CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Alec, Tailor, Max, and Dex went around the back of Krauss's mansion, double-checking the number of guards that were present. As predicted, there were only five guards on duty. With each man taking one, Alec and Tailor played rock-paper-scissors for the fifth one.

"Children, can we hurry this along," growled Max.

"He won," frowned Tailor. Dex only shook his head.

"This is why I prefer working with the animals. Let's go. The dim light is on our side."

The men at Krauss's mansion were definitely not the cream of the crop. They'd barely been able to utter a word before they were subdued, gagged, tied, and thrown in the cellar. While Ian, Ghost, Nine, and Gaspar waited inside for Krauss to arrive, the others stayed hidden on the mansion grounds.

As darkness fell, Krauss's private car pulled up with a second behind him. Krauss plus eight men. This should be easy. Stepping through the front door, he turned for just a moment to the other men.

"You stay with me. The rest of you, see if those idiots are still on the property and kill them. I want to leave here as soon as possible." He slammed the door and began walking toward his office. "Are you coming?"

Before he could turn, he heard the cocking of the weapon. Slowly, he turned around, seeing his guard with a pistol at his head, and a man holding his fingers to his lips.

"Not a word, or you'll both be dead," said Ghost.

"Do you have any idea who you're fucking with? Do you know what kind of pain I'm going to put you through?" sneered Krauss.

"Oh, we get it," said Ian, coming up behind him. "You're Wallen Krauss. Criminal extraordinaire. Or at least you think so."

"Who the fuck are you?"

"Us?" smirked Gaspar. "We're just the old men that brought down your website, fried your videos, stopped your little game with the dress shops and the tracking of the women, of course."

"Don't forget he's a hostage," said Nine.

"Oh right, sorry. You're our hostage now."

"Who the fuck do you think you are? I've got seven men out there…" The door burst open, and the bodies were tossed on the floor. Alec and Tailor each carried two. The four heads cracked against the marble floors. Max and Dex each carried one, dragging the seventh behind them by his ankles.

"We'll just tie these boys up and put them in the cellar," said Alec.

Krauss looked ready to explode, glaring at the men with an incensed expression. Seven of his best men taken down like ragdolls, the eighth one being taped to a chair.

"What do you want?" he asked calmly.

"Simple. We want you and your ex-wife in the same room. See, we don't like what you do for a living," said Gaspar. "And although it might sound silly to you, you hurt a young woman we know. Now, in the end, it was okay because she was married to a fucking asshole."

"Do I know this woman?"

"Probably not," said Gaspar, "but you know her pathetic piece of shit ex-husband. Craig Graylon."

"Yes. I agree with the piece of shit piece. Where is he? They were to meet me here. Did you kill them as well?" asked Krauss.

"No. Thurston, old boy, took care of that for us. He jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge. Craig is awaiting sentencing for murder." Krauss was mulling that over in his head, trying to figure out how he got text messages just a few hours ago from the men.

"I see your wheels spinning," said Ghost. "Don't hurt yourself. We sent the messages." Krauss raised his brows with an expression of being impressed.

"Yeah. We're that good," said Ian.

"I'll ask again. What do you want?" Krauss ground out between clenched teeth.

"Well, beyond you dead, we want your ex-wife dead as well. That's the only way to stop a cancer like this. The only thing we can do," said Nine.

"Kill her. I don't give a fuck. It would save me some misery."

"True," smirked Nine. "But you're going to die with her."

"I deserve to know who you are," he said, trying to stand from his chair. He felt the grip of a massive paw and winced beneath the pressure.

"You don't deserve to know shit," said Gaspar. He pulled out a camera and panned the room, then narrowed in on Krauss's face. "Say hello to your ex-wife."

He said nothing, just staring at the man. When Alec smacked the back of his head, he went flying onto the floor.

"Don't kill him yet! We need the wife here," said Nine.

"Sorry, but that was fun. I'm all worked up now. Can we go hurt some more people? It's been a while."

"Not right now. If you're good, we'll kill all of the wife's guards. Maybe blow the island."

"Naw, Miller's on the island with Trak. He'll blow it. You know he will," frowned Alec.

"You're mad. You're all raving mad. Do you really think my business associates are just going to look the other way? Do you really think they'll just let my murder be overlooked?" said Krauss.

"Yes," came the chorus of voices, laughing.

"You think awfully high of yourself, Krauss. Your business associates, as you call them, we call them pieces of shit, but whatever. Your business friends won't give a fuck that you're gone. Yulia's Russian friends will finally get all of her father's business, and you'll be out of the way."

"The human trafficking is her idea," he said, throwing her under the bus without a care in the world.

"Maybe, but your idea of owning all the Canadian Energy stock was all you." Krauss said nothing, but they noticed him nibbling on his lower lip. Gaspar just smiled. "Yeah. We know about that. Unfortunately for you, you're too late. We own fifty-two percent of the energy stock. Not you. We hold the majority. You never will."

"Give me the stock, and I'll give you Yulia."

"You don't get it. We'll keep the stock, and Yulia will come here. You have what she needs. She might be a paranoid, psychotic bitch, but for whatever reason, she likes keeping you close," said Ian. "Let's see how close."