Page 5 of Captive Union
Using all the bravery I have, I go up to Maxim and hug him. He wraps his strong arms around me, making me feel instantly safer.
“I’m happy for you,” I whisper.
“Thank you,” he whispers back.
When I pull back, I realize I’m fighting back tears. I’m filled with a mixture of happiness and loneliness, all wrapped into one. “Uh, excuse me.”
“Where are you going, young lady?” Mom asks.
“I have to use the restroom.”
She looks me over before nodding.
I finally feel like I can breathe as I walk away from the group. More people mill around the room, drinking and talking. Everyone leaves me alone. They know me as the shy one by now and know not to bother me.
As I walk through the room, getting closer to the doors that lead into the hallway where I’ll finally get some peace and quiet, the murmuring in the room gets louder. More and more people look over to the front doors. I can’t see what the commotion is over the crowd of people.
But the next sound makes my heart drop into my stomach.
The loud, piercing sound of gunshots.
CHAPTER2
Erik
Ihave hate in my heart. I’ve had it for the past five years. Ever since Maxim Petrov killed my father and then his younger brother, Alexei, blew up my bar to be a little bitch. My father gave me that bar, and when Alexei blew it up, it was like salt in my wounds.
I’ve spent so much time with my hate that it has festered over the years, growing into something uncontrollable. I can’t live my life without feeling this hate inside me.
And now, I’m finally going to get rid of this hate once and for all—by getting my revenge.
I tried doing it a year ago when I almost killed Alexei. I had him in my clutches, but he slipped away like the little weasel he is. I was injured and had to get away before he or Maxim could take me down. I won’t give those brothers the satisfaction of seeing me die. So I’m not going after them this time.
Instead, I’ve planned something else to get my revenge.
“Weapons go over there,” I shout out orders to the group of men in front of me. We’re in my favorite hideout—a shitty warehouse in the depths of the city that no one ever comes by. Just the look of the street it’s on, anyone with half a brain cell would stay far away. Currently, a stack of guns rests on a table in front of me. The flickering lightbulb above us gives the room an even more eerie quality, just how I like it.
I used to be the poster boy for luxury. Growing up with wealth and status can make you a bit of a dick. And I was one, to Maxim specifically. We never got along. And when his father died, I thought I could rule the Bratva better, so I tried taking power out from under him, but it didn’t work. I got caught.
Maxim banished me, made sure I would never be a part of the Bratva again, right after he killed my father in front of my eyes.
I distinctly remember his words.
“I want you to remember this day, Erik. Remember the day that I killed your father. I have power over you. I always will. So, no, I’m not going to kill you. I’m going to let you live with this reminder—never fuck me over. There will always be consequences. You can either be loyal to me or get the fuck out of the Bratva. You won’t be a made man any longer. Your choice.”
I chose to leave, not wanting to work under a man I had no respect for. Now, luxury is far from how I live. When I was banished a few years ago, I left with no money to my name. I had to get by with the help of a couple of guys who never liked the Petrovs and were willing to lend me a couch to sleep on. In due time, though, I grew my money and strength back. Part of that was taking over the Irish mob after Alexei killed their leader, Connor Doyle. Just another stupid action by Alexei that led me to gaining power. The Irish wanted their revenge, and I was charming enough to convince them to let me lead them to victory against the Petrovs.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work when Alexei shot me, and I had to make a quick mistake, causing many of my new men to die that night. So over the past year, I’ve had to work from the ground up again, gaining more and more men. Fortunately, I’ve been smart with my money, and financially, I’ve been doing fine. The edges of luxury are back at my fingertips.
I just prefer to do work in shitty places where no one, like the cops, would come looking. The Petrovs own more than half the police force. I can’t risk anyone finding me before I get the chance to enact my new plan.
The words I said to Maxim after he tossed me out are as clear today as the day I said them.“You’re going to regret this one day, Maxim. Mark my words.”
And today is that day.
“Boss, where do you want this?” one of my guys, a jacked-up dude named Scott, asks as he hands over a pistol.
“Guns over there,” I repeat. I nod toward the door where a van is parked against it. “Go place all the guns in there. We’re going to need a ton tonight.”
