Page 92 of Fight Me Daddy

I ducked down behind a file cabinet and waited. Patience was annoying, but I could have it on certain occasions. And this was one of the rare ones.

The sound of approaching footsteps made me tense. My muscles bunched as I gripped my gun tightly. The closer someone approached, the more the floor vibrated with his steps. I held in a breath.

The door creaked open and I counted, slowly before I jumped up and pointed my gun in a man's face. He jumped back and lifted his gun.

"Don't do it," I warned. "I'm here for information. Nothing more than that. But if you don't put that gun down I'll blow your brains out all over that fuckin' wall."

He looked around wildly. "I don't know anything."

I stared at him and knew he was full of shit. He was young, but he knew something. I stepped forward. "Put the gun on the ground and kick it this way. Do it."

The way his hands shook proved to me everything I needed to know. Young, dumb, naive. He'd just stepped into this world or at least he wasn't a killer like the rest of us. His eyes flickered toward the door and I clicked my tongue.

"Don't make me do it."

He jumped and sat the gun on the ground before he hesitantly kicked it toward me. Big mistake. I dragged the gun with my foot and kicked it into the corner behind me. The door creaked again and as soon as he turned to see who it was I was on him. I wrapped my arm around his throat and squeezed before I shoved my gun against his temple.

"Fuck, fuck," he whispered as he shook his head. "You said-"

"I lied," I answered. "If you're too stupid to understand that's all this life is then you're better off with me killing you now."

A man walked through the door and I shot beside his head. He jumped back. "Fuck! I told you not to leave my side," the man shouted at my hostage.

"I was going to get him."

"Shut up," I snapped. "How many more in here?"

"Three," the man spat. "Let him go."

I shoved the gun against his head harder and he hissed. "Oh, so he's important to you?" I grinned. "That's even better. Tell the other three to go outside and search. We'll have a chat."

He opened the door and shouted Russian. A storm of fleeing footsteps made my stomach ease a little. I had no idea if he'd really told them to leave, but as long as they were away from me now, I could deal with them later.

"Close the door."

He shut it behind him and glared at me. "If you shoot him-"

"Shut the fuck up. Tell me everything you know about Andrei."

He tensed. "What?"

"Don't stall," I warned. "I can see it all over your face. Where is he?"

"Nobody knows where he is."

"So you do know who I'm talking about," I said. "What do you know?"

"If I tell you..."

"Save me the whole if you tell me he'll kill you line because I can promise I'll do the same thing. Andrei runs things. That much I know. Why is he coming after my family? Why did he burn Calix's shit down?"

The man groaned. "Shit, I knew it was a bad idea."

I cracked the gun against the side of my captive's head and his knees buckled. A growl echoed from across the room and I shoved the muzzle against his head again.

"Why is he after us?"

"I don't know!" he snapped. "I take orders, that's it. All I know is your family did something to tick his off and he's coming for all of you. That guy, the fighter? He got in the way and got one of our men killed. We had to make it even."

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