Protected by a Mobster 2: A Russian Mafia Romance (Volsky Mafia) (9 page)

“Okay.”

I grab my gym bag and Liliya’s hand, and head for the warehouse entrance. Gabriel walks on her other side blocking her in between us. The other guys follow closely behind us. As we reach the door, a large man I recognize opens the door and waves us inside. He’s one of Abram’s guys but for the life of me I can’t remember his name. Doesn’t matter.

Glancing around the room, I see men lining the walls, sitting on boxes and crates. Some just lean against the wall with a bored look on their faces. At the head of the room is a long table where the Commission sits. Already, Abram Klepin, Ivan Babkin, Lyosha Markow, and Igor Duskin are seated and waiting for the meeting to start.

“Gabriel I need to approach the Commission members. Respect and all that. You and Liliya come with me but stay a few feet behind me. Don’t speak.”

“Sure. Whatever.”

Liliya stiffens as I slip my hand from hers. I quickly offer her a wink and she responds with a sweet smile before moving to Gabriel’s side. Good. At least she understands how fucking serious being here is. No woman has ever attended a meeting. As we move across the room, I take notice of the men looking at her and the tight smiles and smirks. I also notice the hungry looks she’s getting and it fills me with red hot rage. The bastards are lucky they’re not going to be facing me in a fight.

“Good evening, gentlemen. Abram. Ivan. Good to see you again.”

Markow looks me up and down with disdain as he takes in my clothing choice before opening his mouth and letting his ignorance shine through. “What the hell are you wearing, Volsky?”

“Were you unaware of the fight tonight?” I snap out.

“What fight?”

I chance a quick glance at Ivan and Abram, realizing by their expressions that Markow doesn’t have a clue what’s happening tonight. I raise a questioning brow at my friends before filling him in. I’m going to fucking enjoy turning his life upside-down and inside-out. A heavy metal door slams closed and Abram’s guy locks it up. Once inside, nobody leaves until business is handled. I notice the lock on the door is a new one.

Turning to the side, I reach for Liliya’s hand and pull her into my side. She burrows against me, her eyes cast down. I know she doesn’t want to look at her filthy bastard of a father, but I need her to find the strength.

“Don’t you recognize your daughter?” I tilt Liliya’s face up, gently running my knuckles along her cheekbone. She smiles up at me and I go for it. I plant a searing hot kiss on her lips and don’t stop until she’s breathless.

Lyosha Markow is writhing in his seat like a fucking snake ready to strike, but he can’t risk acting like a fool here. Without dropping my gaze from Liliya’s, I began speaking to her father again. “She’s a beauty, Lyosha. I’m going to make her my wife. Just picture it. A Markow laying down with a Volsky. Your daughter and I are going to breed you right out of existence.”

I held my laugh in, but Liliya couldn’t. With a polite nod to the rest of the Commission, we turned and walked away. Dane stood near the entrance, anger flashing in his eyes. I guess he was watching our little conversation. Good for him. He has to know that he’s already lost.

No sooner than we reached the rest of our little group, Abram Klepin began to speak. He welcomed everyone and explained rather quickly that this particular meeting would run a little differently. His words were met with grumbles and whispers amongst the crowd but he silenced them with a few quick heated words.

“It has been brought to The Commission’s attention that a few men in this room are working to align their families in the hopes of taking over the lot of us. I’m sure you have all seen that there is a woman amongst us tonight. Her reason for being here will be made clear very soon. Before we begin, Ruslan could you and Liliya join me for a moment, please? Dane, you as well.”

We made our way to the front of the room, keeping a decent space between us and Dane.

Abram pulled my chair at the commission table out and around to the side of the table, giving everyone in the room a clear view of her. He waved her to the seat.

“It’s alright. Take a seat, Lil.”

Lil quickly and quietly took her seat, folding her hands across her lap. She was the perfect little mafia princess, just as her father had raised her to be, in that moment. She shined like a diamond.

“Men of the Brotherhood, we have snakes in our den,” Abram shouted for the room to hear. “And when that happens, they must be culled.” He walked towards Liliya, stood beside her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “This is Liliya Markow, daughter of Lyosha Markow. She’s here tonight to provide everyone with the information she shared with the Commission members and then we will rule as how best to remedy the situation. Liliya, who did you approach with this information, and why?”

“I approached Ruslan Volsky because my father fears him above all others.”

“Who else did you share this information with?

“Ruslan, of course, two of his enforcers, Maksim and Bastian, as well as you, sir and that gentleman over there. I’m sorry I can’t remember his name.”

“This gentleman here you say?” Abram pointed at Ivan.

“Yes, sir.”

“Could you tell us about this information please, young lady? Go back as far as you need to. Where it all began, if you will.”

“Several months ago, I saw my father order Dane Duskin to kill my brother. Dane murdered him in cold blood because he refused to get mixed up in their underhanded shit against the other families and the commission. I chose to run to find Ruslan and let him know what they were planning.”

For a moment she looked over at me, knowing that what she asked me to do had to be spoken. The men in this room need to hear it loud and clear. “I begged Ruslan for help. I begged him to kill my father.”

“Do you believe this request is justified, young lady?”

Liliya’s fists clenched tight until they were shaking with anger. She looked up, her eyes trailing from face to face around the crowded room before looking her father straight in the eye. “The dirty rotten bastard deserves to die for killing a man that refused to turn his back on the Bratva. He deserves to die for having no honor.”

“Thank you, Liliya.”

The room remained silent, all eyes trained on the man in question. He made no move to get up or to speak.

Abram faced the Bratva men, our brotherhood, and waited for the verdict to come. “What say you brothers?”

“Kill the snake. Strip him of his marks,” a deep voice from the back boomed. A chorus of aye’s echoed around the room.

Abram turned to face Lyosha. “So be it. The brotherhood has spoken. Lyosha, you will be relieved of your position as pakhan of the Markow family. Your tattoos will be stripped from you before you meet your maker.”

Lyosha nodded solemnly, seemingly accepting his fate.

Two men stepped forward, placing a hand on Lyosha’s shoulders, pinning him to his seat. The man said nothing.

Abram moved on to the next set of business. “Tonight’s final bit of business has not been used by the Bratva in decades. Tonight we will bring it back to settle the marriage contract Lyosha made with Dane for Liliya Markow’s hand. Ruslan Volsky, Las Vegas pakhan, will face off against Dane in a death match. Last man standing marries the Markow princess.”

I handed my bag to Gabriel, who stood by Liliya’s side like a sentry. Reaching behind my head, I pulled my shirt off, tossing it to my girl. Dane stood in the center of the room, bouncing around like an idiot. I cracked my neck, kissed Lil on the cheek, and nodded at The Commission.

Dane and I met in the center of the room and stood toe-to-toe, waiting for the go ahead to begin. Abram walked up and looked us over. “This fight has no rules. Once it starts, it goes until one man walks away. The Commission requests that no weapons be used or provided by those in attendance. This will be an honorable fight to the death. Fight!”

Dane charged at me like a bull in a china shop. His fists flying wide, not once hitting their mark. I felt bad for the poor fool. He was way out of his depth fighting me. I stood still opened my arms and shouted at the little shit. “Come on, you little pussy. Hit me now because it’s the only time it’s going to happen. Come on! Make it fucking count, Dane!”

He charged at me again, his fist connecting with my jaw. There was no power behind it. Poor kid. It didn’t so much as stun me. I pummeled the poor guy with a series of punches. Left. Right. Right. Left. Straight shot to the face. Blood from his now-broken nose rained down like a fucking river.

Dane stumbled around, holding his nose with one hand, his ribs with the other. I gave the guy a minute or two to pull his shit together before moving in again. Knowing this kid is as screwed up as he is, he didn’t deserve to have this fight drag out. It needed to end fast. I swept my leg wide, my foot connecting with his jaw and neck. He went down. His skull hit the concrete floor of the warehouse and bounced like a basketball before settling on the floor and lolling to the side.

I crouched down beside Dane to check his pulse and regretted it instantly. A sharp pain flashed on my side, the pain white-hot. I fell forward, burying my knee in his chest to keep the bastard down on the ground. I grabbed his arms, pinning them down in rapid succession. Once he was pinned down good, I checked the damage he had done. I knew it had to be a knife. There was nothing else he could have snuck in.

Sure enough, the knife was still stuck in my side. The little cocksucker barely got me. The knife went straight through the tissue at my side, thankfully missing major organs. It hurt like a bitch but it wouldn’t kill me. It would bleed like hell, though, until it was tended to. I pulled the knife free, slinging it behind me towards the Commission table. Liliya’s whimpers could be heard loud and clear over the Bratva men hooting and hollering for me to finish it.

It was time to end this horseshit for good. I grasped Dane’s chin with one hand and grabbed a handful of hair with the other. Just as I was about to break the fool’s neck, Liliya tapped me on the shoulder. I glanced up at her and she shook her head no. I didn’t let Dane go.

“Move, Ruslan. Please. I think it’s time I get my pound of flesh for Malcolm.”

I whipped my head around at the Commission, looking for an okay to what she was asking. Abram and Ivan nodded their okay. Igor just sat and watched, completely emotionless.

I stood up, placing my foot on Dane’s chest when he made a move to sit up. He grunted as his body slammed back to the floor. Liliya stood still for a moment, looking down at Dane, shaking her head and making a clicking sound with her tongue. Before I knew it my girl straddled Dane’s chest grabbed a chunk of his hair and jerked his head back. His blood-soaked throat arched forward, his pulse thrumming under his skin.

“Please, Liliya. You don’t have to do this,” Dane whimpered. “I’m sorry. So fucking sorry.”

I scanned the room, noticing how silent and still my brothers were. What was happening tonight was historic, but not in a way that we would want to remember. It wasn’t a glorious occasion. It was horrific and dark. Disturbing in every possible way. Liliya’s dark and angry voice, filled with venom, grabbed my attention in a heartbeat.

“My brother begged you not to kill him. Did you fucking listen to him? Did you care? No, Dane, you didn’t! Why the hell should I give you mercy? Answer me!” She jerked his head up closer to hers and slammed it down to the concrete with an audible smack. Dane screamed like a baby.

Igor Duskin came out of nowhere, in his hand was the knife Dane had stabbed me with. He wiped the blood on his pants, tapped Liliya on the shoulder, and handed her the knife. Dane shouted, squirming around underneath Liliya. She clamped her thighs tighter around his chest.

“You don’t have to do this sweetheart. It will stay with you forever. It leaves a stain on your soul. I don’t want that for you, baby.” I begged almost pleaded in a soft whisper against her ear. Her only response was a raised hand waving me off. As much as I hated it, knowing what it would do to her once it was done, I stepped to the side and let her have her revenge.

“There is no forgiveness for a snake like you. The men in this room have honor. My brother had honor.” Liliya leaned forward, her nose almost touching Dane’s. “It’s only fair, Dane, that you give me your life for taking my brother’s. Fair is fair, after all.”

Without another word she snapped his head back as far as it would go, the tip of the blade pointed at an upward angle an inch or so above his Adam’s apple. She rammed the blade in as far as she could, twisting the knife as she removed it, and quickly, as if without great thought, slashed his throat from ear to ear.

After the deed was done, she didn’t move, just sat there, blood spraying onto her jeans and hands. She closed her eyes, tilted her head up to the ceiling and let out a long breath. Nobody in the room moved a muscle. Igor stood beside me, quiet as a mouse. Liliya stood up, the blood-soaked knife still in her hand. She nodded to Igor. A silent thank you of sorts between them. The knife clattered to the floor at her feet.

“It’s done. Can we please go home?”

“Yeah, sweetheart. We can definitely go home.”

“Thank fuck. I’m so tired, Ruslan.”

Three months later

When Malcolm was killed, I felt as much as saw my world begin to close in on itself. Left became right. Up became down. Nothing was quite what it seemed to be. I thought I knew the people around me. I thought I could trust them with my life, my love, and my future.

I had always just freely given trust to those around me. I never once thought that it was something a person should earn by proving their loyalty, their love, or showing it with their actions each day. But my journey taught me never to give what should be earned.

I learned that a person can never truly know another one hundred percent. There are skeletons and darkness in every closet. The depth of the darkness and the number of skeletons may vary but it all comes down to the same truth – we all have a little something to hide, a secret that we keep, something awful that we once did, some unforgivable crime that would mark you for life.