Chapter28
I walked up to the docks alone. None of my men were behind me. None flanked me.
I knew that was what was expected, and the Black Thorn had informants inside my organization. If I was going to win this and get Daisy back safely, I was going to have to play this in a way I would never normally try.
First step was to confirm that Daisy was alive. Then the second step would commence once I gave the signal.
But Daisy's safety was the only thing that mattered.
The reasons the Black Thorn were so dangerous were apparent. They had numbers. They had money. From what I'd found out about them, they had their tentacles throughout all of Europe, and went back hundreds of years with connections in any underground organization that existed.
If they wanted Miami, it would be a war.
Too bad for them they didn't realize that if they wanted Daisy, it would be a slaughter.
To add insult to injury, they'd set up shop in the very docks where the boat they'd sunk was supposed to unload. I never would've been able to find it if Borya hadn't left his phone on, and I'd overheard the conversations with whoever he was talking to.
Whatever game he was playing, my brother was helping me for some reason. He'd be dealt with later.
This march of doom wasn't nearly as much fun as going into Raphael's club. For one, there were no naked women. There was only one naked woman I wanted in my life, but compared to this drab warehouse shit around me, I'd much prefer tits.
Also, there were a lot more guys with guns. A lot.
I counted all the movement I could see but it was hard to keep track of all the bastards. Two dozen. Three dozen.
While some held the automatic weapons with the ease of a seasoned soldier, most were untrained muscle that were probably hired off the streets.
Black Thorn was mostly overseas. They hadn't shipped too many of their army to the US, it seemed.
At least not yet.
I approached the wide garage-type doors to the warehouse and stopped as the group of men dragging something towards me approached.
That something was motionless and limp between the two men, but I recognized that dark hair immediately.
Daisy.
Come on baby, move for me. Give me some sign you're alive.
My eyes scanned the vicinity but didn't see Borya anywhere. Had the bastard run away? It wasn't like him to be a coward. What the fuck was going on in his mind?
It was only after I was able to drag my eyes from Daisy that I realized my second in command, Sergei, was standing right the fuck next to Vasiliev.
No wonder Black Thorn had always been one step ahead of me and known all our operations. They had the perfect inside man.
I thought Borya was somehow funneling them information, but they had no need to try to get anything from him.
"You've chosen your side, I see." I didn't ask Sergei why or what they offered him. In truth, I didn't care. All I cared about was how quickly I could get Daisy out of here
I wore a double holster beneath my suit jacket. It was neither subtle nor hidden. I couldn't button the jacket if I wanted to. I wanted quick access.
The holsters were open and the safeties were off on the guns, ready and waiting to cause carnage. But until Daisy was in the clear, I wasn't going to fire a goddamn firecracker.
Vasiliev stepped forward a few inches, still well within the protection of his men. Pussy. "I'm happy you're willing to negotiate."
I said nothing because if I opened my mouth, he'd find out exactly how unwilling I was to fucking negotiate.
Finally, Daisy stirred. Her dark hair trickled away from her face as dark, swollen eyes met mine.
My innocent angel was never supposed to be in this position. But instead of the fear or accusation that I thought would be sent in my direction, there was determination. It was as though she knew we were going to get out of this without a doubt.
Fuck, this was no time for my cock to get hard. I loved this woman and was never letting her go.
Just a few days ago, she’d been a terrified little mouse. Now, even covered in bruises and blood, she was looking at me with a smirk on her face, like she was here to save me and not the other way around.
Time to get this over with. As soon as Daisy was clear from the brutes on either side of her, I could make my move. But not until she was out of danger. If she didn’t make it out of this alive, I’d ensure this entire dock sunk to the bottom of the ocean without a sole survivor.