Page 34 of Devotion

6

VANYA

My first round takes the man about to stomp Ciro’s head in right through the throat.

Letting go of the tightly twisted arm of the screaming man I just disarmed, I kick him down; he clutches his broken wrist. A swift tap to the jaw leaves him sprawled in a pile of soggy boxes.

Spin, flick of my wrist, two daggers in two arms, guns clatter to the ground.

Dive to avoid a spray of bullets, roll and come up on my knees sliding, blasting through wooden crates and showering the walls with these fuckers’ blood. They scatter like spiders, dragging away their wounded.

Organized.

Efficient.

Just no match for me.

“Do we pursue?” Matvey pokes his head up from his cover. Smart boy. He knows when I arrive to stay out of my way.

“Net. We make sure Grigory Andreev is safe. Find out who they were, why they were here. I will call in scouts to track them.”

Offering a hand to Ciro, I pull him to his feet, sniffing at his filthy clothes. The look he gives me makes my stomach do a flip, so I scowl, leaving him to watch me walk back inside.

“Explain,” I order to my brother as he falls in beside me.

“The short version is that we discovered some illegal drugs being stacked out of Andreev’s fish crates. I think those guys are the same ones from the photos, or at least affiliated with them.”

“So Grigory is smuggling a little on the side?”

“I don’t think so. He was pretty shaken up. Looked terrified. Not to mention they clearly did not like us walking in on them.”

“Hm. I do not like it. We’ve gotten more reports of foreigners at several other ports conducting business without local consent. Let’s see what our fishmonger has to say.”

Just as I speak the words, I spot him to my left, hiding.

“Talk, Andreev! What the fuck is going on?” I snatch the back of his coat as he sneaks out, trying to make for the side door.

“I-it is not what it looks like, Miss Sokolov! They threatened me…”

“Were those threats made in cash? I checked your safe. Looks pretty full to me.”

“I did not want to take it. These men…they are killers. They showed me pictures of my granddaughters.”

“I do not care what they said or showed you, Grigory. This does not look good for you. Even under threat, you know what to do; you should have contacted the Volk. For fuck’s sake, you have my number.”

“I panicked.”

“Coward. We cannot protect you if you are not forthcoming.”

Mr. Andreev drops his head, nodding.

I hate being the stone-cold bitch, but people behave foolishly. They do not learn and must be taught hard lessons.

The same lessons I learned early on, clawing my way to my position.

“P-please put in good word with Pyotr, I cannot lose my business…”

“Don’t piss yourself. Relax. I believe you did not have choice. But I will follow up on this, and you better not be lying, Grigory.”

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