Page 141

Story: Scream

He laughs. “Because it was so fuckingeasy. We’ve known you to be weak. We’ve seen you have holes in your forces – large enough to squeeze through. The drugs were simply to prove wecould. To prove to you that you don’t know everything that’s happening under your nose, Maksim. You werenevermeant to be the leader of the bratva. You are not one of us.”
It’s true. I do not lead the Russians – not like I should. Not from so far away. Minute video meetings from my office, scheduled appearances, and whatever else to prove I deserve to be king – it’s nothing but a waste of fucking time. I’m sure I could do better.Bebetter. But Russia is not home. As much as my mother tried to influence me, Venice and New York had been my homes growing up. When my grandfather Dimitri died last year – of the fucking flu, no less – that all went to me. Now, my father is also deteriorating.
Which is why I want Sabrina more actively involved in my world. Why I want to be more actively involved in hers – so I can run it better. So I can have time to make the decisions necessary, not just line thepockets of the already rich. I need to spend a few weeks out of the yearinRussia.
“Your littleposseslaughtered my mother twenty years ago. Every single one of you had this same tattoo,” I reply, pinching his thigh while I run the scalpel down his arms – over the fat veins that protrude – watching the blood ooze from the incisions in fat, red rivers.
“‘For the sins of your fathers you, though guiltless, must suffer.’ So, by blood, not name, you’ll be forgotten, Maksim. We were not meant to heel to Italian Mafia superficial impurities.”
I nod and do what Sabrina calls my Robert De Niro frown, shrugging before I suck at my teeth. “You did not bypass or simply slip past anything or anyone, Andrei. Sure, I was distracted – because of my wedding, being sent off to fucking Italy against my will. But my guys, both – Mafia and Bratva – had my back. Because I trust them. You were so eager to find a weak link in the chain, you forgot the weakest link is still that - a link. I sent you back that link – by the name of De Luca – who squealed on you, might I add. Because at the end of the day, my men do not work for me –Iwork forthem. That is how it has always been and how it always should be. You may think you still have your rats running amok in my city but let me assure you – parts of them have been sent back while the other parts have been… burned to nothing but ashes, floating above this city. The men who have died by your side today did not do so willingly. They did not die trying to protect you, as mine would die to protect me – and vice-versa, Andrei." I sniff because goddamn he fucking stinks.
“Maybe you're right. I should give the bratva back to Moscow. But with the way I run my city, my town, my money, my life – you couldneverdo it. Not even your fat, arrogant father could. So, let me tell you exactly what’s going to happen, Andrei Brodsky, son of Sergei Brodsky. My men in the Moscow sector are already circling your brotherhood. You’re nothing but carrion to vultures. Sasha here, is going to carve out your eyeballs and put them in this very beautiful black silk box we got-”
“They’ll look real pretty,” Sasha interrupts. “Got a new scooper. They’ll pop right out.”
I grin. “But that is the extent, see. Or maybe you won’t. Once Sasha removes them and takes a picture, we shall be sending it to your father via an encrypted email.” I tap to my ear where Aleksi has been listening the entire time. “Said encrypted email will hack into your father's phone or computer, wherever he decides to open it. This is more so for us. Not only do we want to see his expression, but we’ll be also able to see everything your father has been up to. I’m sure he’s worried he hasn’t heard from you all day since you’ve been… well, you’ve beenhere. Once we know Sergei has seen his son’s eyes… we’ll be on him. There will be no survivors of this… little Rogue Bear Brotherhood you have. Now, any final words?”
“Fuck you,” he spits.
“Yeah… you already said that. I’m a little disappointed – just like your rat of a father will be. He's all yours, Sasha,” I reply, turning away motioning my head to Niko to follow me out as the screaming begins. Unfortunately, it fades away as soon as the elevator hits the next floor up. We paid a lot for good soundproofing.
We get off on the boxing floor and walk through the employees setting up chairs and risers for seating. “Any word on Dana Harley?”
Niko grunts. “She's in Vermont with family, getting the help she needs.”
I nod. “That's good. I was thinking we need to rethink our age limit for dancers to twenty-one.”
We stop at the bar, and Niko lifts his finger to the barkeeper, who pours him a shot of bourbon. Mikey looks at me with a questioning gaze, and I shake my head once. He takes the hint, then finds something else to occupy his time so Niko and I can speak privately. I lean against the bar and look out at the open space. It's quiet now – just the sound of metal chairs scraping on linoleum floors – but later, it'll be thundering booms of chaos. Blood and sweat will coat the floors and it’ll all vanish before the sun rises.
“Did that feel too easy for you?” Niko asks. “Donahue, Andrei…”
“You feel like something big is coming too, don't you?”
“It always comes in threes, remember?” he replies.
“I was able to postpone my meeting with PresCorp for next month. I'm thinking if that somehow keeps Kane Burton here a little longer, we can watch him a little closer.”
“I'm sorry about that, by the way. I didn't see him leave the building, otherwise I would've followed him.”
I shake my head. “If you didn't see him leave through the only visible entrance to the building, that means there's special access elsewhere. Who do you have on him?”
“Benny, Vinny, and that new kid in training Rossi sent us – Elio. He's quiet. Eager. Does as he's told – no questions asked. Kind of scares me.” He grins.
“Those are made into weapons.”
Niko nods. “Reminds me of us when we were kids.”
“Do me a favor. Put him in my rotation. I wanna see how he does guarding me for a day.” I say, as my phone dings with an incoming message.
Savage: We're headed to Raven's.
“Ah, shit. My wife is on the move.” I grumble, texting him back.
“She okay?”
“She quit her job this morning. Paid her assistant’s tuition for school, then wired her a year's worth of wages all before nine AM.” I shake my head.
“Because of Kane?”