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Men swarmed me as I exited the car, and everyone was armed as fuck.Seems like they have enough guns already.I lifted my hands as they approached and took positions around the circular driveway. Men even came out of the damn bushes surrounding the arching staircase of the massive home.
A well-dressed man with gray hair approached behind them, shielded by bodies and weaponry. The man spoke in thick Russian to his colleagues. The men dropped their rifle barrels, though their hands remained wrapped around them.
“Mr. Viglione.” The man spoke perfect English, though his accent peppered his words.
“Malchikov Ilych.” I smiled as I stepped forward and shook his tattoo-covered hand. A piece of a thief's star crept from beneath his unbuttoned dress shirt.
“You brought the guns? What happened to Bullseye?”
“You know Bullseye?” I asked with a cock of my eyebrow.
“Oh, yes.” He smiled and grabbed my shoulder. “Come, let’s have a drink. My men will take care of the rest.” Malchikov motioned toward his men.
I looked back at the SUV. “I can’t stay, Malchikov.”
“Nonsense, come.” He turned to walk toward the house, and one of his men pushed me along from behind. Clearly the invitation was not a choice.
I followed him through the large winding corridors of the mansion as he conversed with his men in their native language. Laughter echoed off the walls as they spoke. He brought me to a large open room with plastic laid over the concrete floors. Cars lined the wall in front of a huge garage door. The man who still had his arm on me had a rose wrapped around a dagger on his forearm. I didn’t know the meanings of all the various images etched in ink, but I knew enough to know I didn’t want to find out.
A mechanical whirr filled the silence, and the garage door crept open. My eyes widened as I saw Gia being pulled into the room between two men. In typical Gia fashion, she spewed obscenities from her lips. I tried to run to her, but the men held me back.
“What do we have here?” Malchikov said in a tone that dripped with excited curiosity, like someone just brought in a gift for him.
Not my girl. Not Gia.
“No!” I said through clenched teeth.
Malchikov met the men in the middle of the room as Gia thrashed toward him with fire in her eyes.
“Who's this little kotenok?” he said with a low voice as he brushed a hand through Gia’s hair.
The weight of the revolver on my hip leapt to the forefront of my mind, and I longed for it. I looked around at the rifles in the room. We were completely outgunned and outnumbered. “She’s mine,” I said as the men held me back.
“Oh, is that so?” Malchikov fisted Gia’s hair, making her whimper. She had no fear in her expression, only annoyance. He wrapped a hand around her waist and pulled her into him.
“Fuck off,” Gia snarled.
Malchikov turned toward the men with a laugh as he grabbed her face. “Ah, she’s got a mouth on her.”
“We brought you your guns, Malchikov. We have no more business with you,” I said.
“Oh, you think I’m going to kill you two?” Malchikov laughed. “No, no, I have no interest in killing you. I just had to make sure the goods were as expected.” His eyes lingered on Gia’s body. “But this little kotenok was not expected.”
“Leave her!” I yelled, my voice straining as muscled arms held me in place.
“You guys will be on your way.” He looked back at me. “After I’m done with her.” A sadistic grin crawled across his face.
“No!” I broke free, only to take a punch to my gut that brought me to my knees. I reached for my revolver, but a kick knocked me onto my back.
“Enzo, stop!” Gia shouted.
My chest heaved as I tried to catch my breath. I turned onto my belly and looked up at her. His dirty hands were on her, racing over her hips.
“I’m fine, I’ll be fine,” she said with confidence. She knew as well as I did how precarious this situation was. Fighting would only get one or both of us killed.
* * *
Gia
