Chapter Ten
“You don’t need to come with us, brother. Dimitri’s and my team could’ve managed this operation on our own,” Lev told Maxim.
His team, which included Maxim, hunkered behind an old storage container. Tonight proved to be a cold one. Maxim shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat and wished he’d brought his gloves along.
The black coat Maxim wore didn’t fit him right either. None of the clothes they wore did because they had plucked them from dead corpses—Rossi men Lev’s team ambushed earlier.
Maxim and the rest had retrieved their clothes and weapons. If it was one thing the Rossis loved to do, it was to flaunt their wealth.
He found the ornate fur coat and the gold jewelry tacky, but the Fedorovs would hopefully mistake them for their Rossi allies.
Dimitri and his team, meanwhile, were spread around the docks, guns ready. Lev had paid his contact well to ensure no workers would be present at the docks tonight. Security had been paid to make them scarce as well.
“I want to make sure everything goes right tonight,” Maxim said. If everything turned out the way Lev and he planned, then they wouldn’t need to lift a finger. The Rossis and Fedorovs would turn on each other like animals.
“All right, but try not to show your face,” Lev said. Maxim nodded, pulling the hood of his jacket up.
“They’re here, boss,” Alex said. Maxim still hadn’t quite forgiven the young associate for going along with Sofia’s plans, but it was clear Alex was more than eager to make up for his mistakes.
Maxim peered from his hiding place and spotted three black SUVs arriving. A dozen men got out from the SUVs. He recognized Brutus Fedorov, a high-ranking member of the Fedorov Bratva.
“Where are the damn Italians? They’re always late,” Brutus grumbled.
“Go,” Maxim told his men. Lev and he would be too recognizable, so Alex led their group to where Brutus and his goons were. Brutus didn’t even bat an eye.
“There you are. What kept you? Wait. Where’s Giovanni?” Brutus asked, scanning their faces, but it was hard to do under the dim lights.
“Giovanni has an important function to attend, so he sent me. I’m his second cousin, Mario. Remember the name because I’m going to be running one of Giovanni’s crews soon,” Alex said, offering his hand, but Brutus didn’t shake it.
“Sure, whatever,” Brutus said with a shake of his head. “Let’s get this over with.”
“Boss, don’t you think the dock is too quiet?” asked one of his men nervously.
Brutus frowned and turned to Alex, who suddenly had his gun out. Maxim and the rest of his men did the same.
“What is the meaning of this?” Brutus demanded. “Is Giovanni going back on his word now?”
“My cousin believes we should get a bigger split in the profits,” Alex said. Maxim had to praise Alex for his acting because he seemed to embrace his role pretty well.
“You think threats would convince us of anything?” Brutus scoffed. “You Rossis are already getting a twenty percent profit for basically doing nothing.”
“Now,” Maxim yelled.
Dimitri’s team emerged from the shadows. They took out Brutus’s men one by one. Since the Fedorovs weren’t expecting a gunfight, most of them reacted sluggishly.
Brutus didn’t stay and fight with his men, he bolted. Maxim had his own gun out, and he shot Brutus in the leg. A well-aimed shot to the skull ensured Brutus was dead. Almost a dozen of the Fedorovs were dead. Dimitri and his men stopped firing.
Lev swore next to him, and Maxim followed his line of sight. One of Brutus’s men had managed to reach the SUVs.
“Let him go,” Maxim said, pitching his voice loud enough so everyone could hear. “We need someone alive to send the message to the Fedorovs that the Rossis are no longer their allies.”
“Do you think the Fedorovs will buy it?” Dimitri asked Maxim.
“Why won’t they? The two groups never truly trusted each other in the beginning,” Maxim said. “Lev, seize the shipment and then burn all of it. Dimitri, your men are in charge of cleanup.”
Once his orders were given and were being followed, Maxim returned to his waiting car, which he parked two blocks from the docks. His driver waited for him. Yuri accompanied him. This time, Maxim was taking no chances, as he promised Sofia and Lev.
The ride home was a quiet one. Maxim wanted to drop Yuri off at his home, but the older associate refused. “Lev entrusted me to see you home first, boss,” Yuri insisted. Maxim sighed and nodded, knowing he wouldn’t win this argument.