Page 50 of Den of Thieves

“No. Absolutely not,” Dimitri declared.

“But he’s certified—”

“It might work. They hit them high, we hit them low. Bomb every other shithole that Nikolai found and when the rats scatter—” David started.

“We take them out, one by one.” Daniil finished, shooting finger guns.

“No!” Vladimir roared.

His face tightened as he raised his fist. He sorely wanted to punch something, but a tiny part of his consciousness realized that the walls in the basement were stone and hitting them in frustration would do more harm than good.

“You and you,” he said, pointing to the men that just dropped an overflowing crate of bullets in the corner. “Take the women to the wine cellar and keep them there.”

“But—” AK started.

“Not another word out of either of you! I’m not above having you both chained in a cell. Sit down, enjoy a fucking charcuterie board, and do not move.”

“Vlad—”

“Let’s move out!”

Vladimir turned on his heel after putting his foot down. The two men herded the women into the cellar. Dimitri called Eric the butler, and the man rounded the corner shortly after with blankets and snacks.

The rest of them readied themselves for battle. He took one last look at his wife’s pleading face behind the locked glass door of the cellar and followed his men into the waiting vans.

**

Red blurred Vladimir’s vision. His fists clenched and opened, hungry for violence. He wanted to relieve Daniil and David of their tongues and then bash their faces in for suggesting the women—his woman—get involved. He was sure Dean wouldn’t mind being an only child.

It was bad enough Karina and Aksana left the damned safe house against his orders. Vladimir cursed at what could have happened. He should have listened to Nikolai when he suggested sending men to guard them. Not that he would tell his cousin and boost his already inflated ego.

Vladimir only declined to send guards because he knew how savage men became around beautiful women. They were weak when it came to desires of the flesh. And as much as the Bratva’s changed in recent years, he knew not all were upstanding and honorable men.

Sociopathic killers were integral to defeating one’s enemies, not for protecting what was most precious to him. He learned that the hard way and didn’t want to relive that pain again.

That still didn’t justify his wife’s blatant disregard for the rules. He didn’t miss how they all deferred to her like she was running the fucking show. The only reason he didn’t have one of his men chain them in a van and send them back to the forest near Privolshky was the invasion. His enemy knew where he sent the women. It was information only a handful were privy to.

Luckily, Osvo sent lower-level fools that underestimated the strength of Karina and Aksana. Otherwise, his wife and sister’s lifeless bodies would be trophies for his enemies. He growled. That meant someone close to him was leaking information to the enemy. Or worse, a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Nikolai’s drone showed no one following them as they made their way downtown. Vladimir would have to trust that his wife and sister truly got rid of everyone. He needed to find this Osvo and end him. Today.

“You did the right thing. Women don’t need to be a part of this,” Kristoff said as their van barreled down the highway Osvo’s hideout.

“Where’s Alexi?” Vladimir wondered about Kristoff’s fraternal twin and the happier out of the two.

Kristoff’s mouth twitched. “He is dealing with a problem in Budapest.”

Vladimir’s eyebrows rose, and Kristoff rushed to appease him. “It is nothing we can’t handle.”

He looked at Kristoff briefly before facing the window. His fingers still twitched to choke someone or punch something to help relieve his rage. His rage would have to wait, as they were still a good forty minutes from downtown.

Vladimir growled, running a hand through his hair. “Have you ever met someone who’s neck you wanted to strangle but you couldn’t because the thought of hurting them physically pained you?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

Vladimir frowned, looking back at Kristoff. He knew his friend to be smart and cunning. As always, he was more than what met the eye.

“What did you do?”

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