CHAPTER NINE
The sun had set when Yuri, Sergi, Misha, Nikoli, Pappy and Deke came back to the penthouse. Before they could close the door behind them, Kosta joined them with a disturbing message from Yuri’s IT department.
Yuri listened for a moment then excused himself. When he got to the IT room, he closed the door behind Kosta and joined his main man Adrik.
Adrik looked over his shoulder at his boss and didn’t look happy.
“What did you find?” Yuri asked.
“I took his computer searching for something, anything that could give us more information about what this man has been doing lately.” Adrik blew out his breath. “What I found I had to follow back fourteen years. To the very beginning.”
“What beginning?” Yuri frowned.
“He was seventeen when he murdered his stepfather and moved away from Port Arthur. A year later, he turned up at university in Oklahoma. He studied human anatomy there for two years. He excelled at his studies.”
Yuri shrugged. “So what? What’s wrong with that?”
Adrik shook his head. “There’s nothing wrong with being a good student but it was there, I found an odd thread. He began conversing with several other young men around the same time. What they discussed was disturbing.”
“What did they discuss?”
“How to murder someone without getting caught,” Adrik whispered.
Yuri thought about what he heard for a moment then asked, “How many other men were involved in this discussion?”
“With Michael there were eight men.”
Yuri turned his head to stare at Kosta for a moment then he turned back to Adrik. “Get me a list of their names. I want their names.” Then he walked back to the elevator.
When he reached the penthouse, he pulled Pappy aside and told him about what Adrik had discovered. His phone pinged and he passed the list of names to Pappy who in turn passed it to Trudy.
Yuri turned to face the rest of the group. “We may have found the answer to one of the questions. Adrik found a thread and followed it back fourteen years on Michael’s computer. Back to when he was in college in Oklahoma. He and several other young men were talking about how to murder without getting caught.”
“So what does this mean?” Misha asked.
“We’re giving those seven other names to Trudy to see what she can find. The number eight could stand for something more sinister than we believed before. Maybe these young men formed a pact of some kind. We don’t know yet, but we could be getting closer to finding out. That might be something these men don’t want known.”
“That means they might be coming here to free Michael and stop anyone else from uncovering their secret lives,” Ana stated.
“One of our associates told me earlier today there were seven strangers in town seeking information on Michael and his whereabouts.” Yuri shrugged. “I asked her to wait twenty four hours and then let him know who had him.”
“Which means we only have a day to confirm our information before shit hits the fan.” Sergi looked troubled.
Ana shivered. “Do you really think there are eight serial killers out there and no one knows? How can that be?”
“Actually, it’s not as hard as you think,” Bone stated quietly. “All you need is no conscience and no one to tell you that you aren’t supposed to do wrong. When parents don’t take the time and effort to care about the kids they bring into this world, it’s easy to get lost or fall through the cracks. They don’t take the time to discipline their kids and the kids have absolutely no boundaries. No one has ever told them no and left to their own devices, they aren’t constricted to right and wrong behavior. Even when they’re caught, no one has ever done any more to them than slap their fingers and send them on their way.”
“God, that’s so sad,” Ana whispered. “Children need strong boundaries to have value.”
“But even if they don’t have boundaries, they can still learn right from wrong,” Roman argued.
“Yes you can but you have to have a reason to change a lifetime of hurt and pain,” Yuri suggested. Looking at each of his brothers in the room he said, “We had no boundaries until we found each other. We had no values until we learned to lean on each other. We could have become what these men have become.”
“That would never have happened.” Roman shook his head.
“No, he’s right,” Sazon admitted. “Alone, we would have ended up just like them. It wasn’t until we became blood brothers and stayed together as a unit that we changed and Nikoli helped us out there. He was the one that set our boundaries. He was the one who gave us value.”
Nikoli shook his head.
Yuri turned to stare at him. “You did, you gave us value and when you brought us into the Bratva, we finally had rules to follow. If we didn’t, we paid the price and learned to follow orders. Some lessons we learned the hard way but with each lesson we learned, we became better men. Everything we earned after that became our and ours alone. We no longer had to give it up to someone bigger or stronger than we were. We learned to fight our own battles and we learned the value of being a unit. The biggest lesson was we were stronger together than we were alone.”
“Once we learned those lessons no one dared to bully us,” Sazon took up the story. “When we stood up to them, they finally gave us respect. Not because we beat them but because we earned it.”
“That is something these eight men never got,” Bones explained. “They’re just spoiled brats that have never learned these lessons.”
“What do you think we should do about that dad?” Deke drawled.
“I guess it’s up to us to teach them some manners.” Bones grinned. Rubbing his hands together he added, “This is gonna be fun.”
Ana growled. “This is not going to be fun. These men are killers and they won’t hesitate to kill anyone who stands in their way.”
Sazon wrapped his arms around her shoulder and Ana tried to push him away but he wouldn’t let her go. “Little one, these men know that. They’ve faced death time after time and they have come out the winners. Death hasn’t beaten them yet and it won’t this time either. And do you know why?”
“Why?’ Ana grumbled.
“Because they have right on their side. They know when to duck and when to stand tall. The men they will face do not think they can be beaten. They are reckless and they’ve never been in battle. They have never faced death before, so they have no fear.”
“Don’t worry about us sweetheart,” Bones told her. “We know what we’re doing and like the man said, these guys have never faced judgement before, but they will now. I can’t promise we won’t kill them but they will answer to a higher power.”
Ana hugged Sazon a little tighter and tried to subdue her fear. She didn’t want anyone to die except Michael. She also didn’t want to show these men her own fears and someone had to stop these killers.
“We should all get something to eat,” Yuri suggested. “It’s going to take Trudy some time to track down these men.”
Ana groaned and broke away from Sazon. Walking over to the window, she looked down over the city below. Wrapping her arms around her belly, she wanted nothing more than to be home again. She missed her brother and Gretchen. She wondered if the baby had been born yet and whether she had a niece or a nephew.
Someone came up behind her and from his scent, she knew it was Sazon.
“Come on sweetheart, the food is getting cold.”
Ana shook her head. “I’m not hungry.”
“But you need to eat something. You’re going to need your strength to survive this. We won’t know anything more until tomorrow at the earliest.”
Leaning back against him, she borrowed his strength. One last glance at the city then she turned. “Okay, I’ll try to eat something.”
Leading her back to the table, she found the men talking about the next day.
“I’ve already got more men watching over the women,” Yuri announced. “We also moved them to a safe house that’s easily defendable.”
“My men are watching over the gym tonight,” Pappy said.
Roman nodded. “Yeah, the last watch told us that Michael is promising to bring down the wrath of God on us all. He claims when his boys get here, we’ll all die.” He chuckled. “The man does like to talk. He’s convinced that he and his friends can’t be stopped. He went on and on about watching all of us die. The man is an idiot.”
“We’ve got men surrounding this place as well,” Yuri assured them. “Both inside and outside. Hopefully, they’ll be able to spot these guys before they can get too close to anyone here.”
Yuri leaned back against his chair. “Not only are we looking for them but I’ve heard of several factions that are keeping an eye on them too. Those men cannot make a move in this city without someone knowing where they are and exactly what they’re doing.”
“I just don’t want anyone caught in the crossfire when you take these men down,” Ana commented.
“We don’t either sweetheart.” Bones nodded. “We’d prefer to take them quickly and quietly. We don’t want blood on the streets.”
Sazon glared at the older man but didn’t call him out. Instead, he laid his arm across the back of Ana’s chair laying claim again to the woman he vowed to protect.
“I suggest we all get some rest, so we’re fresh for whatever tomorrow brings,” Yuri suggested quickly, hoping to bypass the coming confrontation. They didn’t need Sazon losing his cool at the moment. Giving Bones a glare of his own he turned back to the others sitting around the table. “Maybe by the time we meet for breakfast we’ll have more information on this group and can set plans for their takedown.”
Ana turned to Sazon. “I need something from my car. Can you walk me out to get it? I need some fresh air anyway.”
Sazon nodded and got to his feet. Ushering her to the door, he glared back at Bones.
As they walked down the hall to the elevators, Ana wrapped her arm around his waist. “You know something?”
“What’s that little one?”
“I need to tell you something and I’m not sure how you’re going to take it but I have to say it.” She wet her dry lips with the tip of her tongue.
“Then just say it.”
She stopped and turned to face him. Meeting his gaze head-on she said, “I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, and that makes me more than a little nervous. But I do know that you and your friends will protect me. I finally believe that. It took me so long because no one has ever told me that before. I knew Pops and my brother would protect me but they were family and family sticks together. That’s the way we were taught to believe since we were children. I’ve never had anyone else tell me that before.” She sighed. “I didn’t quite know what to believe in when I met you. I didn’t know you were exactly what I’ve been looking for my whole life. When Michael murdered my grandfather, I lost a huge part of myself. I just felt hollow inside. It wasn’t until Sam or Bones as they call him told me. What he said earlier that I realized I wanted revenge and not justice.” She shook her head. “Then I remembered something Pops said just before he died. He told me not to get revenge for his death for revenge would haunt me for the rest of my life. He told me to get justice for the wrong Michael did us. Justice was the only thing that would right the wrong and it was something I could live with. He made me promise that and for his peace of mind, I did. I promised him I would seek justice not revenge but this whole time I was looking for revenge.”
Sazon stared at her face and nodded his head.
She stared at him for a moment. “I know you got mad at me earlier for not committing. I felt a loss I couldn’t explain. You’ve been telling me all along about claiming me but I never gave much thought about what that meant. I thought you were claiming me for the time I was here. I didn’t trust in forever. It wasn’t until you went to the shower that I realized I could lose you.” She shook her head. “I know we haven’t known each other very long but somehow, you snuck in and got under my skin. Suddenly, everything made sense and I knew if I lost you, I was going to lose something I would never get back.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and standing on her tiptoes, she spread tiny kisses on his jawline. “I don’t know if what I feel for you is lust or love but I want the chance to find out. Can you give me another chance?”
Sazon wrapped his huge arms around her and held her close to him. “I told you before that this was forever. I said it earlier and I meant it. I’m not letting you go, not tomorrow or ever.” He met her lips and held them. Pushing her into the wall behind them, he ravished her mouth and his kiss seared her very soul.
He was filling up the hollow place she’d felt since her grandfather died in her arms with a feeling of true rightness. He was making her feel again and she didn’t want to lose this, she knew if she did, she would never be whole again.
They went out to her car. Ana lifted the driver’s seat, took out a small leather pouch and a medium size leather pouch. She didn’t say what they held and Sazon didn’t ask. He knew if she wanted him to know she would tell him.
When they made their way back into the hotel, Sazon took her back to the penthouse floor but they went to another room. Sliding the key into the slot he told her, “Yuri thought it best to keep everyone in the same place. With everyone on the same floor, his security men aren’t spread out too much. The elevator will be locked off, so no one can get to this floor as soon as the guards are changed. Of course, that means no one can leave once that’s done but no one has a reason to leave before morning.”
Ana went into the room and sighed. This room like all the others she’d seen on this floor was an elegant two room suite. They were in the sitting room but the open bedroom door showed a king size bed waiting in the wings for them.
The color of the room was a subdued cream with bright blue accents. Soft pillows brightened the sofa and straight back chairs. There was also a window seat in front of the big bay window that overlooked the city from a different angle than the one in Yuri suite. As Ana looked out over the city she felt Sazon come up behind her. A few minutes later she whispered, “Do you think they’re out there somewhere waiting for us?”
“Who?”
“Michael’s friends. Do they really think they can set him free?”
“Who knows what thoughts are going through their heads?” Sazon scoffed. “If they think they can just come in to our town and get through our lines of defense to free their friend, they are either very stupid or they don’t have a clue what they’re up against.”
Ana shivered, still looking over the city, hidden now by darkness. “What kind of man can take a life without remorse? I’m sorry but that goes against everything I’ve ever been taught.”
Sazon took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around her. “You do know that I’ve killed before don’t you?”
Ana nodded and leaned her head back against his chest. “But have you killed without a very good reason? Have you killed just because you could?”
Sazon thought about her questions before he answered, “No I can’t say that I have. I’ve always had a good reason to take a man’s life. Either it was in protection of myself or my brothers or even to protect my boss but never for no reason.”
“That’s the difference then isn’t it? I saw the tape of my grandfather’s murder. I saw the look in Michael’s eyes when he slid the blade into my grandfather. I think at one point, Pops saw it too. He knew he was going to die and he also knew Michael didn’t give a shit about his life.”
Sazon’s arms tightened around her and neither of them said a word as they stood there.
Ana no longer saw the city but was lost to the past. “Have you ever seen the eyes of a soulless man?” she whispered. “Michael’s eyes were cold and vacant that day. He didn’t care about anything but there was a light in them somehow. If I didn’t know better, I would have said he was close to being aroused.” Turning her head she asked, “Is that even possible? I mean really? His eyes were cold yet his body language was close to being aroused in a sexual manner.”
Sazon lips were tight. “Yes, it is possible. I’ve seen it before.” Sazon didn’t want to tell her where he’d seen it, those nightmares were better left unshared.
She caught his glance and after a moment, she asked, “I don’t want to know do I?”
Sazon shook his head. “No babe, you really don’t.”
Turning back to the view of the city she said, “Okay, I won’t ask. Do you have any idea what’s going to happen next?”
Sazon moved them over to the sofa and held her while he caught her up. “One of Yuri men found emails going back fourteen years between this guy Michael and seven other men. It goes back to the time they were all in college. From what the email hint at these eight men made an unholy pact. Trudy caught something she missed the first time when she reexamined the crime scene pictures. It was a symbol of an eight ball on the body of one of Michael’s victims. We didn’t know what it meant until Adrik found the emails from the other man. We think we’ve uncovered a ring of killers.”
“Oh god…” Ana put her face in her hands. “This just keeps getting worse and worse. Maybe we should start calling this man by his true name, Caleb Stoner.” She shivered. “Even his name sounds cold.”
“I’ve met the man and he is cold. He also thinks he’s going to live through this.”
“So Yuri’s men will have to take down seven men before we can even deal with Caleb.”
Sazon shrugged. “Only if they leave us with no other choice. No one wants to shed blood in the streets.”
“What else can you do? They won’t leave you any other choice.” Ana shook her head. “They won’t be bothered about shedding your blood. They need to protect their little group. They need to keep their secret. I have to wonder how many people they’ve killed as a group over the years.”
“Their reign of terror is over or it will be tomorrow when they face us man to man. That’s the one thing they’ve never done before…face the consequences of their actions.”
“What will you do to Caleb?”
Sazon stiffened. “I don’t know what his fate will be. Once we get things settled down, Sergi will determine what’s to be done with him and the others.”
“I know you don’t agree with me but I still want to face him.”
“That’s not going to happen, not in this lifetime.” He growled.
She laid her hand on his chest to calm his growing rage. “I know you don’t like the idea but it would give me closure. I need to see his eyes in the moment he knows he’s going to die. I know what I’m doing when I yield a blade. I’ve been handling them since I was seven years old. I know I’m small but I’m not weak. I know how to forge the steel, I know how to balance it I know how to handle the blades we made. In fact, I balanced and engraved the very blade Caleb used to kill my grandfather. He doesn’t know how to use the blade. That’s something you can see on the tape. He’s awkward and unsure of how to even hold the blade. Even if he practiced every day with the blade, I would still know more than he would after only two months. I’m still trying to resign myself to the fact that I can’t look him in the eye and get justice for my grandfather.”
“But he still has his size and strength against you,” Sazon argued.
“Ok, I don’t want to argue anymore. I’m very tired and I’m more than a little heartsick over this whole situation. I know you’ll stop him from ever hurting anyone again and I guess that will have to do, I am trying to accept it but it’s hard. The rage inside me is not satisfied but I’ll learn to live with it. I just need some time to get over the disappointment.”
“But I have to protect you, don’t you see that?” he asked.
“Yeah, I see that. But do you see my point too?”
Sazon nodded but couldn’t say the words out loud.
“I’m going to bed,” she announced after a long moment.
Sazon watched as she walked to the bedroom. The one thing that gave him hope was the fact that she didn’t close the door behind her. He did note that she didn’t turn the light on but a few minutes later, he heard the shower running. Sazon got up and made sure the room was secure. Then he walked to the dark bedroom. He found her in bed.
He slowly pulled off his clothes and got into bed behind her. When he wrapped his arms around her, he was surprised to find her naked and waiting for him.
She sighed and pressed back against him.
Sazon held her close and felt himself harden at the silken feel of her body. Reaching for her breasts, he squeezed them, molding her flesh in the palms of his hands. His fingers plucked her nipples until they were hard. Pulling her skin away from her body he made it hurt just enough.
Laying his lips against her neck, he nibbled on the back of her neck until she responded, then he used his teeth and bit down hard.
“Aaah,” she cried out.
Sazon surged against her rolling her over so she laid on her stomach. Then he rose up behind her and grabbing her hips, he pulled her up to her knees and rammed his cock deep inside her.
Ana screamed at his possession and didn’t fight it. Instead, she pushed her self back, so she met him thrust for thrust.
They were both lost for the moment as they took their pleasure in the rough loving. With each of Sazon’s thrusts, he went deeper until he was banging her cervix. Ana was whimpering and breathlessly calling out his name. He knew he was being rough but this woman brought out the beast in him somehow and he knew he would never get enough.
When her climax hit it was more than she could bear. She screamed his name and for a moment lost consciousness. His fingers still gripped her hips and sweat rolled down her face.
He leaned over her and kissed the back of her neck gently.
Ana turned her face and kissed him back. “Wow,” she whispered against his lips.
Sazon rolled to her side and held her close. When he felt her breathing settle for the night he whispered, “I can’t let you go, not now. Maybe not ever. I think I’m falling in love with you and I know I can’t lose you.”