Briggy finally made herself speak as Valeriya began to walk off. There was no way she was getting off this easy. She demanded a confrontation. “Is this her?” Briggy asked, voice trembling as her wild eyes darted from Valeriya to Nadei. “The home wrecker!” She charged toward the woman, but again Nadei stopped her.
“Don’t make scene,” Nadei warned under his breath, pressing Briggy backward with the open palm of his hand to the base of her neck.
“Keep your fucking hands off me!” Briggy screamed at Nadei. She called out to Valeriya, who had made it a few steps down the hall. “Come back here and face me, you BITCH!”
She screamed loud enough to draw the attention of Royal and Renee, who were still inside of the solarium.
Valeriya stopped in her tracks at Briggy’s insult. So this woman was really going to do this? Looking over her shoulder, she cast her a glare. “Let’s not be elementary about this. You know exactly who I am. I know exactly who you are. And you know why I’m here. You stay out of my way, I’ll stay out of yours.”
Briggy was blind with resentment. Hearing the woman’s voice, so Russian, so smooth and calm, only added to her fury and Gabriel’s betrayal.
“I’m Gabriel’s girlfriend and the mother of his child. You have no business here!” Briggy seethed with jealousy and disdain. “Turn and face me, dammit!”
“Alright.” Valeriya turned all the way around and looked Briggy up and down. She wasn’t impressed with the woman’s posturing. As bad as she tried to be, she knew Briggy was a lightweight. She walked toward Briggy only inches away from Nadei’s wall of back and looked Briggy in the eyes. “Let me be clear. I don’t have time for this, and I don’t have time for you.”
“Well, make time. I cannot understand for the life of me why Gabriel would risk his life for you…a piece of shit!” Briggy blew out a breath that puffed the lazy bangs in her face. “But what I do know is that you won’t gallivant around here parading your insults by ignoring me.”
Cocking up a brow, she tilted her head, bewildered by the woman’s disrespect. “What the fuck did you just say? Did you just call me a piece of shit?”
“Yes, because that is what you are, whore!” Briggy wanted to fight her, wanted to get under her skin and make her as uncomfortable here as she was. “Do you know how many of you fucking little twats there has been? You think you’re the first? You think you’ll be the last?” She shook her head and smirked. “Over the years, I have had to deal with so many of you, I lost count. You’re just the flavor of the month. Once he’s had his taste, he’ll discard you. Just remember that I told you first.”
“Oh, you are clever. Putting seeds of doubt in my head won’t work. Gabriel may fucked his fill before me, but trust me, there has never been anyone like me before and that’s what scares you. You and I both know that I’m not going anywhere.” Valeriya smiled. “Can’t say the same for you.”
“Says just another whore he fucked on a business trip,” Briggy sneered.
“Says the shabby maid who was passed around from cousin to cousin like a piece of meat before she finally turned up pregnant.” Valeriya huffed. “Is that child even his? By the looks of you, I bet it’s not. I’m willing to bet everything that it’s not.”
Briggy’s mouth flew open. “Bitch!” Seeing red, she exploded. “Don’t pretend to know anything about me!”
“I know everything. About. You!” Valeriya screamed, forgetting herself. “How you made him miserable, how he couldn’t stand the sight of you; how you latched on like a leech sucking the lifeblood out of him just so you didn’t have to get off your boney little ass and work!” And she hated her for what she had done to him. “He told me everything about you, every single dirty little secret that made him vomit in his mouth at the thought of you.”
“The only reason that he even wanted you is because you happen to look like the women in this family! Don’t worry. He’ll be trading you in when he grows tired of you. Just remember that I’m carrying his child and I’ll always be around.”
“The only reason you wanted him is because that was as close as you could get to fucking his cousin!” Valeriya snapped back. “He told me how you used to whisper Anatoly’s name when you slept like a sick little puppy.” She shook her head in disgust. “He should have smothered you with a pillow and not allow you to have your sick twisted dreams.”
Briggy was taken aback. Gabriel had told her far more than she anticipated, but she knew how to wound her. Standing up straight, she took a breath. “If it weren’t for your black skin, your third-world ass would still be digging trenches in the dirt and dodging bullets. Fuck you and fuck Gabriel if this is what he wants. Lowering himself to the likes of you!” She was so angry until she didn’t even notice that Royal and Renee had opened the door and were watching on. Stepping up closer, she snarled. “Maybe he deserves what he gets if all he wants in life is you. I hope both of you burn in hell.” Drawing in a breath, Briggy spit across Nadei onto Valeriya’s shirt.
Valeriya’s eyes widened. “What the fu…”
Maybe it was vodka or just the rush of emotion, but Valeriya didn’t think twice. Reaching over Nadei, who still stood between them, she slapped Briggy so hard in her face until it almost knocked her over. The palm of her hand stung as she pulled it back.
Briggy grabbed her face in shock.
“That’s for Gabriel, bitch!” Valeriya screamed angrily. “I would do a lot worse except you’re carrying an innocent child. You better be glad too. Otherwise, I’d have your fucking head on a pike. How’s that for third world?”
Nadei could have stopped Valeriya but he didn’t. Instead, he raised his hand and made Valeriya step back. She had made her point. The show was over.
Royal stepped out in the hallway and folded her arms across her chest. “It’s good to know how you really feel, Briggy.”
With Valeriya’s handprint forming across her cheek and eye, Briggy looked over at the women with tears. “This has nothing to do with you.”
“Just the color of our skin,” Renee instigated, rolling her eyes. “Why don’t you just go on and say the real word, so I can kick your fucking ass.”
Royal pushed Renee back and shook her head. “She isn’t worth it. Don’t stoop to her level.”
“She’s a fucking racist,” Renee accused. “She’s always been, but she couldn’t say the shit before now because she was too scared of being put out on her ass.”
Briggy was far from racist, but she knew that it sounded like it. “I don’t care about the color of your skin. I’m making a point. Gabriel doesn’t love her. He just wants to be more like his family. It’s the truth and you know it.” She glared at Royal and Renee, waiting for some recognition of the truth. “He’s never had an independent bone in his body.”
“But you still got pregnant by him,” Renee snapped. She threw up her hands. “This is the shit I have been talking about the entire time. She is a fucking fake, and she’s hiding behind Gabriel all the while stabbing him in his back and still eyeing my fucking husband.” She glared at Briggy. “But I wish you would…”
“I don’t want Anatoly,” Briggy cursed. Her pride inserted itself, despite her best efforts to keep it at bay. Briggy hated Renee as much as she hated Valeriya. “If I wanted him, I would have him. I’ve been there, and trust me, I’ve done that.”
Renee tried to push past Royal, but Nadei stopped her. “No, he’s been there and he didn’t want that. He bounced your ass out of his room and threw his scraps to Gabriel. It was only a matter of time before he got rid of your gold-digging ass too.”
Royal had heard enough. “You may have been able to pull Valeriya into this conversation because she doesn’t know you, but I do.” She stepped up to Briggy, making Briggy step back. “All of this is because you’re throwing another one of your notorious fits, but not for much longer.” Motioning at Nadei, she turned her back to the outed woman. “Get her out of here. Send someone to make sure she doesn’t leave her part of the house again. I don�
�t want to see her face. If I do, it’s going to cost you your ass. So, you need to get the word out.”
Nadei grabbed Briggy by her wrist. “Let’s go now.”
“You can’t’ just keep me locked up there,” Briggy said outraged and refusing to move despite her humiliation.
“If you haven’t noticed, I’m the lady of this house and I can do whatever the fuck I want. I can have your ass cleaning toilets again…if I want. But I don’t. There will be no more violence between us,” Royal said, looking over at Valeriya. She heard the maids snickering down the hall in the corner and turned quickly to silence them with her admonishing glower. Turning back to Briggy, she tilted her head. “And there will be no more drama. Everyone stays cordial and respectful until Gabriel is home, and we can all go our separate ways. Until then, do not disrupt the sanctity of my husband’s home again with cat fighting. Remember, you are both guests and you will act accordingly.”
Valeriya instantly felt horrible for her knee-jerk reaction. Normally, it took a lot more to provoke her, but Briggy’s condemnation of Gabriel set her off. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again,” she said apologetically to Royal.
Royal couldn’t blame Valeriya. Briggy had been incredibly cruel. She would have done the same thing if someone had said those things about Dmitry. “Don’t lower yourself to her level, you’re bigger than that,” she said, feeling sorry that Valeriya had to deal with Briggy.
With her hands on her hips, Renee pursed her lips. “I’m not.”
Royal didn’t want to get Renee started, especially after a few drinks. “This ends now,” she ordered. “Nadei, go. Briggy, go. Valeriya, honey, please go rest.”
***
Bloody and beaten, Faddei tried to focus out of his swollen eyes on Dmitry as he walked back to the utility table to pick up a can. As promised, the men had taken the interrogation up a notch every 15 minutes using everything from heavy link chains to baseball bats.
Covered in blood, Dmitry walked back to Faddei and raised his head. “I’ll give you one thing. You are one strong suka.” He gripped the back of his head, but you’re in no position to keep lying. The beatings may stop, because I don’t want to kill you, but the torture won’t. When I get tired, I’ll just have someone else pick up where I left off. Or you can stop all of this and tell me what I want to know.”
Faddei spit blood up and mumbled something through chipped and broken teeth.
“What’s that?” Dmitry asked, bending to him.
Faddei’s voice trembled. “I…I don’t know anything.”
Dmitry huffed and looked at his watch. “I’m a very patient man…normally. But right now, I don’t have lots of time.” He shook the can in his hand. “I’ll tell you a little story while you catch your breath. Once, I came into my kitchen back home and the maid was cleaning the stove. She told me to be careful and not to touch anything because evidently oven cleaner is so toxic until it will boil the skin off of your body.” Dmitry angled Faddei’s head where he could see him. “Anyways, it made me think that instead of barbwire and whips, maybe what I needed in my torture toolbox was a good old can of stove cleaner.”
Faddei moaned.
“I tried it out on my arm just to see if she was telling the truth. It took the skin clean off along with a part of my tattoo. What can I say, the woman knows her cleaning products.” Dmitry took the cap off the can. “Now, Faddei, unless you tell me what I want to hear, I’m going to spray your ball sack with this stove cleaner and then I’m going to take an hour lunch break and relax.”
Tears streamed down Faddei’s forehead into his hair. He was at the end of the line. Dmitry had beat his body badly over the last few hours, but he had not threatened his genitals.
“I don’t want to do this,” Dmitry said sincerely, “but I will. The skin will boil off your genitals and you will be left with a chemical burn that will turn into an infection that will kill you in that kennel eventually. And regardless of how much pain you are in, we’re just going to pick up where we left off after lunch. Or you can just tell me where my nephew is and you can go back to your box and lick your wounds.”
Faddei nodded. “Okay, da, da. I will tell you,” he said, wheezing for air.
Dmitry waited.
Anatoly pulled off his bloody t-shirt and threw it in the garbage. Stepping in closer, he spits on the ground. “Get on with it, suka. Where is my cousin?”
“A man named Yuri Danko with the Right for Donetsk has him.”
“Nazis,” Anatoly sneered. “Fucking Nazis have him.”
“Where are they holding him?” Dmitry asked.
“I don’t know an exact location. They would never share that information with anyone. They have secret camps outside of the city where they take Russian sympathizers.” He began to cry. “But I don’t know where they are holding him. They were supposed to take Valeriya. I swear. They were…for the burning of one of their headquarters and the bombing of the other. They wanted revenge for the men they lost and I wanted…I just wanted to fight for my country. They killed Alexei and took the shipment after I called them. We were supposed to split it once I took over the Donetsk Revolutionaries. Olek took her to them. The assault was supposed to happen after Gabriel left, but then he found out that she left with Olek alone and he thought it was an ambush. He was not a part of the original plan…just Valeriya.”
Dmitry wiped his face and passed the oven cleaner to one of his men.
“Please, I’m telling you the truth,” Faddei cried. “I’m telling you everything.” Spit and blood ran out of his mouth into his eyes as he hung suspended upside down.
“I believe you,” Dmitry said, walking over to the wall and lowering the beam to the ground.
Faddei’s broken body lay slumped over and limp on the ground.
Dmitry looked down at him in disgust. “Why did you put yourself through all of this for those fuckers? Eh? You dumb bastard.”
“Don’t hurt my family, please?” Faddei begged.
Dmitry wasn’t moved. “Get him washed up and throw him back in his cage. Give him something to eat.” He hiked up his pants and bent down to Faddei. “If I find out you’re lying; I’ll be back to do far worse.”
Faddei moaned. “Please just kill me…just fucking kill me.”
As the men pulled Faddei up by his arms to sit him upright, Dmitry assessed the man’s wounds. “I tell you what. You hold on long enough for me to get my nephew. And I’ll bring him back here and you can ask him to kill you. Until then, I’m going to hold on to you. You might be useful.” Standing up, he grabbed his dirty suit jacket and headed out of the barn.
Staying behind, Anatoly reached back and slapped Faddei again. “News flash, traitor. Valeriya’s alive and well. And she’s right across the way in the house with her brother, nice and safe.”
Faddei slumped over.
A wicked grin crossed Anatoly’s face. “Looks like you fucked up all the way around…Captain.” He stood back up and wiped his hands on his jeans. “Get him in his box until Papa wants him out again.”
Chapter Three
It’s A War Out There…
Graduation Night – 10 Years Ago
Drug Enforcement Agency Academy
Quantico, Virginia
Despite what others had told him, guaranteed him at times during the last 18 weeks, Gabriel Medlov had successfully graduated from the DEA basic training academy at the top of his class.
However, unlike other pursuits in his young life, this had not been something he easily excelled at without effort. It took everything he had inside, every ounce of courage, every ounce of wisdom, every ounce of determination.
The training had been grueling with long hours focused on more than academics and theory, but more so on personal ethics and human dignity. The instructors were twice as hard as the subject-matter, ridged and demanding of absolute perfection.
And the 43 candidates that he lived and worked alongside each and every day, were some of the toughest pricks he had eve
r known, many of them almost 10 years his senior and most boasting military and/or law enforcement backgrounds. To make things harder for him, out of the 44 men and women in his class, he had been the only one who had a college degree.
To be fair, it wasn’t just a degree. He had graduated Summa Cum Laude from NYU and was recruited by several leading corporations. But his heart could never be tamed by a regular 9-5 job, no matter what kind of pay they offered. Which was why he had sought out something more to his liking.
Law enforcement. It was the closest thing that he could find to dealing with criminals, short of becoming one himself. Maybe it was his way of getting closer to the likes of his father, or maybe it was a way to get back at him. Either way, he was the first Medlov to ever seek out employment with the US government. He applied to the FBI and DEA. The DEA called back first.
But they didn’t just pick him out of thousands of applications because of his academic prowess. He had been hand-picked, because of his last name and the possible connections that he could acquire against his notorious family.
Gabriel was not stupid. He knew that he was being used, but he allowed himself to be after his mother died. For the last two years, he had tried to recover from her untimely death due to cancer, but he had been forced to do it alone. His father had been absent, even during the funeral. Not a phone call, not a letter, and not even an acknowledgment. Ivan Medlov had gone off the grid without so as much a sneeze and left his son completely oblivious as to why.
So today had been especially hard for him while other parents and friends gathered to support their family members at their graduation, Gabriel Medlov had done so alone with no one to send him off but his hard-ass instructors. Of course, they offered for him to come with them and hang out with their families, but he knew it would only make him feel more like a third-wheel. Instead, he had chosen to keep with the theme of the day and drink alone tonight.
It was quiet fall evening, not a lot of riff-raff clogging up the place and most of the patrons kept to themselves, which allowed Gabriel to sulk in peace. Relaxing in the corner of a local bar alone just a little after 10 p.m. in jeans, a t-shirt and gray hoodie jacket, he nursed a shot of whiskey and a Bud Light, while listening to the Eagles on the jukebox. Determined to set his own mood, he had put twenty-dollars in the machine to make sure he heard the entire Desperado album before heading back to the dorm to pack up and prepare to leave tomorrow for Manhattan.
Gabriel's Regret: Book Two (The Medlov Men 3) Page 7
