Obligation

“I would tire of her quickly when she got fat from having my children,” his man replies in Russian.

I see red, lift my gun, put a bullet through his head, and then turn the gun on Snider as his bodyguard’s body crumples to the floor.

“Who do you have on her?” I growl, ready to put a bullet though his skull as well.

“You can’t kill me, Kai, and you know it,” he says, taking a Kleenex out of his pocket and wiping the blood splatter off his face.

“You must have forgotten who I am, who my family is.” I shake my head in disgust.

“I’ve forgotten nothing. Just because you inherited the seat from your father doesn’t make you as powerful as he was.”

I smile and pull the trigger, putting a bullet through his shoulder. “You forget that, for years, I was my father’s watcher.”

His eyes get big and he cries out as he looks at his shoulder then back at me again. “You can’t do this!” he groans.

“You think I fear you or them?” I shake my head and stand up. “I fear no one but the gods, and when my time comes, they are who I will answer to. Now, tell me. Who do you have watching my wife?”

“You kill me and you’re as good as dead,” he says pathetically, ignoring my question.

“Ah.” I shake my head, stand, and walk around to sit on the front of my desk. “You’re stupid, Snider. You have always been rash, and this situation is no different. You didn’t think before you did what you did.”

“If you kill me, there will be war.”

“The moment you put Myla on radar, you started a war with me!” I roar, and fire a bullet through his other shoulder.

His body slumps lower in his chair, and he fights to lift his head to look at me.

“I will make sure pieces of you are divided evenly amongst your friends.”

“Everyone knows who she is. Paulie Jr. wants her for himself,” he wheezes out.

Ice-cold fear floods my veins, but I push that feeling aside and growl, “He’s going to have to get through me.” I pull the trigger and the bullet hits him between the eyes.

A moment later, the door to my office opens and my brother walks in.

“Did Myla go and file for divorce today?” I ask him.

He looks at the guys on the ground then at me. “She did. Aye told Pika not to take her, but he wouldn’t listen. He thinks Pika has feelings for her,” he replies.

“She’s my wife!” I roar and push everything off my desk with a sweep of my hand.

“Not for long,” he says calmly, shaking his head.

When I left Hawaii, I left all of my men with Myla and brought my brother with me. I also told him what had happened with Myla and that, although things between us had begun on a lie, that was no longer the case now.

“What attorney did she go to?”

When he looks at me, I can tell he doesn’t want to answer, and I know exactly why.

“Fuck,” I growl.

There are only two divorce attorneys I know who would be around this time of year, and one of them would be more than willing to help Myla divorce my ass. The lawyer would also do it quickly and enjoy every moment of it.

“Are we going home?” he asks, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

“Yes, and call the cleaners,” I tell him while pulling Snider’s phone out his jacket pocket and looking through his call log until I find the number I’m looking for. I press send on Paulie Jr.’s number and then hold the phone to my ear.

“What?” Paulie answers after a moment.

“I hear you’re interested in my wife.”

“Fuck,” he breathes, and I can hear shuffling coming down the line.

“Let me give you the message Snider will unfortunately be unable to deliver. You so much as even think about my wife and I’m coming for you.”

“Kai,” he says, and I can hear fear in his voice.

I have known Paulie Jr. since we were both ten and our fathers began molding us to take over the family businesses. It was during our first meeting that I learned the difference in ways our fathers were raising each of us. Where my father had raised me with a firm hand and a large amount of respect, Paulie Sr. had been raising his son to fear him, and over the years, that fear has slowly caused his son to resent him and crave the power he held over his head. But just because he wanted to dethrone his father doesn’t mean he wants his father to know he is after his seat. If his dad ever caught wind of what his son was up to, Paulie Sr. would take his own son out without a second thought.

“Be smart. Forget you know anything about my wife.” I hang up then look at my brother, who is just getting off the phone as well.

“Sweepers are on the way, and the plane is ready when we are.”

“Thanks,” I mutter, walking over to my laptop, shutting it down, and watching the picture of Myla and me disappear. Even with the war that is brewing, I know the most important fight I will ever be in is waiting for me at home.

Chapter 8

Honey I’m Home

Myla

I walk through the house looking for Pika and Aye. Since I woke up this morning, they have been incognito.

Yesterday, Pika took me to begin the process of filing for divorce. When we arrived at the lawyer’s office, I was a nervous wreck. The old brick building looked like all the others in the area, but there was something about it that put fear in me.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Pika asked.

I looked over at him and then back to the building. “I’m sure.” I opened the car door and climbed out. “I’ll be back.”

“I’ll be here.”

“Thanks,” I murmured before slamming the door closed and heading for the building.

When I was halfway there, I stopped myself from turning around, heading back to the car, and telling Pika to take me home. I knew I couldn’t do that. I knew I couldn’t let Kai be the decider of my future, and waiting for him to get me the divorce papers was doing exactly that.

As soon as I opened the door to the building, the bell over the door rang and a beautiful woman wearing a business suit walked out of the back office and greeted me in the lobby.

“Myla?” she questioned, giving me a small smile and sticking out her hand.

“Hi,” I replied, placing my hand in hers, surprised by the firmness of her shake.

“I’m Tammy. My receptionist took the afternoon off, so I hope you don’t mind if we just get down to business?” she asked.

“No, that’s fine.”