Page 103 of The Brigadier

Now I had to handle what in my mind was likely the most difficult situation I’d been forced to deal with since taking over as Brigadier. I’d known from as early as eight or nine that if I held any kind of position within a Bratva organization, my life wouldn’t be comprised of sunshine and unicorns, forced to kill on command or take a bullet for someone.

When the alliance with two powerful fathers had occurred and neither my idyllic childhood nor Vadim’s had really changed, I’d been lured into the belief maybe, just maybe there wouldn’t be a need to kill on a regular basis.

Or deal with the kind of traitors that could get my family killed.

I’d learned quickly when both our fathers had almost been assassinated on the same day, mine in front of me. I’d held his bloody body in my hands, every muscle convulsing and blood spewing from his mouth, and thought for certain my world was going to end.

He’d lived by God’s graces, as my mother had said. But I’d wanted revenge. It was as if I’d gotten a taste of blood myself.

That had come later when I’d tracked down the bastard who’d almost ended his life. It had been my first, most violent and delicious kill.

And I had never regretted it to this day.

I couldn’t think any longer about how young I was. Just a babe really. The life I was born into.

But times changed, Vadim’s plans grandiose and mostly removed from the old ways. I’d hated the idea at first, then had grown to love it. And… fifteen years later and all three of us were highly successful in a legitimate business world. In truth, we’d become spoiled. I knew that now. I’d pretended in the back of my mind that I might never have to kill again.

As usual, life intervened and I’d been forced to save Vadim’s life while killing three people.

I sighed and grabbed a parking spot close to the icehouse Vadim had used to ‘store’ Tanner. The man also had a twisted sense ofhumor. I normally liked that about him but today, I was just over the games played by anyone and everyone.

I clicked the fob, locking the Ferrari, buttoning my jacket and staring at the old building. It was quite spectacular in its creative design, the bricks used in designs from the twenties that I hadn’t known existed. The plant was still used for ice, just part of a package of several commercial buildings the three of us had purchased together. The production had continued to be topnotch.

Of course every piece of equipment had been replaced with state of the art, every brick repointed and the structure checked by an engineer but it had been worth it. A small company had asked if they could provide slushies in the tiny front store using the ice. Goddamn, I’d never known slushies were so big. Even in the winter.

As I headed for the side door leading to the warehouse floor, I thought about corporate treachery and what Chantel had said in her plea to look outside the box. Yes, it was just as bad as what Tanner had done. Perhaps worse. And usually, it was based fully on greed, not fear that a family would be killed. But I had to admit those I’d come into contact with had been the worst snakes of all. So venomous that one bite and the party receiving it would lose everything.

Poof.

People had tried and failed with us, but our conglomerate was too strong, too powerful. And we’d crushed every one of them like a bug.

Yet not one of the incidents had been personal. This still left a hard blow in my gut.

I waited as Danny approached with another man, both studying the building. “An interesting choice,” Danny said.

“I’ll say. Roger. Stay outside and keep watch. Danny. You’re with me.”

As we walked in, the creaking of the metal hinges made me shake my head. State of the art shit and hinges couldn’t be replaced? Our footsteps echoed as we walked forward, heading toward the smaller and more private room.

Almost as soon as I approached the doorway, I gritted my teeth. I could hear the Dobermans growling and whining, their tough nails scratching the painted cement floor. I’d never met the pups, but I’d need to take Vadim’s word that they weren’t vicious dogs.

Even if they were nothing like sweet, loving retrievers.

The dogs were bad enough but seeing Tanner strung up, his arms spread like he was on some cross, shackled with leather and chains from the ceiling was just about too much to bear. He was dangling just high enough in the room the Dobermans could jump but not get him. It was all smoke and mirrors based on psychological fear.

But damn it, the torturous effect couldn’t be denied and it pissed me off.

“Jesus,” Danny said under his breath.

Tanner was swinging, his breathing labored.

The man had betrayed me and yet I couldn’t stand this shit? Boy, oh boy, my methods were changing significantly. Weren’t they?

The soldiers watching him were all laughing.

And fucking betting.

As soon as we walked closer, I’ll be damned if Vadim’s soldiers didn’t salute and shut up, but the damage was done. I glared at them with actual hatred before peering up at Tanner. He’d been roughed up, his lips swollen, but he studied me carefully. Not grinning. Not laughing. I could smell his fear, likely because of me and the fucking assholes who forced him into this. I was beginning to hate people with an utter passion.