Page 101 of Lord of Vice
“Remington. I’ll kill you if you hurt Remington!” she bellowed, still squirming. The hold around her neck was tightened. As she started wheezing, I resisted reacting in any way. If I did, the bastards would use her against me. As it was, it was obvious they knew what Penny meant to me. It didn’t bode well for her safety.
Or her life.
“Fuckers,” Vissarian hissed, preparing to lift the gun when the man holding him finally yanked the weapon from his hand, laughing maniacally.
“Your brother isn’t the smartest man. Is he?” Emiliano taunted. “Then again, he takes after his brother.”
“Well, think of it this way,” I said with a smile on my face as I lowered my weapon in front of me. “He knows when to hold back and when to attack. You see, our father trained us well.” I shot Vissarian a look. I’d required him to go through extensive military-style training over the years, preparing him in the event of being attacked, or worse, being captured.
However, this was more personal to him, which almost surprised me.
My men had been trained to be crack shots, but not against assault rifles, which I hadn’t anticipated. Still, with the right call, taking every one of the assholes out was still doable. I gave Konstantin a quick glance and he knew exactly what I was thinking, shifting two feet to the side.
Emiliano threw him a look, pointing the handgun he held casually in his hand at my counselor. “Tsk. Tsk. Russian. Do you not think I’ve spent weeks studying your crew, your security, your techniques, and your weaknesses? Unless you want your brother and that pretty lady of yours, who I’d prefer join my pleasure harem, to die, then I’d act accordingly.”
“Over my dead body, scum,” she said through clenched teeth, managing to stomp on the man’s foot. It was obvious my pretty Penny wasn’t going to back down for anyone. I both admired and wanted to throttle her for her continued push and pull.
“What is it that you want, Emiliano, other than revenge for something that preceded both of us?”
He had a perplexed look on his face then laughed. “You mean my worthless father and yours? I couldn’t care less.”
Konstantin huffed. It wasn’t what either one of us had been expecting.
“Ah, it’s all about the power. Selling drugs? I would think that’s beneath you.”
He wagged his finger as if I was an idiot. I noticed a hint of the branding the other assassins had carved into their bodies, realizing an angle that would likely set him off.
“You’re a fool if you think revenge has any place in my world. I take what I want, and I decided months ago I wanted your regime. You have exactly what I need to move into the future.”
He was more than dramatic, throwing out his arms, another man determined to become king of the world. I’d seen so many men who purported themselves to be leaders of powerful corporations, both legitimate and those based in criminal activity, think of themselves as gods. No rules to follow. No obstacles whatsoever. What I’d also learned was that once they got their head over their ass, their worlds usually crumbled like dominoes. It was a matter of pulling the first block.
So what if patience wasn’t in my wheelhouse? On this night, I’d need to learn new tricks if I wanted the people I… loved to live.
And to hell with anyone who attempted to get in my way.
I acted bored, taking a deep breath and holding it while I continued to assess the situation. “You mean you’re a lackey for the Death Squad and you really believe they’re going to allow one of their puppets to rule a kingdom. If so, then you’re the biggest fool of all.” I laughed, which got my men to laugh with me.
The enemy soldiers were becoming nervous, unused to being so close to an even more powerful man. I took another quick glance at my beautiful woman, doing what I could to reassure her. She had a few tears running down her face and it was obvious to tell she was trying desperately to get to her beloved puppy. The Goldendoodle remained down but I could tell he was breathing. At least the soldiers were leaving him alone.
For now.
The look in Emiliano’s eyes was fascinating for a power-hungry monster. He was furious he was on a short leash, planning onattempting to kill one or more of them. And most important, he confirmed the existence of the secret society. Not that it mattered at the moment.
I had more important things to take care of.
“Fuck you!” he hissed. “This is my world, my kingdom.”
“If you say so. I’m curious. How did you enjoy Veronica? She was a tasty treat for a little while, but I quickly grew tired of her.” Another way to goad a man was to make fun of the choices of women in his life.
He snarled, pointing his gun at my head, his men prepared and eager for a bloodbath. It was far too tense in the room, but this needed to be played out. Not only for information but also to end the attacks.
For now.
There were too many dangling pieces, but I had to pick them off one at a time or everything in my world would crumble. And that just wasn’t going to happen.
After a few seconds, it was apparent he knew what I was attempting to do, collecting himself to a point as he raked one hand through his disheveled hair. He’d been told to try to grab power in this location, a strategic point for this magical society of assholes and beasts.
“As you probably determined, Kraven, she was a useful tool, but dead weight to a man like me.”