Somewhere outside New York City.
Axel arrived in a limo to his uncle’s property. His men went out of their cars and immediately disarmed Juan Pablo’s people. One of the men opened the limo door to give way to Sebastian Axel De Alba, son of the deceased Antonio De Alba, the boss of the Cabana Cartel-Colombia’s most powerful drug cartel and the other half of the Conglomerate.
Juan Pablo De Alba is at the lakeside quietly fishing. He heard the arrival of his nephew but he chose to sit still, knowing exactly why Axel is here.
The Cartel Boss sat across his uncle, looking straight at the stillness of the water.
Juan Pablo: Your father and I used to come here to plan our take over of New York and the east coast from the son of a bitch Vyacheslav. He would always sit there, impatiently tapping his shoes on the wood and he doesn’t even care if he catches fish or not. Between him and I, Antonio was always the thinker, the planner. He had this-(points at his head while looking at Axel) and I, I was your father’s attack dog. His executioner. I did most of his dirty work for him and now for you, Sebastian.
Axel: (Wears his black leather gloves) Where is Sergey Yvanislov?
Juan Pablo: (Momentary silence) He is on his way to carry out our original plan. Get rid of the Russians, control the conglomerate and take over New York. The Cabana Cartel will soon supply the whole of east coast and every European connection they have. We, Sebastian, are going to be the most powerful crime family in North and South America!
Axel: We, as a family? (Stood up and signals one of his men to place a gun on top of the small cooler right next to Juan Pablo) I found this in the possession of the sicario you sent to kill me last night. It has the prints of Sergey Yvanislov.
(Wraps a cord around his fingers on both hands and then suddenly strangles his uncle. The man gasps for air as he struggles to remove the cord from around his neck) And you know what else I found out Tio? It’s the same gun that killed my father. Your own brother!
(Axel snarles as he squeezes the string tighter. Juan Pablo’s feet flail as he desperately gasps for air) You are using Sergey to kill Volkov and you hired a hitman to kill me with a tainted gun to frame Sergey. (He lets go of the cord, took the gun and watches his uncle crawl to get away from him) Where is Sergey?
Juan Pablo: (He’s in New York. He hired private contractors to kidnap Volkov’s wife in exchange for his daughter, Yrina. (Chuckles mockingly when he saw Axel dial his phone) It’s too late Sebastian!
Axel: No, Tio, it’s too late for you. (Axel points his gun and shoots his uncle in his head. Blood drips down his face as he falls lifeless onto the pavement) Por mi Padre.
~
Featured song: Wolves by Sam Tinnesz
Belle’s POV
Our SUVs sped like there’s no tomorrow on the way to the garage where we once had rendezvous sex. It still looks old and dingy just like the last time that we were here. No one would ever suspect that this place hides guns and high-end vehicles of the Russian Mafia.
My lips parted when Boris and Andrey removed the covers of the four cars parked inside the garage. Yup, these are Volkov’s cars alright. Even Andrey whistled in awe looking at the four shiny jet black luxury vehicles light up one by one in front of him all of which are armored and impenetrable by regular and even high caliber rounds.
“Damn, Boss. These are slick!” Said Andrey, his eyes are sparkling like a child with presents on Christmas morning.
“The Boss and Dimitri were able to lose the tail but it will not be the last one. We must take you and Belle to the safe house as soon as possible. The chopper is waiting for you at Artan Bogdani’s shipyard. You were right, VH is compromised and the Mansion is too far from here to take off. As a precaution, Artan offered his help for Belle.” Yuri said to Nikolai.
Nikolai did not respond but instead signaled the boys to give us privacy which they obliged instantly.
“Nikolai. Is it Sergey? Is it him?”
He just nods and held my face with his palms to face him. “Baby, it’s time. Remember what we have agreed on before? If anything bad happens to me today-”
“No!” I did not let him finish. At this point, my eyes started to well with tears. I know what he’s going to say and I don’t want to hear it. I can’t believe that we have actually reached this point.
“It’s okay. Everything is going according to plan, except that he is now putting a target on you, that’s why I want you to leave for the safe house without me.”
“No! I’m staying here with you and Alexei!”
“Baby, please listen to me. My brother and I have to do this. Sergey killed my father and he killed Alexei’s father. That bastard put bullets through their heads from the back. He may not have ruined the Mafia but he has ruined my family. And now with you in my life, he tried to kill you and our babies using Victoria and the traitor in the Conglomerate. When that did not work out, he wants to take you away from me so he can get his daughter back. I am not going to let that happen. Not with you, not on my watch.”
“But Nikolai please, there must be another way!”
He lands a long sweet kiss on my lips and then connected his forehead to mine. “I love you more than anything in this world. More than my life, Belle. I see no point in life if I lose you.”
The tears that have been threatening to fall moments ago are now flowing down my cheeks. I am so torn between letting him do this so he can finally exact retribution for the death of Papa Vyacheslav or convince him to come with me and Alexei to the safe house and let our people find Sergey.
I know that Nikolai and Alexei have been waiting for this moment to come. They have carried this in their hearts for the longest time. Now that revenge is within their reach, I do not want to be the one to deprive them of that chance. Lest, I regret it in the future.
“Nikolai, if you do this, promise me you’ll come home to me? Promise me?”
“I promise, cross my heart, hope Artan dies.”
“Nikolai!” I smack him on his chest but he just chuckles. How can this man think of these kinds of things when we are actually in the middle of a friggin crisis?
“I’m kidding.” He said.
“That’s not funny. Why do you hate Artan so much?”
“Because if my brother and I were to die, I know you’d choose Artan.” He replied without a hint of doubt or hesitation. He looks at me intently, the man is actually probing for my reaction.
“Well, you and your brother better not die then Nikolai.” I retorted. I see this as an opportunity to give him a little bit of a push to put his mind back to destroying Sergey so he can never hurt our family ever again. Nikolai’s dark green eyes turned even darker and I know that I got into the man’s head.