Chapter Thirty Four
Kathleen
Getting into my husband’s office and bypassing his cameras isn’t as trivial as just covering up the lenses. Nothing in my life is ever that simple. The first thing I did was research on the Internet. One of my options is to point an infrared laser directly at the lens of the camera. Supposedly, this will blind it, but the problem is that the camera would still see me before there was time to render it useless. My second option is to wear high-brightness, infrared, LED strips. Deciding to go with the latter, but not able to go shopping without a bodyguard, I had to get them shipped overnight. I even purchased the strips to place one over my left eye and one under my right eye, following the directions exactly to occlude my identity. I measure and cut both strips so they can hold four LED lights each. It is necessary for me to be precise. One mistake can mean getting caught, and it could cost Logan her life. Knowing my husband, if Logan poses a threat to our Bratva, he will think nothing of killing her. Ironically enough, my son, who is stalking her, may be her only redemption. What most people don’t understand is that the organization comes before anything, and that includes matters of the heart. Though Glazov will take into consideration Kodiak’s feelings for her, love won’t save her if she runs her mouth.
My plan is to use the strips to hide my face from the camera for long enough to clip on a device that will keep the camera blinded. I’ve also placed LED strips all over my clothing so he can’t identify me by body shape. No doubt, it would be easier to just go in and spray paint the lens black or smash it to bits, but that’s not an option for me. I can just imagine the results if this band of crazy Bratva boys thought an outsider had gotten into our mansion. We’d be on lockdown for months.
The house is quiet. Kodiak is off stalking Logan, I’m sure. Nikita and Natasha are out somewhere with Glazov. Honestly, I don’t even want to think about what they might be doing. It probably involves torturing someone and cleaning up the mess afterwards. The maids are busy down in the kitchen, and no bodyguards are lurking around. It’s now or never.
I bolster my courage and make my way to his office door with my lock picking kit and IR LED equipment in hand. I haven’t spent twenty years married to a gangster and not learned a thing or two. I can pick a lock with the best of them. We have every tool necessary for a successful break in. From electrical lock picking sets to pin tumbler lock jigglers, we have them all, and I know how to use them.
I bend down and start working my magic, moving the pins one by one into the right position. Adrenaline surges through my body; it feels so good.
I quietly sneak in and quickly go to work disabling Glazov’s all-seeing eye. Once the visual surveillance threat is taken care of, I breathe a sigh of relief.
I turn my head and eye Glazov’s huge mahogany wood desk, taking out the latex gloves from my pocket to put them on. The gloves are probably a tad overkill, but I can’t afford to take any chances. Nobody is allowed in that desk, and if he suspects anyone has been in here, his security team will dust for prints. My husband is anal retentive, even borderline OCD about his business, and he is most definitely that way about his office. The man knows if a fucking pen is out of place. I’ll need to be overly cautious to get away with this.
I pull at the large file drawer, knowing it’s probably locked, but still feeling a twinge of disappointment when it doesn’t give way. Pulling out the lock picking kit from my back pocket again, I immediately get to work on opening the file drawer. My husband likes to compartmentalize everything, so I know he’ll have a file on Logan containing everything I need to know.
I quickly flip through the files and find hers.
Logan Lorraine Ludwick. What the fuck were her parents thinking when they named her? No wonder the kid is shy.
I scan over the file, flipping through her employment application, various background checks my husband had done on her, and her college applications. Then, things start to get interesting. Inside the folder, there is personal information including her mother’s divorce documents and details about her father’s abandonment of the family. Fuck, there are even police records of her mother’s DUIs, and there are plenty of those.
Glazov’s even got the court documents on her mother. He’s confirming that she has no family who cares about her. If he can guarantee she is estranged from her mother and has no extended family, it gives him more control. It means if he kills her and buries her lifeless body on a riverbank, no one will come looking for her.
I quickly thumb through the rest of the paperwork, looking for anything that will tell me whether or not my husband knows about Logan’s exposé. When I find detailed information on all her professors, the sinking feeling in my gut intensifies. It doesn’t necessarily confirm that he knows, but it doesn’t negate it either.
I ensure all the paperwork in the file is back in order and replace it in its rightful position. Knowing my husband, he will know if even one document is out of place. I quietly shut the drawer and do a quick scan over his desk to make certain nothing has been moved. Satisfied, I quickly walk over to the camera and remove the IR LED device, confident that the strips over and under my eyes will keep the camera blinded to my identity. I quietly leave his office, leaving it locked up and looking as if no one had ever been there.
I scurry back down to my bedroom, shutting the door behind me. Breathing a sigh of relief, I lean against the wall, feeling like I just pulled off the impossible. Casually strolling into my walk-in closet, I finger the clothing, looking for a comfortable dress to put on for a nice evening dinner with my family.
I freeze when I hear the click of the bedroom door lock being opened by my husband. I know it’s him because he would beat the shit out of any of his employees for walking in on me.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, not now.
I begin tearing at my clothes like a mad woman, ripping off the LED strips and throwing them on a top shelf, only to have them fall back down at my feet. I’m in a full-blown panic now, knowing that my husband is just a few steps away. I toss the strips up again, and thankfully, they stay in place this time. I kick at the clothes I have shed, trying to hide them behind the neatly rowed shoes on the floor. Then, I push everything back a little further, counting on the height of my boots to hide everything. Knowing I’m being overly cautious and taking extra time I don’t have spurs me on. Glazov may still find the tape on my clothing that held the LED strips in place. No doubt, my husband will know exactly what it is if he finds it.
I run my hands over my face in relief, but it’s short-lived and quickly morphs back into panic when I feel the LED tape I’ve forgotten to remove around my eyes.
“What the fuck are you doing bent over butt ass naked?”
With my husband standing right behind me, in one swift move, I rip the LED strips off and toss them back behind a pair of boots. I am fully expecting to be busted and to see him bend over to pick them up, so when I turn around and see a blood soaked Glazov, I am caught completely off guard.
Glazov
The look on her face is one of horror, but that isn’t what grabs my attention. I take my thumb, running it under her eye.
“What the fuck is that?” I press my thumb and forefinger together, feeling some sort of sticky residue.
“I think I should be asking you that question. You’re covered in blood.”
“Don’t change the subject, Ptichka. You wouldn’t want me to think you’re deflecting because you’re hiding something, now would you?”
“You’re such a drama king,” she scoffs and rolls her eyes at me.
“You got one word in that description right, and it wasn’t drama,” I growl at her.
“Well, your majesty, it’s a beauty regimen.”
“One that requires tape?” I ask incredulously; honestly, who does she think she’s kidding?
“One that requires strips. They’re eye strips to smooth out crow’s feet.”
“You don’t have crow’s feet, and where are these strips?”
/> “They dissolve when they’ve finished working their magic. I would think you’d be happy I’m using them. They make me look twenty years younger. You may be able to control a lot of things in my life, but my beauty regime isn‘t one of them. Since we’re playing truth or dare, why do you have blood all over you?”
“Truth or dare, huh? That’s an interesting concept seeing how you’re already butt ass naked. To answer your question, I tortured a man by pulling his teeth out of his bald, hate filled head, and now I’m horny. Would you like the gory details?”
I reach inside my pocket, pulling out the teeth I saved and opening my hand to show her, just to fuck with her head.
“Your cock always gets hard when you torture people,” she retorts, rolling her eyes before she continues. “It’s the mark of a true sadist.”
I can’t argue with the truth. I’m surprised she’s not reacting in any way to the teeth still held in my hand. I would have thought she’d be horrified by my little trophies. I guess twenty years of being married to me has hardened her to the gore of my lifestyle. I look down at my cock before answering her.
“Yeah, and now I need you to suck it.”
She pushes me out of the way and walks past me to go to the bathroom, I assume to take a shower. I laugh at her response; she’s still my feisty little redhead.
“I’m not sucking your cock with somebody’s blood all over you. That’s just beyond nasty. I may be kinky, but I’m a clean kinky.”
“Fine… I’ll take a shower, and then you can suck it.”
Chapter Thirty Five
Glazov
“You are one twisted individual, Glazov. You kept his teeth?”
“You’re calling me twisted, Novak? Seriously, you’re as sadistic as I am.”
“It’s a necessary evil in our line of work, but it’s a burden neither of us minds bearing… What are your plans for the teeth? You’re not wanting to keep them, are you?”
“Absolutely not, I’d be the laughing stock of Bratva if I went down for having a man’s teeth in my pocket.”
“Don’t even joke about that. You’ll die as a free Bratva boss. Now, tell me. What’s up with the teeth?”
“I’m planning a mind fuck, of course. I’m having them delivered to the skinhead’s house. Just think, they are already thrown off their game, running around confused because they lost their leader. They’re probably panicking, wondering if he’s just disappeared on them or if he’s even alive. Then they get the teeth, confirming the death of their beloved commander. They’ll know it was a hit, and they’ll start to worry about who’s next. They won’t know where the threat is coming from because they don’t know who was responsible. All they know is that their deaths are imminent. It’s psychological warfare at its finest.”
My cousin’s expression goes stoic, and I know the easy bantering is over. Judging by the look on his face, he needs to talk to me about something important.
“How do you feel about hiring Nitro from Dauntless MC to go in and blow those skinheads up?”
“You don’t hire Nitro, or anybody else in that club, without clearing it with Tiny first,” I tell him
There is no way I am pissing off one of my best allies, not to mention they are one of the most ruthless motorcycle clubs in the nation. Chain of command is a big deal with biker clubs, as well it should be. It is with me too.
“Okay, let me reword that… How do you feel about making the call?”
I shake my head and say, “That’s going to take a sit down. I’ll set it up and take you with me when I go. You need to meet Tiny anyway.”
“Works for me,” he replies, looking excited.
“Well, get ready to enter a whole new world because even though those boys aren’t Bratva, they are a force to be reckoned with.”
Kathleen
While Glazov is meeting with Novak, I use the time to call Logan. I already informed her that her phone is very likely bugged, and I also used the opportunity when we had lunch the other day to provide her with a couple of burners. I’ve been in the game long enough to know my husband’s team has bugged everything the girl has, including her dorm. I don’t reveal that last bit of information to her; there’s no need to traumatize the poor girl any further. She looked horrified enough when I told her my suspicions about just her phone.
I pull myself from my thoughts when she finally answers the ringing phone.
“Are you somewhere you can talk?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m alone in my dorm room, studying for exams.”
“Go into the bathroom and shut the door.”
I’m relieved she doesn’t ask me why. I have no intention of disclosing she’s already on Glazov’s radar.
“Okay, I’m in here now.”
“Did you destroy the exposé and anything on your computer pertaining to it?”
“Yes, ma’am. I even destroyed the memory stick where I kept a copy of it.”
“First, please stop with the ma’am stuff. Second, it’s imperative you do not lie to me, Logan. I can’t help you if you’re not completely honest with me. It’s very important that all of the exposé is destroyed. It needs to be like it never existed. Did you tell your professors or any other students what you were working on for the writing competition?”
“I promise you, I’m telling you the complete truth. I’m scared to do that exposé now. I never told anyone what I was doing because I didn’t want to alert the competition. I don’t trust any of the students or professors here.”
She’s smarter than I thought. Maybe there’s more to this girl than I originally perceived.
“Have you started working with Katrina yet?”
“Yes, and she has been awesome. She’s really talented, Kathleen.”
“Yes, she is. If you listen to her and give it your best shot, you’ll earn that prize money and win this competition on your own merit.”
I give it a moment to let that sink in before I switch subjects on her.
“When are you moving into the pool house?”
“I’m not sure about that yet. Like I said, I don’t want to be an inconvenience to anyone.”
“You won’t be. Take your time, and think about it. If you need to talk to Katrina or me, use one of the burner phones I gave you. I need to go now. Think about moving in, Logan; it will save you money, and it will give you and Kodiak some privacy.”
“I will, and Mrs...”
“Kathleen,” I correct her.
“Kathleen, thank you for helping me. I don’t have any family that’s there for me, and you and Katrina have been so kind.”
“That’s all the more reason you need to move into the pool house. We’ll be your family. I hate to rush, but I have to go. I have some work I need to tend to. Bye, Logan.”
I hang up before she has time to respond. I don’t want to tell her that I’m in my bathroom too. I have to stand in the tub with the shower curtain closed and mumble, for fear of some surveillance device picking up on our conversation. This is the only place where there isn’t a camera.
I quickly exit the bathroom and stash the burner phone. I purposely didn’t push the issue of her moving into the pool house too hard. I know, in the end, she will end up living there because Glazov always gets his way. He wants that girl under Kodiak’s watchful eye, so that’s what he’ll get. Kodiak fucking her just gives him even more control. I won’t be surprised if the girl is moving in within the next week. What Bratva men want, Bratva men get. You either do what they want willingly, or they force your hand. One way or another, they always get their way.
Chapter Thirty Six
Glazov
I’m shocked when Tiny gets us in the same afternoon for a meeting. He leads us into his office and gives me a huge bear hug. This guy is like a brother to me, and more than once, we’ve been there for each other to bail one another out of a dangerous situation. Their compound is right down the street from us on River Road, so his motorcycle club watches over our warehouse when no one is living
there.
Tiny chuckles when he eyes Novak with all his tattoos and piercings.
“Take that fuckin’ suit off, replace it with some jeans and a kutte, and you’d fit right in with me and my boys.”
Novak smiles wide and replies, “I’d be honored. I’ve heard nothing but good things from Glazov about you and your brothers.”
Tiny directs his attention back to me.
“So, you’re ready to blow these fuckin’ skinheads off the map, huh?”
“Damn straight I am. They damn near killed one of my men’s nephews just for dating an African American woman. I’m going to tell you straight up, Tiny. If there’s one kind of person I can’t stand, it’s a racist. This was a hate crime, and I’ll be damned if I’m counting on the justice system to deal with it.”
“So, you cut off the head already?”
I knew he was asking me if I’d killed their leader.
“Yes, sir, I most certainly did.”
“Well, my boys will take care of the rest. By the time we get done, they’ll be no men left standing, and this whole thing will be nothing but a distant bad memory”
I take a thick envelope from my suit coat’s inner pocket and push it into Tiny’s hand. He sticks it in his pocket without even worrying about counting it. We haven’t discussed a fee, but I know a hundred thousand dollars will go a long way in supporting the Dauntless MC. Tiny leans in close like he has something important to tell me.
“Our bomb guy that I use is real good at what he does. He worked IED in the military, but I’ll be honest with you; he’s a little bit crazy. I always make sure he’s accompanied on any jobs he does. I have to pull in the reins on the brother every now and then. We even tossed around making him the vice president, but in the end, we decided against it. He’s a little bit of a loose cannon, but he’s a good guy. Like I said, he has some issues.”
Glazov's Legacy (Born Bratva Book 2) Page 14
