“According to this, he says Grishka boasted about it in a video that someone secretly recorded.” Facet said.
“Someone as in who?” asked Raptor.
“One of his own men,” said Facet as he looked up at all of us.
“Oh, shit,” murmured several brothers. The dude was as good as dead if Kalashnik found out. And he would. If we’d seen it, and De Luca had seen it, then it was likely others had too.
“Okay, so we know he wants retaliation. What exactly does he want?” Venom asked.
“Cleanup and disposal of a certain daughter of the head of the Bratva in Chicago.”
“Shit,” mumbled Angel as he slouched in his chair. He hated when the job included women. In fact, we usually refused those jobs unless the woman was an absolute evil cunt.
“Shit is right,” said Facet as his face went pale. His eyes met mine, and he slowly spun the computer around.
The room went silent as I stared at the beautiful, smiling face of my woman. Except instead of Kira Baranov, it said Kira Kalashnik. Heart pounding, I swore to fucking Christ the room started spinning. A vision of Kira in my arms with vacant eyes and covered in crimson flooded my senses, rocking me to my core. It was so real, I could smell the scent of her blood—taste its copper tang.
“No!” My fingers gripped the edge of the table as I shouted, and shit went flying off the walls. The few empty chairs fell backwards. Facet grabbed his computer and held it to his chest like it was a baby.
“Goddammit, Voodoo!” Venom shouted. His shouts barely penetrated my rage.
I was tackled out of my chair by Angel. His touch and Venom’s began to calm me, and I found myself lying on the floor trying to catch my breath with huge, heaving gasps. Every fiber of my being was electrified and on edge.
“Voodoo, brother, listen to me. We’re not taking the job, but I need you to think clearly. Calm your shit,” Venom demanded.
Finally able to make my head and body cooperate, I swallowed hard and nodded. “Let me up,” I whispered.
Angel and Venom both gave me hesitant looks but let go of me. We all got up, and I clenched my jaw as I took a deep, cleansing breath. “I’m good,” I said.
“Look, I understand your reaction, but you gotta keep that shit under control,” Venom said in a low tone. I nodded.
Once we were all back at the table, everyone turned serious eyes in my direction.
“This is my concern,” Venom began. “If we don’t take the job, De Luca may just find someone who will.”
“Why her? Why not his oldest son? The one he’s closest to,” said Shank. Surprised that he knew so much about Kalashnik, I studied him with narrowed eyes.
“How do you know about them?” Raptor asked.
Shank snorted. “How do you think? I was in prison with one of his thugs. I heard things.”
“That was years ago,” said Raptor.
“So? You think he’s not still up that boy’s ass? Look him up,” said Shank, causing Facet to open his computer again and start typing.
“He’s right,” said Facet as he scrolled, then looked at us. “Every picture of him shows his oldest son with him. Like, I wonder if he takes a shit with him in the room.”
“Then you contact De Luca. You tell him she’s my ol’ lady and no one touches her. Tell him I’ll take out the son myself,” I growled.
“Voodoo. Think about this. How is she gonna feel about you killing her brother?” Angel said with concern. “I’ll do it.”
“Now, everyone hold on. We’re not doing a motherfucking thing without putting it to the vote.” Venom sounded exasperated and banged his fist on the table.
“We can’t risk De Luca taking this job somewhere else,” Angel firmly said. “You said so yourself.”
“I know what I said, but that didn’t mean we fly off the handle and start making plans that might rain hell down on this chapter or the entire club. Kalashnik has a lot of influence in a lot of places. De Luca is just as bad. Though he may be retired, he’s still a powerful man.” Venom was trying to reason with us, but there wasn’t really any reasoning with me.
Holding his gaze, I said in a calm but deadly voice, “If I have to, I’ll kill both De Luca and Kalashnik, but my woman is not getting harmed.”
“Brother, you need to back the fuck up. You’re talking some crazy-ass shit, now,” Ghost said from the other side of the table. Croc was sitting next to him with his hands covering his face as he muttered to himself.
“First, Voodoo, is she your ol’ lady? Because I didn’t hear you announce that before. Bringing her to a club party is a far cry from her being an ol’ lady. She willing to do that? Tat and all?” Venom seemed to be staring into my soul, and I fought fidgeting.
Because the conversation she’d tried to start with me that morning about it not being a good idea for us to continue what we’d started slammed into my head. Except I’d had no idea she didn’t just have skeletons in her closet—she had the whole fucking cemetery.
“I’ll make sure she is,” I said with finality.