by Stone, Piper
To Damien’s credit, he didn’t try and chastise or even pepper me with questions, he simply nodded, the action more out of respect. “You’re an honorable man, Ruger. I always admired that about you. I still do. You were never cut from the same cloth I was. Sure, we ran the streets together as kids, fighting the system. That wasn’t unusual. At least you had some kind of a family. You know, I thought once that I could be like you. I just...” Damien sighed. “Look. The past is gone for both of us. No sense reliving it.”
The pain in his voice was the same as I’d remembered fifteen years before, when he’d been forbidden to spend time around my family. He’d been two years older and I’d looked up to him like an older brother. My father had called him a thug. I didn’t know then that my father was the real thug, using his status within the upper echelon of law enforcement to build his own empire.
With his influential and powerful friends.
He used the same kind of threats the Mafioso family, only hiding being walls of police honor. When I’d found out, I’d threatened to turn him in. The warning I’d received from two of his officers had been enough to shut me up.
I could barely stomach the memory.
“You’re right, Damien. I didn’t have the balls to stand up to my father and I should have.”
“That’s why you don’t use your given name, the hatred you still have for your father.” Damien exhaled.
I shook my head, as if I needed to lie about my reasons. “My father has been dead a long time. His influence is gone.” Was it? No, I’d never used the name Michael Thurman the second. Any reminders of my father’s regime left a disgusting taste in my mouth.
“And Lily?” Damien dared to ask. His words were barely a whisper, a damning reminder of so many things lost.
My chest tightened. I couldn’t stand the pain we both felt but for entirely different reasons. “She’s fine.” The lie burned deep within. I clenched my fist. I knew if I told him the truth, he’d stop at nothing to find her, to save her. My hatred for Lucian only increased.
Damien stared at me for the longest time. The hard edge in his voice returned. “Whatever happened to make you fall into this trap, I wish I could help, but that’s not what you’re looking for.”
“I made my bed. I have to deal with this.”
“That still doesn’t tell me why I’m here. You gave me a call in the middle of the night, giving me explicit instructions to find out everything I could about Ms. Crawford, including where she worked out, went with her friends, shopped and the easiest way to get into her very secure condo. Funny how you left out why. At first, I thought you were hiring my expertise for the police force. I even thought maybe I could go legit. What the fuck was I thinking?”
I laughed softly, my heart racing. “You thought wrong.”
“Yeah, I get that. I think the realization that she was a highly respected and very well-known prosecutor tipped me off. Haven’t seen one of those go dirty in a hell of a long time.”
“Yeah, well you don’t work with the kind of criminals I have. They all have money, clout and more power than any state Senator.”
Damien rubbed his jaw, sniffing several times. “You obviously didn’t check out my background then in order to know who I’ve worked for since we last spoke. I’m extremely well paid because I’m the best at what I do. Period. I’m not living from paycheck to paycheck any longer. That’s for certain.”
I’d noticed his vehicle of choice, the sleek black Camaro with thirty day tags. I also knew that karma had enjoyed keeping the two of us running in the same circles, only on the opposite side of the law. However, the thin line was finite.
“Do you know why I dropped everything when you called?” Damien asked quietly.
I wasn’t certain I wanted to know the answer. He certainly had no loyalty to me any longer, not after the way I’d treated him. “Because you’re being hunted.” My words were a statement. There could be no other reason. The word on the street was that Damien had fucked around with the wrong man or men, his attempt at stealing a woman for another abandoned.
The tension could be cut with a knife.
“Jesus. Christ. Things never change.”
“Tell me I’m wrong,” I challenged.
“You’ve held a grudge against me for almost fifteen years. I get that your father had a part in this, but he didn’t rule your entire world, especially after you joined the Marines. I certainly did nothing to your life, compadre, only mine. I made one stupid mistake as a teenager. One. Kids play. Shit, we used to do worse and you know it, only we were damn good at breaking the law and not getting caught. You threw me to the wolves, letting me rot in jail and pretending you didn’t even know me. Fuck you, Ruger. I am a professional, whether you appreciate the value of my services or not. I’ll play my part, breaking Carina as this mystery boss with loads of money requires. However, when this is over, we are going our separate ways. Don’t bother calling me for anything. I. Won’t. Answer.”
I sucked in my breath when he walked away, remembering the day he’d been arrested like it was yesterday. And he was right about everything.
I’d kept my distance. I’d forsaken our friendship because of fear. Fear of my father. Fear of what he’d do to Lily.
Fear.
Jesus. Lucian had wrapped the past together in his need for revenge against me.
Damien stopped, slapping his hand on the doorjamb. “You know what? This is bull shit. I don’t know what possessed you to abduct a woman, especially one as talented and decent as Carina, but you can keep your reasons to yourself. I will give you one piece of advice, whether you want to hear it or not. She’s a special lady and she doesn’t deserve some psychopath taking her to God knows where. You forget, I know what these kind of fuckers do to women. Kingpins, Saudi princes, ex cops. They’re all the same in their sadistic needs.”
“And you honestly think we’re any different?”
“Wow. That chip you’re wearing is like a noose around your neck, Ruger. Whoever you’re working for is sick and demented. Breaking her down. He means breaking her spirit, stripping away her heart and soul.” He snorted. “Yeah, that’s exactly what I’ve always wanted to do in my fuckin life. Do you think that’s going to ease the pain I’ve felt all these years? Bullshit.”
“No matter what you think, I won’t allow her to get hurt in all of this. That’s not the kind of man I am. I’m playing a part to survive, much like you are.” I realized I’d dug my nails into my palm, longing for the pain in order to feel alive.
“You mean like the pain she’s already been forced to experience, the terror?” he retorted.
“You’re right, Damien and this is something you shouldn’t forget for a second. The man I’m working for is sick as well as powerful and has the ability to destroy lives, no matter who they are. His level of control is far reaching and he’s...” Hell, I couldn’t even finish the words. “Doesn’t matter. We’ll keep her safe. I’ll figure something out.”
“Right. Something. Sounds like a shitty ass plan to me, especially since you’re going to handle it all by yourself. This Russian dude might have other thoughts in his mind.” Damien said, sighing, hesitating like I was going to respond.
I snapped my head in his direction. “I’ll kill him if I need to.”
“Interesting coming from a fine upstanding lawman like yourself.”
“Cut the crap, Damien. Five days. We’ll have a portion of the cash and the final instructions. Then you’re right. We’ll go our separate ways. I’ll figure out how to keep her safe.”
“They’ll hunt her down if you try and go against them. That much you can trust me on,” he retorted.
This time, the awkward tension made my head ache like a son of a bitch.
“You like her, Ruger. That’s easy to tell and if I didn’t know better, I’d say you had a history with her of some kind. That must make the fact she’s going to be disciplined and fucked by two strangers difficult for you.” He shifted in order to stare
me in the eyes. “And yes, we are strangers. Just be careful, brother. I’m also not going to let her get hurt. All the money in the world won’t turn me into a bastard capable of murdering innocent people. Even if it means losing everything I have. The man hunting me has no idea who he fucked with and neither do you. Something for you to keep in mind.”
I could easily tell how much he already cared for her, something I hadn’t anticipated.
Then again, I certainly hadn’t expected to feel the same way.
Karma had put us back together for a reason.
Or maybe just my guilty soul.
“For what it’s worth, Damien, I do trust you and I always did. You were the only person I could ever look up to. That’s why I wanted you here. I need someone I can depend on.”
Damien exhaled, tapping his fingers on the wooden doorframe. “I don’t know what you want me to say. I’ll do what I can, but you need to talk to me. And you need to confide in Carina before it’s too late. Sometimes love is worth fighting for. I learned that the hard way.”
When the door snapped shut, I slammed my fist against the railing, trying to calm my rage. Damien had always been able to see through me, the voice of reason. He’d calmed the beast raging inside when no one else had been able to.
And I’d betrayed him just like I was doing to Carina.
* * *
“So you’re going to kill me?” Aleksandr asked, a lilt in his voice.
I hadn’t noticed Aleksandr when I walked into the room. Instead of sitting in front of the roaring fire, he stood in front of one of the windows, gazing out at the same view I’d been locked onto. His accent seemed heavier, perhaps more so given the drink he had in his hand. We were all exhausted, the drive long and arduous.
He noticed my surprise and laughed. “I heard you talking with Damien. My intent is not to hurt the girl that you both seem so fond of. She is very beautiful. A taste I won’t mind.”
“Said like a true barbarian.” The nasty retort was all I could manage.
“You’re right, Ruger. I am a true barbarian. What does that make you or your...friend?”
“No denying,” I said as I glared at him.
He gave me a once over before turning his attention back to the outdoors. “Your friend doesn’t like you very much.”
I walked closer to the bar, lifting the open bottle of bourbon. He’d obviously had more than one drink already. “Damien has his reasons.”
“I’m certain he does given your surly attitude. Plus, whatever you did to him during your childhood must have been significant.”
I was taken aback by the Russian’s comments. He certainly was no prize. “What do you care, Aleks? You’re only here to babysit this mission like a good little boy. However, I’m certain your portion of the money is more significant than ours. A win-win for everyone. Right?”
“An equal split, whatever that means,” he said as he swirled the liquid in his glass before taking a gulp. “The Master is very accommodating, at least in that regard.”
“The Master? What the hell?” So, the rumors might be true. Lucian’s client was even more ruthless and dangerous than the pompous ass himself. Great. My thoughts drifted to the various rumors I’d heard. The Trust was crowding in for some reason. What in the hell was going on that had made them so nervous?
The Russian chuckled as he tipped his head in my direction. “He is called many things, or so I’ve been told. Some call him a monster. Others call him a saint. I simply call him a bastard.” He polished off his drink in two gulping swallows.
“I thought you were buddies with this particular gentleman,” I said, half under my breath. I’d been surprised by several things over the course of only a few hours.
Aleksandr walked toward me, his eyes locked onto mine. Only when he slipped past, his hand wrapping around the liquor bottle did he look away. “I owe him a favor, nothing more. An indentured servant to a man who owns half the world.”
“And he wants Carina. How interesting.” I had the distinct feeling the Russian was hiding his true identity as well as telling at least a partial lie. I really didn’t care to know as long as he followed through with his end of the bargain. We weren’t going to be buddies.
He seemed amused at my suggestion. “He doesn’t know Carina other than by name and reputation, but make no mistake, he will have her. We are just a simple means of helping acquire a thing of such beauty for his collection.”
“Collection? What the hell are you talking about?” Lucian had sold her soul.
“Don’t be...how do you Americans say...stupid with this. What did you think was going to happen to the lovely Carina at the end of this portion of the game? That she would simply return to her life after being captured?” He narrowed his eyes, looking into mine. “You didn’t want anything to do with this mission at all. In fact, you were coerced. What monster did you piss off?”
The way he chuckled made my skin crawl. “None of your business.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I had you checked out Lieutenant Thurman. I like to know who I can and can’t count on. You are many things, including someone who refuses to embrace authority, but you are highly respected. You fight against basic corruption, which also doesn’t make you well liked. Even so, you are also very good at what you do, being undercover I mean. If that cover were to be blown, you’d be in harm’s way. In fact,” he said taking another sip then lifting his glass as if in a salute, “you’d be hunted by some of the worst criminals in the world. Am I correct?”
I hadn’t wanted to face the concept but of course he was right. I certainly wasn’t going to confess to the rest. The fact he’d known since the beginning I was a cop was interesting. My undercover status meant my name and face had been removed from all databases within the precinct. He’d managed to find our private information somewhere. The list of possibilities I could count on one hand. If I was killed during this ridiculous assignment, no one would give a fuck. “Fascinating, Aleks. All right. I’ll play along. Is this mission really about Santana Dioletti?”
He furrowed his brow but as good of an actor as he was, I could see the single flash of recognition. Interesting.
“The mob boss out of New Orleans who’s ceremoniously conquered a good portion of the population in at least six states?” I continued, goading him.
“Ah, the ugly pig as the Bratva call him.”
“You know about the Bratva.” My challenge was met with a roll of his eyes.
“Only babies do not know of the Bratva in my country. They are much more violent and brutal than any of your...kingpins. However, in a remote manner, this Santana pig does have something to do with the bastard’s choice, but only indirectly.”
“This Master wants something precious to Santana. The rumors are true. Santana had plans on taking a lion’s share of the drug market. He’s simply making a statement. Don’t fuck with my turf.” My heartrate spiked. Santana was more about brutality than cognitive thinking. This didn’t seem like his usual method of operation.
“You seem to know more about him that I would have guessed.”
I snorted. “We hear things in my profession, Aleksandr. Tall tales of bullshit.”
“I assure you. This isn’t bullshit in any manner, lieutenant. There are players in this world who have far more control than you or I could understand with far reaching tentacles. Don’t underestimate what’s going on here. Revenge is significant and important to men like the Master and they don’t care how much money is spent or how many lives are lost.”
“Which means he’ll kill her.” The Trust. The Russian knew more about them.
“No. I doubt the Master will kill her. At least at first. But she certainly won’t have the life she’s used to. She’ll be very subservient in all manners,” Aleksandr hissed. He had a look of disgust on his face. A number of red flags were flying.
“Hence breaking her.”
“Yes,” Aleksandr said. He had a faraway look in his eyes as well as a firm grasp around
his glass. Perhaps the brooding Russian wasn’t the absolute killer I’d believed him to be. Then who was he?
I thought about what he was saying, the puzzle pieces not meshing together. What I did know is that I needed to make some alternative decisions. Flushing out everything he knew was first on my list. If he had any knowledge about the person or persons heading the Trust, becoming his ally would be important. “You know more about this than you’re letting on. Who the hell are you really? You’re not some Russian punk hell bent on making a fortune in America. I also doubt that you’re simply paying off a debt. If you are, it’s not to a member of the Bratva. This isn’t their style in the least. Given your level of vehemence, Aleks, that means you have a vendetta against this Master. If I were to guess further, I’d say you were once a man of importance back in the Soviet Union. Slumming it here is merely an act.” The single tick in the corner of his mouth gave him away. Then he became stone faced once again.
“How astute,” he said with disgust in his tone. “But useless information.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Aleks. All information is useful. If weren’t going to be like caged animals for a few days, I suggest we get to know each other better.”
Aleks laughed once again. He lifted his glass. “Touché, my friend. You are quite formidable indeed. Under any other circumstances, I would think we could be good friends, you and I.”
“As you’ve pointed out, I don’t have any friends. Now, let me make this easier for you. You need to tell me what the hell is really going on here or I’m going to put a stop to this shit right now. No money. No chance of getting close to this Master you speak of, although I’m certain he’ll be pissed. So what?” My laugh sounded bitter.
Aleksandr’s smile was cagey as fuck. I had the feeling I’d been shoved into the middle of a true nightmare and one none of us would be able to wake up from. He took his time refilling his drink. “The question is, what do you know about this, lieutenant? Is the Master the one ultimately holding your leash? No, only one of the Master’s lackeys. You have been a bad boy, pissing off someone with the power and influence to coerce you into a life of crime. Fascinating.”
