Aleksandr

by S F Draven

  “No need, my boy. You have yourself a deal. That is, if I get to keep the coin,” said Jack.

  “Of course, Jack, and the name is Aleksandr.”

  I told Jack to touch base with me once he got into contact with the man I’d been trying to track down since before I got involved with Edik in the first place. It was a hard mission to start with, but with Jack’s skills, I knew he could pull it off. It surprised me how well versed he was in the country after being away from it for so long. I knew that he lived in Russia when he was young, but it never dawned on me that an Englishman like himself could fit in so perfectly into our world.

  I drove down to an abandoned building about thirty minutes from the bar, waiting to check in on a shipment of guns that was supposed to come in. When I arrived at the scene, I was greeted by my associates, waving to me to let me know that everything was a go. It seemed like everything was falling into place, and that was more than I could’ve asked for, seeing as we were all just waiting for the first strike to occur. I still felt the lump in my throat, telling me that leaving Irina alone for long periods of time was the worst idea, but I had to take care of business before I made the drive back. I pulled out my cell phone, tapping over the lit screen to dial one of the guards I had stationed outside of the cabin, so that I could make sure there weren't any disturbances in the time that I’d been out.

  I looked down at the time, putting the phone on speaker, as it read just after eleven o’clock.

  “Hello, boss,” said Damir, one of my head security guards.

  “Have there been any disturbances since I left the property earlier today? Is Irina still safe?”

  “No one has come around, and everything has been incredibly quiet since you left. I checked in on Miss Irina a few hours ago. She came up to the front porch to ask what time you might be back. She is safe, sir,” said Damir, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Thank you very much, Damir. I’m not sure how much longer this is going to take, but make sure that everyone is on high alert throughout the night. The last thing we need is any surprises,” I instructed.

  “Of course, boss.”

  “See you soon,” I said, hanging up as I made my way inside the abandoned building, checking on a few of the crates that came in.

  I pried one of them open, to see that under the bags of flour, there were the guns I’d purchased. It was a win for the evening that they managed to get here without being intercepted because I knew that was always a possibility. I accounted for all of my gun shipments, made sure that everyone had what they needed to carry out the next phase of the operation, and patted myself on the back for a job well done. Maybe I am cut out for this after all.

  Chapter Eight: Irina

  I can’t believe how worried I am. I knew what I was getting myself into when I left with Aleksandr, but I didn’t think that waiting around for him to return was going to be excruciating. I feel like I’m losing my mind behind these four walls, and I have no idea what to do about it. I asked one of the guards outside whether they knew when he was going to be back, but they couldn’t say much. I just hope that he’s okay and he’ll come back to me in one piece. I have to find something to preoccupy my time, I thought, tossing and turning beneath the sheets which I’d had the time to hand wash and lay out to dry before this evening. I spent the entire day cleaning the cabin, making it feel a bit more like home so sitting around all day wouldn’t feel so bad. I pulled a few dusty books from the surrounding shelves, noticing how old the titles were, and how yellowed the pages were. They took me away from the distress quite nicely throughout the day, but nothing could prepare me for how anxious I was at night.

  My feelings for Aleksandr were growing with every passing minute, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t worried that history was going to repeat itself. I remembered how easily I fell for Edik’s charm in the beginning, and my greatest fear was that Aleksandr was going to wake up one day and realize that he didn’t love me anymore. I couldn’t ignore the connection that was growing between us. I couldn’t ignore how I felt around him, how quickly he managed to leave me breathless, begging my body to fall into his arms. His charm, his eloquence, it was all so new to me because it was the exact opposite of how Edik had been right before I made my escape. I’d almost forgotten what it felt like to be treated with kindness, to believe that someone had better things in mind than just to toy with my heart and make me believe a complete fabrication masquerading as love. Aleksandr was the kind of man that could have any woman he wanted, but for some reason, he was fixated on me. He made my mind run wild with the memories of what we’d done together, and he made my heart flutter every time he entered the room.

  Part of me was starting to believe that we were meant to be together, and the other part worried that I was making a grave mistake by allowing him to take such control over my life. Yet it all came down to his truth, and the actions behind every single one of his promises. He made me believe that I was worth a second chance at a better life, and he was clearing the way for me to find it. It was an extraordinary feeling to see him put so much on the line for me, but I still felt uncertain about the times to come.

  I kept glancing over at the clock, watching time pass slowly, and it was well after midnight when the true worry began to set in. I could hear the guards outside, standing around with their guns in hand, making sure that I was safe inside. I would’ve felt much safer if Aleksandr was here with me, but after reading the note he left me, I knew that coming home late probably meant early the next morning. I tried my best to get some sleep, and just as I was starting to drift off, I heard a loud sound ring high in the air. It was a gunshot.

  I leaped out of the bed and headed toward the window to see two men make their way up to the porch, putting bullets in each and every one of Aleksandr’s guards. My heart was beating out of my chest, knowing that if they were to catch sight of me, it was all going to be over. I reached into the bedside table, pulling out the only handgun that was left, but there were barely any bullets inside, and I hadn’t shot many guns before. I made my way into the cabin bathroom, shutting the door behind me as I tried to pry the window open.

  “Come on, come on!” I screamed, trying to get it to give way just as I heard the front door crash open, and the voices of those two men traveled into the bedroom.

  “I know you’re here, Irina. The boss is going to have a field day when he finds out where you’ve been hiding all this time. Naughty girl, leaving one man for another,” he said, and that was when I instantly recognized the voice. That was Edik’s head guard, Ivan. He always made me feel uncomfortable whenever he came around to deliver news to Edik, and I always felt like he wanted to have his way with me. Now, I supposed that all bets were off, and Edik was going to let them all have a go at me before he eventually took me out for good. I wasn’t about to let that happen, and I couldn’t allow him to get his hands on me, so I did what I had to do.

  I hit the glass with the barrel of the gun, shattering it as I crawled out of the window as fast as I could, wincing as the shards of glass cut through my skin. Tears welled up in my eyes as I finally made it out from all the pain, blood trickling down my arms and legs, painting my nightgown red while I took off barefoot into the forest. I had to hide until they left, and there was no way I was going to let them find me. I walked away as quietly as possible, knowing that they weren’t going to spend the entirety of their night searching through the woods for me. Men like Ivan were lazy, and he’d probably take up residence and sit around waiting for Aleksandr to return rather than try to find me himself. If I had a target on my back, so did Aleksandr. Edik knew very well that he had to have helped me escape, and it made my heart hurt to think of all of the things Edik was going to do to Aleksandr if he could ever manage to get him subdued.

  I was worrying about Aleksandr’s safety much more than I was my own now, because I knew in my heart that I’d fallen in love with him. I’d never had a man treat me the way he had, and I’d never experienced such kind
ness from anyone before. It was something that was completely new to me, something that made me want to give us a fighting chance. The only way we were ever going to get to that point would be if we got rid of Edik for good, and at this rate, that was going to be much easier said than done.

  I took off into the night, watching as the lights from the cabin eventually went out, and I could hear Ivan call out for me again. I tried my best to ignore him, putting as much space between me and the cabin as possible. I hid behind a tree, feeling the cold air on my skin, shivering as I sat trying to nurse my wounds. It was going to be hours before daylight, and I knew that I was probably going to freeze out there, but I had no other choice. It felt like ages before I heard any other sounds coming from the cabin, but just before I could look out to see what may have happened, I heard another piercing gunshot. This one didn’t sound like the others, and it was followed by the bloodcurdling scream of a man. My heart sank into my stomach as I began to think that Aleksandr finally made it back, and that Ivan was able to take him down before he could even realize what was happening. My body was shivering, as I let myself cry silently, worried that my happy ending was over before it truly started.

  I heard another few gunshots after that, and I clutched my hands to my chest, curling up into a ball, letting myself feel every ounce of pain that overtook my body. I had to be crying for what felt like hours before I felt two hands grab at me, but at that point I didn’t even care. If they got to Aleksandr, I truly didn’t care what they did to me. I opened my eyes in the darkness as a light shone in my face from the flashlight the man was carrying, and in that moment, I realized that everything was going to be okay.

  “Oh my God, Irina! Thank God you’re okay,” said Aleksandr, bloodied, battered, but hanging on. “You’re bleeding, oh my God. We have to get you out of here, okay?” he offered.

  “I thought you were gone,” I croaked, feeling the ache in my throat from all the crying.

  “What?”

  “I thought that Ivan shot you. I thought that you were gone,” I said, crying again.

  “I told you I wasn’t going to abandon you, and I always stay true to my word, Irina. I’m going to get you to safety, and make sure that your wounds are tended to, okay? You’re going to be okay,” he said, lifting me up to carry me back to his car, and as we approached the cabin again, I caught sight of the carnage that was left behind after what happened. I knew it must’ve hurt Aleksandr to see so many of his men lying there dead, but I could see it in his eyes that he was glad that I managed to make it out.

  He held me there, bending down to kiss me, and my lips pressed into his, hard, while the tears continued to stream down my face. He placed me in the passenger seat of his car, running back into the cabin to grab what appeared to be a first-aid kit, and we were off. I had no idea where we were going next, but it seemed that we were in much more danger than I’d realized.

  “How did you know the man’s name?” asked Aleksandr, getting into the driver’s seat.

  “He’s Edik’s head of security. If he was able to find us out here, then it’s quite possible that we’re being followed,” I said, offering up any information or theories I could think of.

  “That’s not possible. I double-checked everyone that was out here, and any time I left or returned to the property, I made sure to keep an eye out,” he said,.We were both bouncing ideas off of each other.

  “I know you don’t want to hear this, Aleksandr, but there is the possibility that one of your men may be in on the job. I saw that kind of thing happen to Edik all of the time, and while he always chose to dispose of his rats in quite gruesome ways, I know you’d find a better way to go about it.”

  “It’s quite possible, Irina. If that’s the case, then the only way I can ensure your safety is if I keep you with me at all times. Though that in itself is a very dangerous move, one I never wanted to even bring up,” he said, and I could tell that he was worried about me getting into harm’s way.

  “Teach me what I need to know, and I promise we’re going to get out of this together. I don’t want to live under this threat any longer, Aleksandr. I want to be free to explore the rest of my life, to explore things with you,” I said, offering up much more than I initially wanted to, but given the circumstances, I owed him the truth.

  “I don’t know, Irina…”

  “It may be the only way, Aleksandr.”

  “I know. I have to say, you are a very strong woman. You’re very capable of handling yourself, and while I don’t want to bring you to these sting operations and hits, it’s possible that you’d be much safer with me than hiding out in a place where you’re moping around like a sitting duck. The only person I can trust now to make sure that you’re safe is myself, and I will teach you what you’re going to need to know in order to hold your own. I want to get rid of this threat just as much as you do, and when this is all over, I promise that we’re finally going to have time to ourselves,” he said, smiling back at me.

  “To just lay around and do nothing? Pretending like you aren’t an up-and-coming crime boss?” I teased.

  “That sounds like a dream right about now, doesn’t it?”

  “It sure does,” I replied.

  The drive back into the city felt much longer than I’d anticipated, but somewhere along the way, I drifted off to sleep. It was the calmest sleep I’d had since I’d been holed up inside of the cabin, but when I finally awoke, I noticed that we were outside yet another mansion, only this time it wasn’t Aleksandr’s. The architecture was rather similar, giving me the idea that we couldn’t have been too far off. Though, I supposed I could’ve been wrong, because I’d been out cold for what must’ve been hours while Aleksandr stayed up and alert behind the wheel. For some reason, I felt rather calm, despite my injuries still reminding me of what happened. I felt much more at ease now that we were back in the city. This mansion didn’t appear to be inhabited, and the more I thought of it, the more I realized that it appeared just as abandoned as the cabin had when we first arrived at it. The place was absolutely enormous, with its white stone pillars holding up the structure at the front, the long cascading staircase that led out onto the driveway, and the brickwork that was neatly done around the shrubbery. It was captivating, even being barely lit at night.

  Aleksandr parked the car right in front of the massive double doors before coming around to the passenger side and helping me out because I still couldn’t stand very well. I wondered what he had up his sleeve, or if this place even belonged to him at all, because in this life, there were always surprises right around the corner. Nothing was out of the question when you lived a life of crime, and Aleksandr was no exception, no matter how kind-hearted he was. That was never something that bothered me, as I played the game as much as I could alongside Edik when we were first getting involved, and I quite liked it, until he turned over a new leaf, leaving me in the dark. It wasn’t until he saw how the men at his parties gathered to gawk at me that he realized he could use me to his advantage, because at that time he was already bored of me.

  I’d known for a while that he was looking for an excuse to get rid of me, but then would come a night where he’d crawl into bed and pour his heart out to me like he did when we first met, completely manipulating me in the process. I didn’t take kindly to men like him, and after the years of utter distress he put me through, I promised myself I’d never get involved with another man like that again. I remembered how liberated I felt the night I met Aleksandr, when I got to call the shots as to what happened, leading him up into the bedroom where he eventually took over control. It was the best I’d ever felt, and if I’d have known right then that I’d be falling in love with this man, I probably would’ve left that very night.

  Though, here we were, alone in an abandoned mansion, trying to wait out the storm until Aleksandr had everything in place to plan his strike. The more I got to know him, the more I began to believe that he was going to make it out of this unscathed, and that gave me hope. The
last thing I wanted was to lose him because of all of this, and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to him while he was trying to protect me. He carried me into the large, ornate dining room where he rested me down on the table, pulling out a few of the chairs so I’d have a bit more legroom.

  “I have a doctor on the way to patch you up and make sure that you didn’t sustain any bad injuries that you may not be aware of,” he said, brushing the hair out of my eyes, and I smiled at him gratefully.

  “I can’t thank you enough for rescuing me, Aleksandr. I don’t know how long I would’ve lasted out there in the cold if you hadn’t made it back in time,” I said truthfully.

  “I called one of my guards to check up on you, as I have been throughout the day, and at the time everything was fine, but when I checked in again, he didn’t answer. That’s when I knew that something was wrong and I immediately started driving back. I don’t know how Edik’s men were able to find you out there in the woods, as I thought the location was secure, or at least that my men were going to be able to hold down the fort, but I was unfortunately mistaken. Though I have a much better feeling about this place, and I know that Edik won’t come to look for you here,”

  “How can you be so sure?” I asked.

  “Because this mansion belongs to him,” he said, and I felt my heart sink into my stomach.

  “What do you mean?”

  “My head of security was able to get a list of the properties that Edik owned, ones he wasn’t planning on renovating for a few months at least, and while the place is still uninhabited, it’s our best bet. I know that it’s scary to be in a place he owns, but I promise you that it’s much safer than anywhere else he could possibly track you down. Also, I won’t be leaving you alone again, so you don’t have to worry about fending for yourself,” he said, and that calmed me down. Regardless of how much danger we were in, I felt safe by Aleksandr’s side, and nothing was going to take that away from me.