Glazov
I eye the man I have tied to the chair. He’s wearing nothing but his underwear now, and I purposely gagged him in the car because I was tired of hearing his lies. I slowly pull the gag down and out of his mouth.
“I’m sorry, Glazov. I was going to put the money back. I have so many debts with my children in college. It’s my wife! The woman hemorrhages money.”
I reach back and retrieve the Glock I have tucked in the back of my tailored pants so I can slam the butt into the side of his head. He said the wrong thing when he threw his wife under the bus. Only a coward would use his woman as an excuse for his own mistakes.
I never remove my eyes from the man as I call for my son. He’s hiding in the shadows and thinks I’m not aware of his presence. I am well aware of what he’s doing. He must have overheard me talking to his mother on the phone and left the mansion shortly after breakfast. He probably called my gambling house to see if I had been there. He’s quite the ladies’ man and well able to glean the information he desires from the women dealers there. Though whoever answered the phone wouldn’t have known where I was headed, I’m sure when they informed him who I left with, he deduced my whereabouts. My son has always snuck around where he shouldn’t be. He craves knowledge and has always wanted to know about every move his father makes. He and I really bonded, and throughout his entire life, he has always stayed close to me, the same way he physically clutched onto me the day I saved him from the fire.
A man who watches his children and observes their innate traits can use that knowledge to his benefit as they grow. In my line of work, it is imperative that people are placed in positions where they will best serve the organization. Unlike many men, I spent quality time in getting to know my children as they grew up. They were never an inconvenience to me. As busy as I am with my work, I always made sure to take time for my family.
Kodiak, as his name implies, is an island. He’s a loner who prefers quiet solitude to friendships. His allegiance is to the father who rescued him from certain death when he was just two years old. Since then, he’s made a habit of hiding in the shadows to observe me, and once again, he has snuck inside the warehouse I use as a torture chamber. The bloodstains on the walls are a vivid depiction of the enemies I have slain here in the past.
“Kodiak, did you think I wouldn’t know? Come, boy.”
My hostage’s eyes widen in terror at the thought of being subjected to Kodiak’s brutality.
For a moment, Kodiak’s black eyes go soft as he approaches.
“Sorry, Dad.”
As he turns to eye the man who has stolen from me, those same eyes immediately go cold, matching the snarl now forming on his lips. I direct my attention back to the dealer.
“Vadim, you live above your means, strutting around in tailored suits and Rolex watches. Perhaps you wish to be like me?”
Yafon chuckles and shakes his head. I look back at Kodiak and cock my head to the side as I question him.
“What do you recommend we do, my son?”
Without any hesitation, he answers.
“Cut his fucking hand off, and then make him return to work. Let everybody see what happens when you steal from Alexander Glazov.”
He shocks me with his next statement.
“Let me do it, and then let me take over the gambling house so it never happens again.”
His eyes dance with excitement when I nod, signifying he has my permission. I watch my son as he makes his way over to the wall of pain, as we have dubbed it, and opens the cabinets containing my different tools. He returns with a double edge machete. I cannot say I am surprised by his choice; the boy has always had a love for blades, whereas my other son is more inclined to firearms.
“Son, he won’t be going back to work if you use that.”
“Yafon can tie it off and dump him in front of the hospital.”
I shrug, giving my consent. I’m not a man completely without mercy. He does have a wife and family. I look at Yafon and direct him to call the cleaner, who will take care of the aftermath and dispose of any evidence. He nods to let me know that he’ll take care of it. By the time Kodiak is finished with him, I honestly don’t know if this son of a bitch will live or not.
The man’s screams have morphed into ear piercing howls that are not only getting on my nerves, but are beginning to make my head ache as well. I pull the gag back up into place, and he shakes his head in denial as tears stream down his face. I step back as my son slams the machete down onto the man’s wrist, and I watch with interest as the severed hand flops down to the concrete floor. Today, we add more bloodshed to the history of a warehouse that already holds years of secrets no one will ever be able to pry from its foundation. Turning my attention back to Kodiak, I try to gauge how he is reacting to the heinous deed he just committed. Like his father, he is stoic and completely unreadable.
I nod toward the bodyguard who accompanied Yafon, and I speak.
“Tie it off with his belt, and dump him at the hospital. I want Yafon with me.”
Yafon stops the man I ordered and steps in himself. His training in the Russian military has come in handy more than once throughout the years, and he’s more qualified than the bodyguard to handle this anyway. He quickly applies the makeshift tourniquet in an attempt to stop, or at least slow, the bleeding. It doesn’t bother me that he stepped in and took over. The man’s more likely to live after receiving Yafon’s help, but I doubt it. After he finishes the task, he calls the cleaner and gives her instructions, though she is well aware of what to do.
She’s done so many jobs for me that she even has a fucking key to the place. She’s discreet, and in my line of work, discretion is paramount. To look at her, you would never deduce what she does for a living, but then again, looks can be deceiving. She is a tall, thin blonde with short hair. Hell, she looks like a soccer mom, but I can assure you, she is anything but. The years she spent studying forensics in college have definitely proved to be a valuable asset when we need her to clean up our bloody messes.
She became serious about the science in high school and took college courses after graduating at the age of fifteen. She is not only ruthless, but she is smart as well. I spare no expense with regard to the education of my top men’s children. Though there is very seldom a need because I pay my men extremely well, there have been times I have footed the bill for the education of a brother’s child. Natasha is a child born to a Bratva male in one of my cells, so aside from her college forensics education, she is trained in the art of killing as well. She also happens to be the childhood sweetheart of my eldest son, Nikita. Lately, she has been trying to fight the feelings she has for him because she works for me. I believe she is worried about the whole mixing business with pleasure thing. Like I do with everything else in my life, I’ll bide my time before making her an offer she can’t refuse. I won’t allow her to continue stringing Nikita along. Control is not always gained by using the brutal hand of force; sometimes it is achieved through shrewd calculation.