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I nod understandingly. “Do what you got to do, handsome.”
“I'll drop you off at the penthouse. It shouldn't take me long.”
Chapter 28
Leo
Once I know Nikita is safely tucked away at home, I hurry back to the taxi depot where my brothers have managed to find three of the four night shift members who, until recently, had us all turned around.
Vlad. Georgi. Kostya.
They are bound to individual chairs in the basement storage room. This place in particular brings back memories, though they aren’t exactly what I describe as fond. A few years ago, when my brother Andrei was making a power play to take over Moscow from the Antonov Bratva, we kidnapped Sandra Antonova, their heir apparent, and kept her down here in this exact room.
I’m glad that particular chapter of our lives ended up working in our favor. I never would have expected Andrei to fall in love with her, let alone risk everything we worked toward just so they could be together. A real Romeo and Juliet story, minus the tragic ending. Now our houses are united, and we rule this city together with an iron fist.
It's chilly down here, more so than usual because we're deep into the winter months. Being underground is basically like walking into a freezer. The earth is cold and constantly seeking heat, sapping it from whatever poor creatures decide to linger too long.I'mhaving a hard time down here, even with my bulk and insulated winter coat. I can't imagine how frigid our guests must be now that we've stripped them down to nothing more than their underwear, their hands bound behind them, ankles strapped to the legs of their chairs.
My brothers are already there by the time I arrive, muttering quietly amongst themselves. Andrei hangs back, as he always does. He's a relaxed sort of leader and prefers to work from the shadows and let his brothers do all the dirty work. Not only does this keep him safe from potential attack, but it also gives him a better view of the whole picture.
He nods when he sees me, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Was the traffic bad?” he teases. “You're normally the first to arrive.”
“I was helping my girl take care of something.”
“Ooh,” Roman says. “You mean the beauty to your beast?”
I ignore my younger brother outright. “Where did you find them?”
Samuil cracks his knuckles. “Caught Vlad trying to catch a train to Finland. I guess he didn't realize we’d pick him up on the CCTV outside the station.”
Damian tosses his chin toward Georgi and Kostya. “And these two were just about to board a ship to Turkey.”
“How much money were you able to recover?”
“Seventy-five percent, if my math is right,” Andrei says, “though I'll leave the final calculations to you.”
In the grand scheme of things, a twenty-five percent loss isn't that big of a deal. Whatisa big deal, however, is the principle of the matter. I'm not willing to compromise. A crime has been committed here, and I must dole out punishment.
I approach our three captives with an air of indifference. There's no point in letting them see my fury. Because if they see what's really boiling underneath the surface, they'll know they have the upper hand. They'll know they managed to get to me. My pride simply won’t allow it.
“Where’s Arman?” I ask, speaking slowly as I gauge their reactions. The three of them are understandably shifty, unable to look me in the eye, but judging by the blankness in Georgi’s expression, I can tell he doesn’t have the answer I’m looking for.
So that leaves me only two of the men to work with.
“You would be wise to cooperate with me. The sooner you tell me where he’s hiding, the sooner we’ll let you go.”
Vlad’s face lights up. “R-really?”
“He’s lying.” Kostya spits at my feet. “Don’t believe a word out of this fucker’s mouth.”
It seems I’ve discovered the leader of this band of brothers. I stand before Kostya and study him. He’s brutish like Samuil, cold and hard like me. It’s going to take forever to get him to crack. Not ideal. Right now, time is of the essence. Arman could be halfway across the globe by now. Someone needs to start talking…
That’s why I need to start with the weakest link.
“Samuil,” I say, “take Georgi out for a walk, would you?”
My brother stomps forward, heavy footfalls like war drums against the solid cement floor. Predictably, Georgi starts to squirm in his seat, desperately looking around for an escape he won’t find.
