Chapter 12

Mikhail: Chapter 12

I'd waited long enough to set into motion a plan to ensure Duncan or Dominus as he was known around the club, would never bother Tajah again. I'd put him way on the backburner then forgot him. I might've let it slide altogether since he had been totally silent, if he had stayed the hell away from the club and her, but he didn't. All these weeks and not a peep out of him until a couple of days ago, when he raised his head like a worm and made his mistake. And he did it in the worst way. He went after her.

He didn't come to the club and try to get back in or attack her there. No, he did it out on the street when she was going about her day. She had no idea he was anywhere around until he literally ambushed her on the street in the middle of a busy section of town. In fact, she was in The Gulch shopping, while I was busy at the club. She'd wanted to explore some of the boutiques and shops there.

I'd sent her off with a kiss and we arranged for her to come back to the club and stay with me for the night when she was done. I had no idea anything was wrong until I got her call and I answered. Her shaky voice instantly put me on alert.

"Hey, Sweetest Dove, how's the shopping? Are you exhausted yet? Do you need me to bring more money?" I teased.

There was a pause before I heard a ragged breath. "M-Misha, I need you. I don't know what to do." Her shaky voice came over the phone.

"What's wrong? Where are you?" I asked urgently. I was up and headed toward my office door even as I asked.

"I'm over on Twelfth Avenue. I'm in my car. I can't seem to stop shaking. I was coming out of one of the shops and I was accosted on the street."

"Are you hurt? Do you need an ambulance?" My head was about to explode as worry for her and fury filled me. Whoever dared to hurt her was dead.

"No, physically I'm fine. God, I shouldn't be bothering you with this. It's stupid. I'll see you in a bit once I calm down enough to drive," she said in a hurry.

Before she could hang up, I jumped in. "Tajah, don't hang up. You're not bothering me, and if you're upset, then you should always call me. Tell me which store you're outside of, then wait there until I come get you. Hear me? Don't move," I ordered.

She whispered the name of the store. I knew exactly where it was. After promising I'd be there soon, I hung up. I was riding down the elevator, seething by then. Whatever happened, I'd take care of it. She better not be harmed. As I stepped off the elevator on the first floor, I saw Reuben. I waved him over. He came rushing to me. He could tell by my face I was pissed.

"What's wrong, Mikhail?"

"I need you to take me to get Tajah. She's shopping over on Twelfth. She called me. She's shaky, upset, and in her car. I need to get her and bring her back here."

"Shit, let's go. Did she say if she's hurt?" he asked worriedly.

As we hurried to the front, I shook my head no. "She said she wasn't physically hurt, but she's upset. Something about being accosted. No way do I want her alone or driving back here in that condition."

"Of course not. I just stopped in to grab something, so my car is out front. You have perfect timing."

I felt a tiny relief. I wasn't in the mood to wait for my car to be brought up, or to even go get it myself. My skin was itching to get to her. I had to see with my own eyes that she wasn't hurt. No matter what upset her, I'd make it right. We jumped in his car, and he shot out of the parking lot and onto the street. It wasn't more than five minutes or more before I spotted her car outside the store she named. I pointed to it. "There she is. Drop me off and then you can go. Thanks, man."

"You're welcome, but I'll stick here and follow you back. I want to know if we need to hurt someone," he said, frowning.

I nodded. I knew he was becoming really fond of Tajah. We'd spent the other night watching movies and having dinner with him. I hadn't laughed that much in ages. After he left, the following day he told me not to fuck it up. He acknowledged she was perfect for me. I agreed.

By some miracle, there was an empty parking spot right behind her. He quickly parked, then I jumped out and ran up to her. She was out of the car by the time I got to it. I moved her off the street and to the sidewalk where I hugged the hell out of her. She was shaking a little. I gave her a hard kiss before I reared back to look her over. I didn't see any sign of injury.

"Baby, tell me what happened. Why're you so upset?"

"Can we go home? I don't want to talk here," she said hoarsely. As she said it, I saw her glancing around uneasily. Warning bells went off in my head and my hackles went up. I scanned the area, trying to see if anyone was paying undue attention to her. I didn't notice anyone, but she was stiff. Reuben came striding up to us.

"Is everything okay? Tajah, honey, what's wrong?"

"Reuben, thank you for bringing Mikhail. I don't want to talk about it here. I want to go home."

"Fine, we'll go home," I told her, as I moved her toward the passenger side of her car. I opened the door and helped her inside.

As I did, Reub softly said, "I'll follow you. We need to find out what the fuck happened. She looks spooked."

I nodded. I didn't mind if he wanted to come. And he was right, she did look spooked. He headed back to his car. I got her situated then I got behind the wheel after I knocked the hell out of my knees getting in to move the seat back. Being just shy of a foot taller than her made a lot of difference in legroom requirements.

It took about the same amount of time to get back as it did to get there. This time we went around the building to my private garage. It had its own access. I'd been so consumed with getting to her, I hadn't been thinking, so I didn't go straight down the elevator to the basement level. You could access it from the elevator with the same palm scanner used to access the third floor. It worked out though because it allowed me to find Reuben.

She was quiet the whole time. I didn't push her. All I wanted to do was get her to my place and make her feel safe, then we could talk. Reuben and I parked. and I got her out of the car. She clung to my arm. I wrapped her securely underneath my shoulder, then we got on the elevator. I made sure to set it so it was on bypass, which meant no one could stop it on the other floors, and it would go immediately to the third. When we got there, I bundled her down the long hall then into my apartment. I took her straight to the loveseat where I sat her down.

"I'll get us something to drink," Reuben said as he went to the fridge in the kitchen. I sat next to her and hugged her close. She laid her head on my chest. I kissed her hair and rubbed up and down her arm. I was bursting to ask my questions, but I didn't want to rush her. It didn't take him more than a minute to be back with bottles of water and even a green tea for her if she didn't want the water.

"Which one do you want, baby?" I asked her.

"The tea, please."

I opened it then handed it to her before opening my drink. She took a long sip then sat it on the coffee table. "Dove, I don't want to push you, but I'm dying here. I need to know what happened. Whatever it was, you're still upset."

She let out a ragged sigh. "I'm sorry, I know you do. I'm acting like a baby. I just wasn't expecting it, so it shook me up. It was so jarring."

"Being upset doesn't make you a baby. Tell me. What was jarring?"

"Okay, I was shopping. I was coming out of a store down the street from my car. I was fumbling in my purse to get my sunglasses and I bumped into someone. Or I thought I bumped into them. I looked up to apologize, and that's when I saw who it was. I was surprised, but didn't really think too much about it, other than to wish it was anyone else."

She paused a moment before continuing. "It was Duncan. I mean, Dominus. He was standing there smirking at me. God, he makes me sick. I said excuse me, then I went to walk around him. He didn't let me."

"What do you mean, he didn't let you?" I asked softly.

"He grabbed my arm and asked me where I was going in such a hurry. I told him I needed to head home. He suggested we go have a coffee and talk. I told him there was nothing we had to talk about and to let go of me."

"Did he do it?" Reuben asked.

"No, he held on, and said there was something we did need to talk about. I was trying not to make a scene, while I figured out a way to get away from him without doing that. I asked him what he thought we should talk about. He said how I was going to get him back into Lustz, since it was all my fault he got kicked out. I told him it wasn't my fault. He broke the rules and touched me.

"Dominus said it was because I'd been acting like I was all sweet and innocent, when he knew I wasn't. He accused me of playing games with him all along, and when I saw I got you to stand up for me, I used it as my opportunity to get your notice. I told him it wasn't true. He laughed and said all women are the same. We're nothing but whores who'll do anything to get a man to take care of us, and if a richer one comes along, we always go after him. He accused me of using sex and lies to turn you against him. He said no slut was going to deny him his place here."

Fury bloomed inside of me. I gritted my teeth to stop from swearing. If I wasn't holding her, I'd punch something. It took me a couple of deep breaths before I could say anything. "What did you say to that? How did you get away from him?"

"I told him he was wrong, and I hadn't been acting with him, nor had I lied or anything else to get you to throw him out. You made that choice and I knew nothing about it until after you did it. He then went on to say he knew I was spending time with you, and that you wouldn't be wasting your time on a beginner, so he knew I wasn't one and had been lying. He said if I didn't get you to allow him back in, I'd regret it.

"I asked him what he meant by that, and all he would say was I'd find out. He was loud and it attracted people's attention. He still had a hold of my arm. I yelled at him to let go of me again. When he didn't, I decided the hell with it, and I kicked him in the shin then punched him in the stomach. He let go and I took off. I thought for sure he'd come after me, but a group of people who'd seen our altercation got between us. They were threatening to call the cops, so he took off. I ran to the car, and that's when I called you. I was too shaken to drive. I didn't know what to do."

I couldn't contain my growl of fury any longer. She jumped when she heard it. I sucked it back in as fast as I could. I didn't want her to be scared of me. "Babe, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm not upset with you. I'm happy you called me. I always want you to do that no matter what. I'm furious with that cocksucker. He did the last thing he should've ever done. I promise you, he won't come near you again."

"How can you promise that?"

"Because I'll make sure of it."

"What're you gonna do, Misha?" she asked fearfully.

"You let me worry about that. All I want is for you to stay here and not go to your place. If he's seen us together, he might've followed you home. Until I take care of this, I don't want you to be there, not even during the day."

She tried to get me to tell her what I planned to do, but I didn't. The less she knew the better. After she calmed all the way down, I took her to her place to get more things. She'd been with me ever since. It took two days for me to get what I needed in place, and to track him down. It was time for Dominus to pay for ever touching or scaring her. I berated myself for not taking care of him sooner.

I'd contacted my family. I hated to ask for any favors, but I knew they'd have what I needed. If it wasn't Nashville, I would've asked Payne if his club had a place nearby I could use, but I doubted they did. I knew my family would, or if they didn't have one, they knew someone who did. I needed a secluded spot where no one could disturb me or call the law.

My second cousin Matvey was the Pakhan, the boss of the Bratva in this area of the US. He and my father had been close growing up, and he had a soft spot for me. When I called him and told him what I needed, he hadn't hesitated to say he'd be happy to help. He even offered to throw in a couple of his men. I told him I didn't want them to mete out the lesson. I would do it. When he offered to have them at least pick Dominus up once he was located, I agreed. He was thrilled to hear I'd found someone, and insisted I bring her to meet the family. I promised I would soon. I knew I'd have to tell her about my family first. I prayed she'd understand that I had no control over them, and had nothing to do with their businesses, but I did still have some association with them.

It took them until today to call me to say they had located his ass, and he would be at the address they would send me. I didn't waste time heading out. I shouldn't have been shocked to find it was a warehouse along the Cumberland River in the Heron Walk area of the city. Heron Walk was one of the most crime ridden sections of Nashville, so no one would be quick to report shit to the cops. Before heading there, I made sure I was armed, and picked up a vehicle which wouldn't garner attention like my usual ones would. Again, Matvey was able to help me with that, too. It was a beat up junker no one would look twice at.

I didn't tell Tajah where I was going, only that I had to go out for a while and I'd be back. She was busy working in my home office on her writing. She sent me off with a kiss. Reuben had wanted to come along, so I let him, but only after I made sure Freddy was at the club and Tajah knew if she needed anything to let him know.

Reuben whistled when we pulled up to the derelict warehouse. "Damn, your cousin sure knows how to pick ‘em, doesn't he? How did he know of this place? I swear I saw two drug deals on the main street. That doesn't include what I'm sure was gangbangers and prostitutes."

"You're right. It's one of the most dangerous areas of the city. I have no idea how he knows of this place and I didn't ask. It's better if we don't. Forget you ever saw this place when we leave. Now, Matvey said he left Duncan with a couple of his guys. Let me do the talking. When I'm done with him, they'll take him where he needs to go."

"And where is that? Home, the hospital, or the morgue?"

"This time, it might be the hospital. If he messes with her again, then he'll disappear. No one's gonna terrorize my Dove."

"Do you think he'll be that stupid?"

"When it comes to Dominus, who the fuck knows. Alright, they said to pull up to the big doors and honk twice then three times. Once the door opens, drive inside."

We drove around the building until I saw the doors. I did as instructed. It opened right away. As we drove inside and parked, the door closed behind us. That's when I saw a man standing there. He was dressed in an expensive suit, but anyone looking at him could tell he wasn't a businessman. His whole vibe screamed muscle. He was holding a gun. Several paces behind and to the left of him was another man dressed identical and armed, too. They had grim looks on their faces.

"Remember, let me do the talking and keep your hands where they can see them. These guys can be jumpy."

"I believe you. Shit."

We both got out, and I made sure to keep my hands away from my body. They scanned me then him. I'd told Matvey I was bringing a friend. I assured him he was trustworthy. They didn't say a word. I was starting to get impatient when I heard a familiar voice call out my name. I turned to find Matvey coming out of the back. He had a big smile on his face. If you overlooked the tattoos on his hands, he'd look like a middle-aged businessman as long as you didn't look into his eyes. They could be the coldest things you ever saw.

He came striding over to us with his arms wide. "Kusen, cousin, it's been too long. You need to come and see your family more often." He grabbed my upper arms and kissed me on both cheeks. I returned the same.

"Matvey, it's good to see you. I know, I will, I promise. You look good. Life must be treating you well."

"It is, it is. And who's your friend?" He was eyeing Reuben.

"This is my friend, Reuben. He's my right-hand man at Lustz. Reub, this is my cousin Matvey."

Reuben stepped forward to shake his hand. Matvey took it and gave him a firm shake. "Ah, yes, Misha has mentioned you before. It's nice to finally meet you. I wish it were under different circumstances, but that's life."

"It's nice to meet you, too. I agree life isn't always the way we want it," Reuben said in return.

"Where's he at?" I asked.

"The whiny svoloch?, bastard, is in the back. Honest to Bog, God, I'd hoped he'd be at least half of a man, but he's a pussy."

Both Reub and I chuckled. "Sorry to disappoint," I told Matvey.

"Ah, it can't be helped. They don't make men like they used to. I can't stay, although I wish I could, but Isaak and Rurik will. When you're done, let them know where you want him taken. If it was me, I'd cut his balls off and bury his ass, but whatever. Don't forget to bring your lady to meet the family. Victoria is missing you, and she's excited to meet her."

"I will and thank you."

He waved off my thanks then he walked over to his car. That's when I noticed there were two men sitting in it. One got out and opened the door for him. Those were his personal bodyguards. I waited until he left before I gestured for the remaining two to show us the way. Isaak took the lead. We fell in behind him and Rurik brought up the rear. I could tell they made Reuben nervous. As for me, I'd been around this life enough to know they wouldn't dare touch the cousin of the Pakhan, unless I was a threat to him then I was fair game.

The room in the back they took us into was dank and smelled of piss and other horrible things. It was obvious it had been used before to torture people. There were dark stains on the floor. I was pretty sure it was blood. Sitting in the middle of it, tied to a chair, was Duncan. He looked a little worse for wear with what I saw was the beginning of a black eye and a split bottom lip. He was gagged. When he saw us, he began to try to yell through his gag. He jerked in his chair, not that it did him any good. His eyes bugged out. I gave him a cold smile.

I'd come dressed for the task ahead. I wore jeans, boots, and a dark t-shirt. Reuben was similarly dressed. No use ruining a good suit. Plus, they would be easy to get rid of if need be, and I had a spare set in the car. Reaching into my back pocket, I took out a pair of leather gloves and slipped them on. I'd told Reub what to bring so he did the same.

"Do you know why you're here?" I asked Duncan, just to fuck with him. He shook his head no, but I caught the slight hesitation before he did. "You don't? Are you sure?" I taunted him. I'd prolong it anyway I could, even if by only seconds. He shook his head again. His eyes were already half wild.

I glanced at Rurik. "Would you mind taking off his gag? If I want it back on, I'll let you know."

He gave me a chin lift, then went over and yanked the gag off. Immediately, Duncan began to plead. "Mikhail, thank God. What's the meaning of this? These thugs came out of nowhere and jumped me, then tied me up and brought me here. Wherever here is. Please, you've got to get me out of here."

"I don't have to do any such thing. And I highly doubt you have no idea why you're here. Think. What did you do recently that I might want to talk to you about? And these thugs, as you call them, did me a favor. Do you know who they work for?"

"No, I don't know who they work for. Listen, whatever Delilah told you, it's a lie. I admit. I saw her a few days ago. I guess that's why I'm here. She obviously lied and told you I did something. All I did was talk to her. She's been lying to you since day one. I told her she needed to come clean to you about it, and to tell you we were enacting a CNC scene that night at the club."

"Like hell that was what was going on, and I know what you said to her on Wednesday, and that you put your hands on her again. No one touches her and walks scot-free. You should've walked away and left well enough alone. Your expulsion was never gonna be rescinded."

"She had no right telling you shit and getting you to kick me out of the club! I've been there for years. You don't know her!" he yelled.

"You're right. You have been there for years, and I should've kicked your ass out the first time you got out of line. That's on me. However, Delilah isn't a liar and I'll believe her over you any day."

"She's a lying bitch!" he snapped.

I didn't say another word. I was standing right in front of him by then. I lashed out and hit him in the mouth. The cut he already had split open and he began to bleed. I threw another punch, taking him in the nose. A sickening crunch was heard. He howled in pain as his eyes watered. I smiled. Reuben and the other two snickered.

"Kakoy tupitsa," Isaak said laughing. Rurik laughed and nodded in agreement.

"What did you say?" Duncan mumbled to them.

"They said ‘what a dumbass'. They don't even know you and they know that much. Only a dumbass would call my woman a bitch, when he was tied up in front of me. You're not very smart, are you?"

His eyes widened. I saw him gulp. "Y-your woman? Since when? You've taken her on as your new sub?"

"Ah, I see your spies who have been feeding you information or your surveillance didn't tell you everything. She's much more than a sub. She's mine. The woman I intend to spend the rest of my life with. I'm gonna marry and have a family with her. You really picked the wrong woman to accost and tell lies about."

He opened his mouth, but I cut him off before he could say anything. "Don't. I don't wanna hear any more of your lies. I know the truth. You need to listen to me. You will never get back into Lustz. If I catch you hanging around it, this will be made to look like a playdate. If you see her on the street, you better turn and run the other fucking way. I don't even want you to pass her on the opposite side of the street. If you ever come near her again, I won't have you brought here to be taught a lesson. I'll end your miserable life. If you think I can't do it, think again. Take a good look at these men. I'll ask you again, do you have any idea who they are?"

I raised a brow at him as I waited for him to answer me. "No," he mumbled weakly. I'd barely touched him and he was done for. He was a pussy.

"They're part of the Bratva, the Russian mob. I bet you've heard the rumors about them haven't you?"

He started to shake. I could see the whites of his eyes, he was so scared. "Y-your part of the Bratva?" he whispered hoarsely.

"The man you saw earlier who left. He's the boss and he's my kin. There's nothing he wouldn't do for family, which includes helping me to make sure you disappear. Now, here's the deal. I'm going to teach you a valuable lesson. One I hope you take to heart and never forget. If you don't do that, then the next time we meet there will be a different outcome. One where you'll never be seen or heard from again. Understand?"

"Yes, yes! I understand. Please, you don't need to do anything else. I'll leave you and her alone. I won't ever go near the club again, either. I'll do anything you want," he begged. He looked pitiful. Too bad for him, I felt zero pity.

I shook my head at him. "Duncan, I can't let you walk with just a few bruises and a busted nose. I have a reputation to uphold. Besides, I haven't taught you anything yet."

If I was a better man, I might've let him go, but I never claimed to be that good of one, although I did do one thing. I gave him a chance to defend himself, which was more than he deserved. I walked around and took out a knife and cut his arms free. As he rubbed them, I let him have a couple of minutes to get sensation back. The whole time he kept talking away, trying to get me to let him go without a beating. I stood it as long as I could, then I got to work to shut him up. He was grating on my last nerve. The sight of him infuriated me to no end.

"Get up," I snarled at him. Blood was pumping through me. I was ready to give him the ass beating of his life. I not only worked out to build muscle, but I knew more than one form of martial arts as well as boxing.

He stumbled to his feet. He held up his hands. I knocked them out of the way then threw a punch. If he didn't try to defend himself, that was his problem. It smashed into his jaw. From that point on, I pounded him over and over. He was pathetic in his feeble attempts to defend himself, and the few times he threw a punch back, it came nowhere close to touching me. It was clear he didn't know how to fight. A man like him with his mouth and attitude should've spent time learning. Knowing what Reuben wanted, after a while I stepped back and waved to Duncan with a flourish.

"Go ahead," I told Reuben, smiling.

His smile was huge as he landed some punches of his own. By the time he was done, Duncan was on the floor curled in a fetal position, sobbing, and shaking. He'd be feeling those for days, if not weeks. I was sure a few ribs were at a minimum cracked, if not broken. He was quickly turning black and blue all over his face. His body had to be the same. Giving him one last disgusted look, I turned to Isaak and Rurik.

"Take him home and dump his ass. Oh, and Duncan, if you go to the cops and say a word about any of this, you're a dead man. My family can find you anywhere, anytime. There's nowhere you can hide."

He remained there sobbing, but he did nod weakly to acknowledge he heard me. We shook Isaak and Rurik's hands and I thanked them, then we went back to the car. We took time to change into clean clothes. They offered to get rid of our clothes that had blood on them. Taking them up on the offer, we handed them over then we got in the car and were soon on our way back to Lustz. I needed to see my woman.