“You got it.” He steps forward and offers a hand to Tati. She looks over at me, and I nod, giving her assurance. She takes his hand, and they disappear to the back rooms.
“She looks like hell, Brother,” he says once she’s out of earshot. “You don’t look so hot yourself.”
He points to my neck. I touch it and feel the burn and sting of a wound. Dammit. Yanov always was a good shot.
“Yeah, it’s been a night. We can debrief over beers. I could use one after everything that’s happened.”
He nods and walks around the bar and grabs a couple of bottles, then jerks his head to one of the tables. I follow him, and the moment the cold beer touches my lips, I feel like I can think again.
This mess is a big one, but every mess has a solution and I’m going to find one. But first, he needs to know the severity of the situation. I’ve been Bratva for my entire adult life. I’ve committed myself to this way of life without question, and nobody knows that better than Teddy. And on the drive over here, I’ve had a real hard look at where I am in this. This life is one that I’ve cherished and built my entire identity around.
But all good things, they say…
“I’m breaking away from the brotherhood, Teddy,” I tell him, “and I’m going to need your help.”
“Damn,”Teddy says once I’m done telling him everything. He’s been sitting silently, listening to me as I run it all back. Nicki’s journal and Tati’s stealing of it, the gunfight in my apartment building… All of it. And when I’m done, he adds a shake of his head as he leans back in his chair.
“You’re in some deep shit, my friend,” he says finally. “In all the time I’ve been in this game, I ain’t never heard of a retired Bratva.”
“That’s because there aren’t any,” I say. “Once you’re in, you’re in for life. Breaking away from them is going to be next to impossible. It’ll mean Tati and I will need to hide underground.”
He frowns and his bald head tints slightly red. “If that’s how it is, King Nick’s never going to stop looking for you,” he says. “You two will be running for the rest of your lives.”
“I know.” My beer sits on the table between my hands. I turn it slowly around between them as I think. “I was the guy who used to hunt down the ones who tried to opt out of this life. Both me and Nicki. It’s in the job description.”
“I remember.” He shrugs and takes a swig from his bottle, finishing it. He then turns and gestures to Sandy for another. “Never ended well for the ones you caught.”
