The Russian smiled, blood in his teeth. “You’ve heard of me? Good.”
“I’ve seen you before. At Vince’s house. You came for a bounty, carried the body in over your shoulder.”
“Many times.” He shrugged. “Can’t remember any in particular.”
“It was a woman.”
He swallowed, his gaze shifting away from me.
“You remember now?”
“Just a job. Like this one. Taking you out. Just a job.”
“Wasn’t she Vince’s mistress? Pregnant with his kid, right? She already had a kid, married to one of the Irish, if I remember correctly. But you killed her anyway, then brought him the body.”
“Money is money.”
I nailed him across the cheek with a right cross. The crunch of bone under my knuckles burned, but it was more than worth it to hear the fucker squeal.
Pulling back, I straightened my lapels and ignored my bloody knuckles. “Maybe so. But payback is a bitch.” Turning to my men, I asked, “We ready?”
David flipped on the overhead light.
“Good to go. Skype is set up.” Peter adjusted the laptop so the camera captured the scene.
I pulled a long, thin filleting knife from my coat pocket. “Let’s give our old pal Dmitri a call, shall we?”
Chapter Seventeen
Sabrina
The door to the basement was shut tight. David had left my room ten minutes before, right after getting a call from his brother. The immediate danger was over, but David wore a glare that told me his work was just beginning. I’d crept down the stairs and along the hallway to Nate’s office. Deserted. Only George stood watch at the front door, and I could hear Opal working in the kitchen.
They were here. I’d heard several sets of footsteps downstairs when David had left. There was only one other place they could be—the basement. I stared at the heavy door, wondering if I had the nerve to push it open and find out what was going on in the bowels of the house.
“Hey.”
I jumped and whirled, my hands up in defense.
Angus stepped back and held up his palms toward me. “Whoa, tiger. It’s just me.”
“Jesus!” I crossed my arms over my middle. “You scared the life out of me.”
“Sorry.” He glanced at the door. “Are they down there?”
“Yeah.”
“They got the guy. I guess he’s down there right now. No telling what they’re doing to him.” His jawed tensed. “Good.”
“God.” I clenched my fingers into my sides. “This is real.”
He nodded and took a step toward the door. “You make a move on a boss or his woman, there’s hell to pay. That’s the way it’s always been. Otherwise, it would be a free-for-all—anyone who wanted to be king of the mountain would make an attempt. There have to be consequences, steep ones, for an attack like this.”
So much violence. I thought I understood Nate’s world, but the brutality of it was something that went beyond anything I’d ever experienced. Even Angus, who’d been kind in the short time I’d known him, was clamoring for blood.
“Are you going down?” My voice quavered.
“Yes.” He grabbed the door handle. “You should stay here.”
I should. He was right. But I wouldn’t. If this was the life I was choosing, then I needed to see all of it, to understand my choice on every level. Nothing could scare me away from Nate.
“I’m coming.” I stepped up behind him.
“Are you sure?” He looked at me over his shoulder, concern crinkling the skin next to his eyes. “It’ll be brutal.”
“I know.” I took a deep, shaky breath. “But I need to see it.”
“This is a bad idea.” He opened the door anyway, allowing me to follow. “I would hold your hand, but Nate would take my arm off.”
A small laugh bubbled to my lips, but the sound was drowned out by a scream that had to belong to the shooter.
My knees tried to buckle, but I didn’t let them. I followed Angus down the stairs, the heavy door closing behind me and sealing the tomb.
“—next time you send someone to do the job, I’ll send him back in pieces.” Nate’s voice.
“Why do you think I sent Karilev?” Dmitri’s voice slithered through the air.
How did he get here?
“Dmitri.” I gripped Angus’s shoulder as my eyes searched through the dim basement for the Russian. “That’s his voice.”
If he was here, surely Nate had him hog tied?
“You send dickless wonders to kill me because you’re an asshole.” Nate was in the back room. “Next question.”
Another scream from the captive chilled my blood.
Angus and I followed his voice. When we got close, Angus whispered over his shoulder, “Dmitri’s on a video call. He’s not here.”
I couldn’t relax, exactly, but there was a small measure of comfort in knowing he wasn’t in the same room.
“I sent Karilev because he’s expendable.” Dmitri’s cold tone verged on bored. “I’ve rather been enjoying this little snuff show you’re putting on for me. Keep going. But, might I ask a favor?”