"Look, I don't like this anymore than you, but unless you want to end up full of holes we're going to have to cooperate." He looked at me with his signature stoic mask back in place. The same mask that got him the title of Anti-Social God, it was impossible to read and extremely infuriating to deal with. But, it was impressive that he was managing to hold it with a bullet in his shoulder.
"This is a job, it's not about what you like. Now looking at how many rounds have been fired, they'll have to reload in about two minutes. When that happens we head for the door and get to the elevator, but be on the lookout it's possible Drozdov had more men and they could be coming. We go straight to the first floor, but there's a back door that leads to the alley. That's our way out. It's likely they have this entire place surrounded, so never drop your guard. I don't really care if you die, but there's a better chance of survival with the two of us." Wow, he really knew how to make a girl feel special. I ground my teeth together to prevent the endless string of curses from escaping. This wasn't the time, and I was already very preoccupied with not shooting a bullet through his heart. I couldn't tell what pissed me off more, the fact that he was talking down to me or the fact that he was acting like I didn't know how to do my own damn job.
"Fuck you, I don't need you." I realize what I said moments before, but that know-it-all tone in his voice and stupid blank expression on his face only reminded me why I hated him so much in the first place. There was an endless list of things I'd rather do before ever having to depend on him for anything, especially saving my life. Who was to say he meant anything he said anyway? He could just as easily wait until they stopped firing, shoot me, and be on his merry way. I had no reason to trust him. When the gunfire stopped I got up and took off for the door as fast as I could, not caring whether he was following or not.
Remind me to thank my old trainer for all those cardio days we spent running.
Part of me was hoping he'd lost too much blood by now and wouldn't be able to stand, let alone keep up. Of course, that was all but the case. He was right on my tail, not missing a step. I was prepared to run straight for the elevator, but he grabbed my arm and roughly threw me behind him. I couldn't see what was in front of him, but the two shots he fired said he was right and more of Aaron's guards had actually come.
Holy shit...Dimitri Belikov just saved my life...Dimitri. Belikov. Saved my life. I repeated it as many times as I could in my head with hopes that it'd start to make sense. No luck.
Just what I needed, to owe someone. Especially him. The slight feeling of gratitude that was starting to taint my mind immediately dissipated when he turned to me with narrowed, stony eyes. His hold on my arm tightened.
"Can you be any more hardheaded?! You're right, I don't like this. I'd much rather kill you and take my chances, but I'm not doing that because I don't let my emotions run me. Unlike you. If you really want to die that bad, fine. But I'm not going down with you. Us working together doesn't change a damn thing. The second we get out of here it's right back to wanting you dead. So, you want to be an adult or go on fighting everything that doesn't go your way?" Our faces were inches apart. His aftershave was so overpowering my head started to spin, I nearly gagged. I could feel every heavy breath from his nose across my face, and I wanted nothing more than to break his jaw.
So I did.
My lips curled at the way his head violently snapped to the side after my fist connected with it. The percussive sound of the impact echoing throughout the hallway was music to my ears. I hadn't exactly broken anything, but he'd definitely be feeling it later. He stumbled back a couple feet and spit out some blood, glaring daggers.
"You ever fucking touch me again, and you'll find out how lonely it can be at night without hands." I promised in a sickly sweet singsong voice, "You've wasted enough of our time already. Let's go." This time he rightfully kept his distance, and his mouth shut, as we made our way into the elevator.
There were no other assailants on the top floor besides the ones firing from outside, so I assumed these weren't people like us. Obviously they were skilled with firearms, clearly not the best considering their first shots failed to kill us, but that alone doesn't mean you have what it takes to be a killer. They've probably never so much as seen a dead body up close. There were people like Dimitri and I who could kill by any means necessary and aren't afraid to get their hands dirty, and then there were people who were only trained for the bare minimum which was mostly sniping. That was the easiest way of doing it, killing from a distance. You never have to look your target in the eye, you don't see their life fade, you never have to scrub blood off your hands, and the lives you steal don't stay with you. They were the lucky ones, but it put them in a very limited position. If they were to meet with us face to face they'd be dead before they could cock their guns. So, I was almost certain there'd be no trouble once we got to the first floor.
"The door is through the restaurant, in the back of the kitchen. From the angle they were shooting at its most likely they won't have a view of the alley, so unless they changed positions everything should be fine." He led us out the elevator, and as I predicted there was no one waiting for us. Whoever planned this, they were hoping to get both of us in one shot. I was actually pretty offended. They really thought they could kill the Rose Mazur that easily?
When we stepped out into the alley, for the most part, it was quiet. Well, as quiet as it could be in Vegas even during the day. After that failed attempt our assailants must've tucked their tails and ran. This would've been good news had I not been stuck with one other person whose sole purpose in life was to kill me. One person can only handle so many threats to their life in one day, and I'd say I reached my quota.
"Well not that this hasn't been fun, but—-oh come on! You ever heard of live to fight another day?" By the time I turned to face him, he had his gun drawn. He clearly wasn't exaggerating when he said the second we got out of there.
"I will not fail again." The hesitation he showed back inside the hotel was gone. His eyes were empty. He felt nothing. The smart thing to do would've been to duck out of his line of fire and either go for my gun, or disarm him of his, but something told me he was expecting that. He always knew. My chances of getting out of this one were slim to none. So much for escaping death.
Should've just let those idiots kill me.
I was about to concede when a familiar glint caught my eye behind him. Before he caught my distraction I locked my eyes back with his, a taunting smirk on my lips. I could see the confusion in his eyes, but of course he remained impassive on the outside. Had he pulled the trigger a second earlier I would've been done for but, once again, Grandpa was too slow. I ducked just as the bullet fired from Pavel's gun grazed his arm, and flew over my head.
"дерьмо́!" (Shit). He dropped his gun, which I very graciously removed from his possession kicking it aside.
"Biz ayrılıyoruz. şimdi!" (We're leaving. Now). Pavel called to me, never taking his eyes off Dimitri. It was probably imperative that we got out of there as quickly as possible, but I just had to revel in the moment a little.
"Well, well, well. It seems once again the tables have turned, little mouse. удачи в следующий раз, Comrade." (Good luck next time). He kept that stupid mask in place as I was speaking, but when he heard his native tongue it faltered. There was genuine surprise, and rage, and disgrace at his repeated failure. But there was something new I'd never seen in him before. A fire burned behind his unsettlingly deep eyes. If he wanted me dead before, now he wanted to deliver my head on a pike to the gates of Hell himself. Anyone in their right mind would've been terrified and ran for the hills at the sight, but my heart was pounding with adrenaline. This game of ours was quite literally a fight to the death, and the stakes were only getting higher. As sick as it sounded facing him was the only real excitement I had in my life, the only challenge, and it was like being locked in a match of chess. Something told me we were getting real close to a checkmate. So, may the best man win.
Before joining with Pavel, I gave him a swift kick to his temple knocking him unconscious. Just in case he felt inclined to follow us. Lucky for us the streets were pretty clear making for a smooth escape.
"You keep saving me like this, Pavel, and I just might have to buy you a suit of armor."
"We're going back to Antalya, right now. Your father is pissed and raising Hell to find out who ambushed you, and until he does he doesn't want you going back to New York or leaving on your own." If my face got any redder steam would've started to pour from my ears.
"Are you fucking kidding me?! I'm not about to be locked up in that house with him like some fucking damsel in distress! I don't need his protection and I damn sure don't need his help! I can do this on my own, like I have been for the past 5 years." How dare he try to hide me away like I need some kind of witness protection. A week ago he could barely look at me, now suddenly he wants to look after me? Fuck that. The second they're asleep, I'm out of there.
"This is serious, Rose. No one was supposed to know about that meeting, and definitely not that you were going to be hijacking it. It's bad enough that Galina's dog was there, so that in itself means that she was on to our plan all along. Now, we've got a third adversary trying to kill you that we know nothing about. It could be anyone, meaning everyone is a suspect. We have to make sure you're safe."
"It wasn't just me. They shot Dimitri too." He grew silent for a second. I could see the gears turning in his head as he tried to connect some imaginary dots together. To me it wasn't that big of a deal considering Belikov and I were practically the two biggest wanted names out there among the illegal channels. Killing one of us was enough money to live comfortably for the rest of your life, kill both of us and your grandkids wouldn't have to work a day in their lives. It's no surprise someone tried to kill two birds with one stone, but he was right about one thing. How'd they know we'd be there? If anyone, it had to be someone on the inside of either Galina's or my father's business who knew their moves and predicted the outcome of both Dimitri and I showing up. Zmey is the most secretive man you'll ever meet, so it had to be an associate of Galina. Someone close to her, waiting for her to slip up so they could steal her position right from under her, and was hoping to take my father out all at the same time. We were either dealing with a lunatic, or a genius. More than likely a perfect, frightening blend of the two. As if I didn't have enough problems already.
"This is much worse than we thought. We need to get back to your father immediately."
—Δ—
"What the hell do you mean you don't know the last person Galina spoke to?! What do I pay you for?! Either you start making yourself useful, or I'll replace you with someone who is. And I can promise you won't like the form your pink slip comes in!" When we got back home, Abe was pacing back and forth with a phone in each hand. His hair was wild from however many times he ran his hands through it, his decorative scarf was hung loosely around his neck, and judging from the bags under his eyes he couldn't have gotten more than two hours of sleep. That is all just to say he looked like shit.
"Take Rose to her room, Pavel. I need all hands on this."
"Oh, fuck you. I'm tired of being treated like I'm not a valued part of this "business". Did you forget who keeps all your books and shit in order? Me. Who you send out to keep those dumbasses you call subordinates in line? Still me. Who does all the work you don't have the balls to do yourself? Say it with me now, ME. Had it not been for me, Old Man, you wouldn't have half of what you do. So either start treating me like an equal, or see how long you last without me." His nostrils flared like a bull ready to charge, but he said nothing. Never thought I'd see the day Zmey was too tired to stand his ground. Not that that was a battle he had any chance of winning.
"Fine, but you listen. If I need any input from you I'll ask for it." I suppressed a chuckle. Oh, how fragile a thing masculinity can be. Always has to prove he's in control.
"Now, we have to deal with the possibility that this is the doing of someone loyal to both Galina and I. Someone that has somehow woven their way into both our circles. That being said, no information about Rose or any future plans is to be shared with anyone outside this room. Pavel, keep everything in order and everyone busy. I don't want anyone suspecting anything. We need to keep eyes and ears on everyone, I will bring in some old associates of mine to assist on that front. But, that's only half the issue. Right now, Galina and I share a common enemy and the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
"What are you saying boss?" Pavel and I both shared a look of concern. The Old Man must have finally lost it if he's implying what we think.
"I'm scheduling a meeting between the three of us, Galina, and her dog Belikov." Yea, he's lost it alright.
"You really expect her to meet us with the noble intentions of having, what, a chat over tea? You can't possibly be this desperate to trust her. What's to stop her from not coming at all and sending whoever to kill all of us? You're practically lining the shot up for her." He cut his eyes toward me, getting ready for what I'm sure was a string of reprimands for speaking out of turn but Pavel interrupted.
"As rudely as Rosemarie is putting it, she does have a point. We can't be sure that Galina will stick to any agreed upon restrictions for this meeting. I'd suggest it be done over a strict phone line we make sure no one can tap." He stroked his beard muling over Pavel's suggestion, but ultimately shook his head in disagreement.
"No. It has to be face to face. That's the only way I can make sure we're on the same terms, I need to look her in the eye. If we're all in the same place that leaves for less intrusion. And don't insult me with the assumption that I have any intention of trusting her with anything. This is a business meeting that will decide the future for both of our empires. Even she can't deny that. Despite our rivalry there is a common ground set between the both of us for this very situation. If she knows what's good for her, she'll behave and keep her dog on his leash. Galina knows I have orders set in place should anything happen to any of us in this room, she's not ready for that shitstorm." We all sat in silence for a moment. I didn't want to admit it, but this was our best choice of action. Without any sort of leads on who this mole could be, we had no other choice but to call a truce and dig it out. Still, I wasn't happy about being in the same room with the enemy not knowing what may or may not be waiting for us outside. If we even make it back outside.
"I'll set it up. For now, both of you get some rest. But, Rosemarie, I need to talk to you first." Pavel shot me a look that said 'Behave' before he left.
"No promises." I muttered to myself.
"Don't talk under your breath, you know your mother hated that."
"Well she's not here to hate anything is she." I snapped instinctually. He knew she was a sore spot for me, and still dared to bring her up. I will always resent him for being the cause of her death, he had no right to speak of her.
His expression grew hard and eyes cold.
"As hard as it'll be for you, I need you to control yourself during this meeting. I'm not letting it go to Hell because of you losing your temper at the slightest inconvenience. It's time to grow up. Daughter or not if you screw up, there will be consequences. Pavel will give you further information once it's set up. Now, leave my office." Surprisingly I didn't have the energy to be angry. I'd already been killed nearly twice today, which he hadn't bothered to ask about by the way, and was frankly exhausted. I needed a nice long bath and a good nights sleep. For once. Hell, I'd even take another quick visit with Adrian. He definitely knew how to get a girl relaxed.
It took no time for me to fill the tub, but even the warm water and lavender bubbles weren't enough to loosen the knots afflicting my muscles. With what was coming, relaxation was a luxury I couldn't afford. I could only hope that after this temporary merge, assuming negotiations don't fall to shit, there'd be one less thing for me to worry about. Belikov. My mind wandered to him for a minute. Was he still lying unconscious in that alley? Is he on his way back to Galina? Did they kill him? Had he been caught?
I scoffed at my naive hope. Of course not. That bastard was too stubborn to die and frankly too strong to be taken down. Except by me. But, there was something that continued to bug me since our run in. He saved me. Despite his reasoning for it, it still happened. And that meant I owe him a debt. Even us killers had a moral code, and part of it was if someone saves your life that has to be paid back. No matter what. I sure as hell wasn't happy about owing him anything, but I couldn't help but feel a sense of...gratitude. And I hated it. The feeling crawled under my skin like a parasite trying to bury its way deeper in. I refused to let anything stop me from hating Belikov. His crimes were unforgivable and it was my job to carry out his judgment. If the opportunity didn't present itself during the truce to repay my debt, then it wasn't meant to be paid. I just hoped it ended soon so I could be rid of him once and for all. He had escaped me for the last time.
Look who's back! Miss me? I'm super sorry it's taken me so long to come back to this story, but hey at least I made it back. School has been tough I'm finally figuring out what I wanna do, so it's been a ride. But, nonetheless I haven't forgotten about this story and frankly I could use a nice break once in a while from life, y'know?
Anyway, I hope you all are doing well and I haven't lost any of you throughout this hiatus. Also, sorry if this chapter got a little lackluster at the end I started it a while ago and I'm a little rusty now. But, please do share your thoughts on it and whatever else you feel like sharing :).
I'm excited to be back and writing for you all so here's to a great adventure!