Chapter 46
Dmitri
Anger boiled within me as my fingers tapped the edge of my desk rhythmically; The feeling of rage doubled when the bastard barged into my office with his usual surly smirk that I badly wanted to punch off his face.
Twenty minutes was all I needed, and he’d be together with his ancestors.
“Hey, pup,” He always called me that name when he wanted to annoy me.
I wondered if he knew that he had done more than too just grate on my nerves. He’d overstepped his boundaries and death seemed too painless a punishment for him.
“Good morning, Uncle” I replied with my usual nonchalant tone, though there was nothing indifferent about how I felt. “You’re learning punctuality these days, huh? I thought I’d have to call you over and over again,”
“As long as it’s business, I’ll be here. Maybe something good can come out of your being Capo,” He taunted, his callous grin broadening.
Slowly, I eased off my seat, undoing the first button of my shirt that made my neck feel like it was in a cage. “Care for some coffee?”
His brows arched against each other and a nervous chuckle vibrated in his throat. “Since when did you become so hospitable? The last time I checked, you hated having me around or have you suddenly realized that you can’t earn the total respect of the gang without me?”
Since I was playing cool, I had to force down a snort. “I’m doing well by myself, Uncle, but I can’t deny that your help will be of great importance. So do you still care for the coffee?”
His eyes swayed around, as if in search of something. “Yeah,”
I veered to the coffee maker and began to prepare the coffee. A crazy thought slid into my mind and I wondered if it was too late to act on it.
A few minutes later, the coffee was ready and I served him, watching him gaze at the cup distrustfully before taking a gulp.
“It tastes nice,” He commented and dropped it lousily on the desk. “So let’s stop beating around the bush, what business deal are you proposing?”
The black stress ball came in my view and I squeezed it hard so that I could rein my anger. “Oh, business?” I chuckled. “I just wanted to know what you thought about my little girl, Liora. She’s beautiful and innocent isn’t she?”
Surprise crossed his features and he jerked involuntarily, his lips twitching nervously. “Umm… Liora, of course, she’s beautiful. So sad her mama is dead,” He replied with an insincere smile.
“And you agree that an innocent girl like that shouldn’t be hurt incessantly for no cause. My heart aches each time I get news that someone had tried to attack her. How will you feel if you hear that Ivanov has been poisoned or something?”
He pressed his lips firmly against each other and lowered his lashes, finally catching up on my subtle hints. “I’ll be mortified, Dmitri. I’ll make sure that whoever tries to hurt him experiences the worst kind of pain,” He growled and I slammed my fist against the desk.
“So it hurts that much, Petrov? Yet you went ahead to hurt my daughter?” I roared, jumping to my feet so fast he nearly toppled off his chair.
Instantly, his dark orbs were masked with trepidation and slowly, he reached for his gun.
“I wouldn’t try that if I were you,” I snickered, folding my arms. “Why did you hurt my daughter?” I asked in the most still tone I could muster.
“To get to you, Dmitri. It’s that simple,”
No word could describe how indignated I was. Fluidly I traipsed toward him while he backed away from his chair, heading to the door.
“You could have arranged my murder even though I’m not an easy kill but why did you have to include my daughter in your wicked plans? That girl is my life the same way Ivanov is yours. I know you’ve always been against me, but I’d never hurt your family and you know that so why hurt mine?”
He burst into laughter while I stared at him coldly, watching him make a fool of himself. As his irritating laughter faded into chuckles, he said. “You think I care about that? I’m a goal-getter, pup, and I don’t care who I have to trample on to reach my goal,”
I nodded and gave off a shrug. “Alright then, I’ll let you see the consequence of breaking the rules,”
The screen on my wall came on and a video began to play. The image of a wounded Ivanov who was seated on a chair rolled in, his hands were bound with a strong cord and his blood-shot eyes quivered with fear.
“How do you feel now, dear Uncle?”
He whipped a furious glare at me, his eyes burning with rage and something akin to horror and I reveled in it. “Release my son this instant,” He yapped.
It was my turn to laugh. “And you expect me to listen just because you said it? Okay,”
I picked up my phone and called Armen who was with Ivanov. “Hit him again,”
“Yes, boss,” His voice echoed.
“No! Please, don’t!” Petrov interrupted, rubbing his palms together with his knees on the ground. “Don’t hurt him, I beg of you,”
I checked my wristwatch and the twenty minutes was about to elapse. Another call to Armen and he paused.
“This is so much fun. I didn’t expect to kill two birds with one stone: inflicting pain on you and having you beg at my feet. It’s so nice,” I laughed.
“What should I do to get him out of there? Being in prison is already hard enough,” He bellowed.
“Was he actually in prison?”
He sighed heavily and bowed his head. “That’s not the point. Just tell me what I have to do,” He cried desperately.
Casually, I leaned on the edge of my desk and crossed my leg over the other. “I’d have loved to torture you, I’ve even imagined taking out your limbs and preparing a very nice soup with it but then, you’ll be reducing me to what I’m not so here’s what you’re going to do,” I produced a gun from my pocket and passed it to him. “Take this and shoot yourself. Either that or your son leaves the surface of the earth in thirty seconds,”