Vengeance Aside (Wanted Men 0.5)(4)
“I’m going to the condo to shower. It’s quicker than going home and I want to try to catch Maksim before he leaves the club. See if he’s learned anything.”
Samuel came over and stuck his head in the SUV as Lukas and Milan settled themselves in the back. “Kirov’s looking into this? I thought he was just double-checking security.”
Lukas understood the excitement in his brother’s voice. Aside from being an absolute horror to their enemies, Maksim Kirov, who was tucked tight under Vasily Tarasov’s wing, was a brilliant computer genius—hacker—and a high-standing member of the Tarasov Bratva. And that came with some perks. The main one being that even though New York was their base, the Tarasovs continued to nurture the heavy presence they had in Moscow. To most organized crime factions, whether they be Russian, Italian, Asian, or otherwise, that was a powerful signal to steer clear.
Having those ties to Russia was attractive to Lukas and Samuel because that meant every base would be covered. If last night’s action had been a planned hit, and it had come from a higher authority back home, Maksim would have a little bird chirping in his ear to supply that information.
“Maksim’s Pakhan was at the warehouse last night, Samuel. Did you not hear the fucking Goliath vow to hunt down the bastards responsible for nearly killing them? I heard him talking to Dmitri about hacking a satellite feed to get a bead on where the getaway vehicles were ditched, for Christ’s sake.” He blew out a sigh and gave his scratchy eyes a quick rub. “We need to find us a Kirov.”
“No shit.” Samuel looked serious as he no doubt pictured the six-foot-seven giant who had a reputation like Lukas’s in the sense that neither of them was particularly forgiving or lenient with those who crossed them or their families. “You mind if I tag along and listen in?”
“Yes.”
His brother’s expression flattened. “Why?”
“Because you have a wife to worry about.”
That had Samuel hopping into the SUV and slamming the door. “Do you know something already?”
“No, Samuel.”
“Then why did you bring Farah into it? The only time you do is when you’re about to go on a bender and leave a trail of bodies in your wake.”
Lukas took his phone out and texted Maksim, asking for a time and place to meet. “If I learn something from Kirov, I don’t want to waste time arguing with you when I could be heading out on that bender.”
“Wrong.”
Lukas turned a raised brow on his younger brother who met the excuse-fucking-me look head-on.
“Regardless what you learn, you’re going to have to put it off until after the meeting. And, Lukas, I’m not talking about the one we’re going to have around a big table. For once in your life, you’re going to have to find a way to put your personal life before business. What if meeting Dale and seeing you ‘happy’ is what gives Papa the incentive to get through this?” He’d made half-assed quotation marks in the air. “You can’t deny us that.”
Huh. How the fuck did one put their personal life before business? Lukas’s main goal tonight should be to get out there and get the information he needed so he could decimate those who’d dared to cross his Bratva. Instead, he had to allow Samuel to take the lead while he suffered through a meet-and-greet with a woman he would be introducing to his father in less than twenty-four hours.
He bumped his closed fist on a blood stain that had dried on Samuel’s knee. “I love you, brother, but I suggest you leave now because there is nothing that pisses me off more than when you bring logic and reason into a conversation.”
Samuel didn’t even crack a smile. “You have to make a real effort this time. He thinks he’s going to meet the woman you want to have children with. You understand that, don’t you?”
Since producing an heir was the whole point of finding Ms. Right, of course, Lukas was aware of that. The goddamn anvil had been swaying back and forth over his head for ten fucking years now. Since Samuel and Farah couldn’t have children without the pregnancy killing Farah, it was up to Lukas to keep their line going.
Feeling as bad about that as he always did, he grabbed his brother’s head and pulled him in to kiss his temple. “I’m tight. I know what’s going on and I’ll act accordingly. I give you my word.”
Samuel nodded and got out of the truck, and as Adam got them moving, all Lukas could think was this chubby little comedian better throw a spark or two his way. Otherwise, the future would be one bleak sonofabitch.
TWO
Dale Vaner effortlessly kept herself protected from all the “feels” in the room while transferring her belongings from the dresser drawers to her duffel bag. She was so used to doing it that she didn’t always notice if it took an effort to deflect the emotions or not. But today, because shit was going down, she was conscious of her walls. They were strong. Fortified. And they kept her protected.
“You don’t have to watch me, Liam,” she said for the second time in the last ten minutes. “I’m seriously not going do anything to your stuff.”
“Is she always like this?” a female voice whispered. “I don’t know whether to be impressed or afraid.”
Dale smirked and looked at the girl she’d just caught her “boyfriend” cuddling with on their sofa. Well, it was Liam’s sofa, but Dale had begun to think of it as theirs since moving in four months ago when she’d gone from being Liam’s yoga instructor and sort-of-friend to his roommate and friend-with-bennies.