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Chapter Eight
VERA
I sit down in my chair and put my feet up on my desk with a sigh. I can't believe I accepted a marriage proposal from a Romanian, but if he is truly here to get Ukraine and Russia back, then it could mean so much for me and all that I am wanting. It could mean so much for Lana, my protégé. She could have a life better than even mine if this works out. Of course, this is purely contractual. I'll fuck him if I want, leave him alone for days on end if I want. This is about power.
I have bigger problems to worry about now, though. Glib has threatened me directly, something he generally knows better than to do. Our rivalry has been long, and we are both good at picking on the lowest man on the totem pole and staying away from each other. We are at war with each other, but we mind our own damn business because it’s not like either of us wants to lose too many of our members or to cause so much of an uproar that the law bothers to get off their ass and come after us for all that we do. He either has something new to use against us or has finally gone off his rocker and started doing all those drugs he has people peddling on these streets.
I sigh and look to the two people sitting across from me; Vonka and Lana. "So, how the hell are we going to deal with Glib? “I ask them, mulling over all the possibilities in my head. "It will need to be underhanded. I can't risk too much manpower here, and I can't risk getting caught." I look into Lana's eyes, hoping that I have rubbed off on her enough the days that we have spent together, practically 24 hours. She is staying with Olena and I for now until she gets her bearings.
Already she looks different, more well cared for and confident, her skin no longer dirty and sallow. She is still too skinny, but the girl will need to eat for a bit before she fixes that.
It is Vonka who speaks up, though. " Mic Vera, I am sorry to interrupt, but the threat against you has already been handled."
My legs land on the floor with a thud, and I sit on the edge of my seat, glaring at Vonka. "What the hell do you mean by that, Vonka? How is it just like that this threat against me has been handle? It sounded pretty fucking serious, like Glib was not playing around. He doesn’t just give up." I am ready for heads to roll, thinking this old shit is a completely incompetent idiot, but then he says a name that makes my skin crawl, and I know exactly whose neck my hands need to be around.
"Mic Vera, I apologize, but since you accepted Pan Albu's proposal, he has had several of his men around. He got the news and took care of it."
I stand up, fury in my eyes. I am proud to see that while Vonka looks quite uncomfortable, Lana doesn’t even flinch. She is well on her way to the bad bitch I want her to be. "Excuse me, but in what way did Rhys take care of this?" I ask, practically spitting all over them. I am ready to burn the world down. I accepted his proposal for business purposes; to gain more power, not for him to take it away and make me look weak.
"He threatened Glib with the entire Romanian mafia."
"Shit! Fuck!" I curse out loud, throwing a stack of papers off my desk before ordering them to clean it back up and stomping out of the room. That fucking ass is about to learn his place with me, and that’s on the bottom. But I don’t feel he deserves an in-person visit right now. it’s bad enough he's asked me to movie into that mansion of his. I realize he’s fixed it up into a beautiful place, and I can’t say I don’t appreciate beautiful things at all, but I don’t know if I am ready to combine our lives that much just yet. Right here near the streets will always be where my heart and head are, no matter if there is a gate and brick between us or not.
So, I dial his number which is annoying saved in my phone now under "Fiancé" which I am sure he did on purpose at some point. He answers the phone, sounding nice and smug. I can just imagine the shit eating grin on his face and wish I could wipe it off with my fist right now. But I don’t even want to see him. "What gives you the fucking right to fight my battles?" I screech into the receiver.
"The fact that they are no longer only your battles, detka," he says with a dark tone, and I know he is trying to match me here, but he can't. He only has the Ukraine now in theory. I can pull out of this any time and make him lose everything he came here for.
"I am the top bitch on these streets,dytyna, and I will not have you fighting my fucking battles. Know your place. I am doing you as much of a favor as you are doing me."
"I love it when you get pissed, Vera, it just makes you that much more mouthwatering."
With that I hang up on the little shit, unable to take any more of his games. I can’t believe he took matters into his own hands like that. The situation with Glib has always been teetering on the edge of a damn cliff, and I am afraid now he will never take things from my mouth seriously again.
My phone starts buzzing, and I realize I am not going to catch a break today, so I answer it to hear the voice of one of my men, my tracker, actually. He is the man who hunts down those I need to find. But lately, he has been looking for Olena. I had the feeling she had begun doing the drugs again. That’s why I hate them so much. You can hate the drugs and hate what they do to you. You can be doing so well and get clean and then one day no longer be able to stay away. She hasn’t been home in two nights now at all, and I fear the worst for her.
"Tak?" I say into the receiver. I am nervous as hell, practically shaking as I wait to hear if there is any news.
"We have found Olena, and it is not good. She has overdosed. I am taking her into the hospital, but I do not know how bad it is. She is unresponsive right now."
I sink to the floor in the middle of the room, hearing just about the only thing in this world that can cause me to show a weakness. I love this girl. She is the onlysim'yiI truly have, and I don’t know what I will do if I lose her.
"Spasybi, Aleksander. I will come to the hospital shortly."
I hang up and close in on myself for just a moment. I allow myself only one minute to feel it and let it crash down on me before I get the fuck up and call for a car. I don’t exactly trust that what Rhys said to Glib didn’t just piss him off more, so I don't exactly want to go alone.
All the way there all I can think about is what I am going to do if she doesn't make it out alive this time. She has beaten the odds so many times now, and I can’t help but worry that her number has been up too many times now. Death is the one thing I have no power over, and I have always joked that she can't go first because I need to go first and take over the underworld so I do have that power. It’s not so damn funny right now, though. Not that I truly wouldn’t trade my life for hers.
The minute I get in, I demand to speak with the doctor. They used to fight me on this since I am not family, but they know better now. They don’t question me.
I am taken into a blank office and sat down, and I don’t like how formal this is. Usually, they can give me the news in the waiting room or the hospital room while I sit by Olena's side. I prepare myself the best I can for whatever this doc has to say. "Your friend...they brought her in on time. She is lucky again, but her luck will run out sometime soon. Her body can’t take much more of this, and she is to the point where she needs too much to get that same feeling she is seeking. She needs more help than you might be able to give her."
I purse my lips and nod. "Trust me, she will get through this."
***
Once Olena is sleeping and her vitals are looking better, I have a car drop me off at the one place I was determined not to go today. I find myself at the gate, being let in with no questions this time. I am sure all of his men have been informed of who I am to him now.
As I approach the door, I swear I see a curtain move in one of the upper floor rooms, probably Rhys spying on me, and I knock on the door insistently until it’s answered.
