Page 50 of Delicious Prey

“Guards are almost finished walking the grounds,” Vadim whispers. “Ivan is inside with his family.”

“I’m almost there,” I whisper back.

As soon as I’m to the iron gate of his security fence, I follow it until I spot the large oak tree, the one I warned him to cut down three years ago. I’m not at all surprised that’s he ignored me. He always did think he knew best about everything. It does’t take much for me to pull myself onto the thick lower branch, and from there it’s only a few minutes before I’m straddling the long branch that reaches over the fence. I look down onto the property, watching the last of the guards walk by. He’s looking around, but he’s not looking up, so he walks right by me being none the wiser.

As soon as he’s far enough away, I whisper, “In position,” to Vadim and grab my gun.

“Ready when you are,” is his quick response.

I wait for the guards to make their way back to join the others near the side of the house and say, “Ready” right before I fire off three quick shots, taking out three guards before they’ve even realized they’re under attack. I hear Vadim’s suppressed shots, but I keep my focus on my own job. I take out one more before grabbing the branch and hanging down, dropping the last few feet, grateful that Ivan doesn’t share my love of killer dogs. I run towards the house, stopping to shoot two more guards before leaning against the house to avoid their return fire. Everyone’s using silencers, but it’s a good thing he doesn’t have any neighbors too close. Silencers suppress the sound, but they don’t hide it completely.

“You’re good on this side,” Vadim says, and then calls out a quick, “On your right.”

I turn and shoot the man who was sneaking up on me while Vadim uses his rifle scope to try and spot any more movement.

“Clear,” he says after a few seconds. “But there’s still more inside. Holler if you need me.”

“Will do,” I tell him, putting a new clip in my gun and grabbing the largest of my knives. Using the side entrance that’s reserved for his guards, I slip into the large house without making a sound. The place is quiet and dark. It’s well after midnight, and his family is already asleep. I hear footsteps headed my way, and when a man walks around the corner, I use my knife, quickly stabbing him in the throat so he can’t scream. His eyes bug out in surprise, but then they widen even more in fear and pain. It doesn’t last long. I’d made sure to hit the carotid artery, so he bleeds out fast. Stepping over him, I make my way up the wide staircase, knowing Ivan is most likely still awake and in his office. He’s always been a night owl, and I doubt that’s changed. Men like him are creatures of habit, and it’s usually what gets them killed. They never alter their schedules, too stuck in the old way of doing things and not wanting to put forth the effort to change.

When I peek around the corner, I see the guard standing outside his office door. A quick glance down the other hallway makes it obvious that he didn’t bother to put a man outside his kids’ rooms or the bedroom his wife is sleeping in. What a dick. There’s no way to sneak up on the armed guard, so I do the only thing I can do. I walk out in the open, and as soon as he sees me, I shoot him right between the eyes. I know Ivan’s heard the suppressed shot, but I fling open the door with my gun raised and pointed right where I know he’s sitting behind his desk, not giving him enough time to reach for a weapon. His face pales when he realizes who’s just walked through his door.

“Kirill,” he whispers, and then the motherfucker tries to cover it all with a smile. He spreads his arms like he’s thrilled to see me. “I knew prison wouldn’t be able to contain you, you sneaky bastard. Why didn’t you come see me right away? We need to get you back in the game. I’ve got several jobs I need you on. I hope you’re ready to make a lot of money.”

I keep my gun trained on him and walk closer. I hear Vadim in my ear. Is he seriously trying to play this off as normal? I don’t bother saying anything because the answer is painfully obvious.

“Hands on the fucking desk,” I say when Ivan starts to lower them.

“What’s going on?” He raises a brow at me. “I hope you haven’t been listening to rumors, Kirill.” The fake laugh he gives almost makes me cringe in embarrassment for him. “People are saying that Enzo and I have struck a deal, but I can promise you that’s not the case. I’m just trying to get close to him, and then I’m going to take him out.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, of course it is. You didn’t think I’d really betray you, did you?”

I sit in the chair across from him and study the man that I’ve worked for since I was fifteen. I’ve always been surprised at how many men fall for his bullshit. He has tells if you know what to look for, and right now he’s screaming his guilt to me with the way his eyes are held a little too wide, the forced earnestness that makes me want to smack him, and the way he’s lightly rubbing his thumb and forefinger together on his left hand. Easy signs to miss, most people do, but for me, it’s impossible not to see them.

“Cut the bullshit, Ivan. I know you’ve made a deal with Enzo, I know you pinned all the blame on me for the death of his son, and I know that you’ve put a hit out on me. Jay’s dead, by the way.”

His face pales when he realizes how much trouble he’s in. As expected the next reaction is pleading.

“My family is here. You can’t do this, Kirill.”

I give a harsh laugh. “You don’t think so?”

“They’re just kids, and my wife is innocent.”

“They’re safe as long as you don’t scream like a fucking baby and wake them up. If they’re not witnesses, I won’t kill them. Their lives are in your hands.”

He takes a deep breath and gives me a slight nod. I motion towards the phone that’s lying on the desk near his right hand.

“Call off the hit on me.” When he hesitates, I stand and put the muzzle of my gun against his forehead. “Right fucking now.”

His hands shake as he grabs his phone. I watch everything he does, not trusting him for a second, but when I see the official message calling off the hit and canceling the bounty, I let out a relieved breath as the message is sent, making its way through the underground channels, and soon everyone will know it’s over.

“I’ve worked for you a long time, Ivan, and you sold me out without a second thought.”

“You were in prison,” he says, no longer bothering to try and lie. “What the fuck was I supposed to do? Enzo would’ve destroyed me, everything I’ve spent my life building.”

“I warned you about going after his son, and some fucking loyalty would’ve been nice after everything I’ve done for you.” I remove the gun from his head, trying not to laugh at the spark of hope that fills his eyes. “You’re not a very smart man, Ivan. I think most everyone would probably tell you that the one person you should never piss off is the hitman on your payroll. What the hell did you think I was going to do?”

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