Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Lev

"Who else is here tonight?" Ollie walks beside me, our steps muted on the damp forest floor. A light rain punctuates the cold autumn night, the drops spattering on Ollie's leather jacket as we approach the entrance to our abandoned warehouse. Nestled deep in the woods, far from any main highway, this location ensures the privacy and discretion we need. In the distance, the faint scent of smoke mingles with the damp moss, hinting at a campfire.

"Everyone," I reply, my voice low but firm. Ollie's brows shoot up silently, acknowledging the gravity of the situation. It's rare for all of us to gather like this. Viktor received a disturbing message recently, and when he relayed it to Mikhail, our pakhan , the alarm was sounded. We were all summoned back to The Cove.

A crackling sound to my left catches my attention. I swivel sharply, my eyes scanning the dimly lit surroundings. "Just an animal," Ollie mutters. To anyone else, that might not be reassuring, but I'd rather face a black bear or a poisonous snake than one of our enemies.

No one knows about this hideout, and we intend to keep it that way. Years ago, this warehouse was used ostensibly for repairing heavy machinery and industrial equipment, a plausible cover for its remote location and the noise it generated. Its real purpose was far more clandestine: a covert arms manufacturing and assembly plant. After my father's death, we acquired it through a friend of a friend. A gift, he said.

As we approach the entrance, I spot Aleksandr's large black truck, nearly hidden in the shadows. Now I know how everyone else arrived. Aleks, our second-in-command and tech genius, and his wife share a home in The Cove. The young guard Aleks hired stands sentry by the main door. I nod to him, and he returns the gesture. If anything were amiss, we'd know by now.

Ollie steps aside, allowing me to access the security panel. I slide my thumb along the identification screen, casting one last glance over my shoulder as Ollie does the same. It's instinctual by now, ensuring we weren't followed. The screen flashes green, and the door unlocks. I push it open, bracing myself for what lies ahead.

"Stay sharp," I whisper to Ollie. "We don't know what's waiting for us inside." Could be just my brothers. Could be someone they brought, or several someones. We can't afford to let our guards down.

Inside, the warehouse is dimly lit, shadows stretching across the concrete floor. The familiar scent of oil and metal hangs in the air, a reminder of its original purpose. We move quietly, every step calculated. This is our domain, but I never let my guard down.

Aleks is already here, hunched over a table covered with maps and documents. He looks up as we enter, his sharp eyes flickering with recognition and concern.

"Mikhail's waiting," he says, his voice a low rumble. "We need to move quickly."

I nod, my mind racing. The message Viktor received was cryptic but alarming. Something big is coming, and we need to be ready.

"Lev. Ollie." My brothers nod their greetings, one at a time. We nod back but don't have time to fuck around.

"Let's get to work," I say, taking my place at the table. My brothers gather closer, each of us falling into our roles seamlessly. Mikhail, the leader, big brother to all. Aleksandr, second in command and fiercely protective, he monitors any cyber threat against our family. Viktor, our family bodyguard, Nikko our personal assassin.

This is our family, our legacy. I'll do whatever it takes to protect it.

Under the dim overhead lighting, my oldest brother Mikhail's golden-brown hair nearly covers his eyes, his tanned skin showcasing ink that marks him as Bratva. I feared him as a kid, and for good reason, but now that we're all grown, it's different. Still, Mikhail will be our leader for life.

"Someone paid Viktor a visit," Mikhail says.

"Right."

Mikhail jerks his head toward Viktor, who tugs one of the folding chairs over and sits down. It sags under his weight.Beside him, our older brother Nikko jerks his chin in greeting and folds his massive arms across his chest. Nikko was the one who taught me and Ollie how to shoot. He's an excellent teacher and an even better marksman. But in matters of strategy, he prefers to take a backseat and observe.

Viktor scowls. "Lydia and I had a visit from none other than Isabella Morales."

I nod. The Los Sangre Dorada Cartel, or LSD, is one of the most-feared cartels in all the Americas. A visit from Isabella is not good news, though it would be fucking disastrous if her brother Javier paid us a visit. Especially for me.

"And?"

"She said our enemies are closer than we think. Said we need to pull everyone in, close to home."

Ollie scowls. "And this is why you had me come home from Moscow?"

Mikhail nods. "We wanted to check the veracity of her statement before we made any assumptions or moves."

Ollie watches everyone thoughtfully but doesn't speak.

"Closer than we think," I repeat. "Does she mean a mole?"

"Possibly, yes, or she could mean her brother is planning an attack," Aleks says thoughtfully.

"Oh, she said that, too." Viktor scowls. "And she said when he does attack, it will be swift and merciless."

"Now that I believe," Mikhail says, leaning back in his chair, his eyes dark but thoughtful. "Javier Morales knows exactly what he is doing. There's a reason we don't fuck around with any of them, even though an alliance would serve us well."

My mind whirs, adrenaline sharpening my thoughts as I try to slide details into place like a jigsaw puzzle. "Javier Morales is stationed in Colombia. Has he been sighted anywhere near here?"

Aleks, the tallest and arguably most imposing figure in the room standing over all of us. shakes his head. "No. As soon as Viktor alerted me, I zoned in on the surveillance we have in Colombia and found Morales still there."

I nod. Of course he doesn't have to be the one who attacked us. He could command an attack or call a hit anytime. The momentary relief from his intel doesn't last. The danger Morales represents is ever-present. His reach extends far beyond physical proximity.

"Then someone else is playing this game for him. Someone close. Someone who can act on his behalf."

Mikhail's gaze sharpens and he nods slowly, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Yeah. We need to find out who and fast."

The room is silent for a beat, the weight of the situation pressing down on all of us. Aleks breaks the silence, his tone determined. "I'll increase surveillance and see if we can trace any unusual activity. If Morales has an agent here, we'll find them."

"Isabella came to my fucking home ," Viktor snaps.

I frown. "How did she get in?"

Ollie shakes his head. "It's what she's known for, brother. Word on the street is that the woman is made of vapor and smoke. One moment, she's there, and the next, she's gone. She can pick any lock, escape any prison or shackle."

She'll be small, then, most likely. Lithe. Nimble.

Jesus, I'd fucking love to put her to the test.See what she's really capable of.

"Do we have any leads?"

Silence. Aleks shakes his head.

"And where's Kolya?"

Mikhail shifts, scowling, before he answers. "He's still in Moscow. His flight was canceled, and I thought it best not to push answers on this right now with him."

Viktor tips his head to the side curiously. "What does that mean? What the hell?"The icy tone of his voice makes the rest of us go still. We're brothers, but no one talks shit in front of Mikhail without repercussions.

Mikhail holds Viktor's gaze as Viktor's hands clench into fists. Though all of us are loyal to Kolya, Kolya took Viktor under his wing like the son he never had, even though he's only about twelve years older than him. Our father couldn't bully Viktor like the rest of us because of the sheer size of the guy, so he passed Viktor off to Kolya to train under the premise of Viktor being "too willful." We all knew the truth, though.

Kolya was a brother figure to Viktor, even more so than to the rest of us. Still is.

"It means that we keep as much as we can to ourselves," Mikhail snaps, his gaze on Viktor, challenging him to defy him.

Viktor gets to his feet. "Bullshit. It means you don't trust your fucking mentor. "

Both brothers are on their feet now, their toes touching. Viktor's eyes are narrowed, and Mikhail's hands are clenched into fists. There's no telling who would win in an actual fight—Viktor is stronger than the rest of us combined and would absolutely wipe the floor in a fistfight, but Mikhail's the pakhan, and if Viktor raises a hand to him, he'll lose that hand.

So yeah, this is not gonna happen.

I push myself between the two of them and slap a hand on the chest of each of them. "We start fighting amongst ourselves, and everyone bests us."

They both glare at me, but I'm not a kid anymore, and they might be older, but I'm their equal.

I shake my head. "What the fuck are you going to accomplish with a pissing match? Mikhail kept this intel inner circle, so I'm assuming there's information he doesn't want to get out. It's not a slight to Kolya, and we're wasting precious time."

Only the leadership is here, none of our subsidiaries or captains.

"That's right," Mikhail says. "And anything we unearth of importance, we'll tell everyone immediately. So sit down, brother."

There's got to be another reason he chose this place and the inner circle, but I'll wait to find out. We all will.

Viktor's jaw clenches, but he finally sits down. The chair bends and creaks this time.

"Refresh my memory," Aleks says, clearing his throat. "The primary method the LSD uses for earning their money?"

"Drugs," Ollie supplies. As our primary director of international relations, he knows the ins and outs of our rivals better than anyone. "They're pushing heroine hard. LSD is spreading like a damn virus."

"They've grown, haven't they?" I ask.

"Yeah," Aleks confirms, his fingers sliding across his tablet. "After those busts last year, they're trying to solidify their power. The Cove's a prime target."

They're known as a ruthless organization originating in Colombia, but with factions now spread throughout the Americas. They're mostly known for their extensive drug trafficking, particularly cocaine and heroin.

"Oh, right," I say. "They were the ones extradited for those high-profile drug busts last year, weren't they?"

"Yep. And word on the street is that they've expanded their influence into New York. Targeting The Cove because of our location and connections."

I nod. "Not to mention our affiliation with various groups." Due to several recent nuptials with my brothers, we've become close contacts with several other underground powerhouses but still have no contacts south of the border.

"Exactly."

I stroke my chin and think this over. Aleks goes back to his tablet, and his fingers fly over the keys.

"The cartel is led by Javier Morales Junior, son of the late Javier Morales. Javier is infamous for his ability to evade law enforcement while keeping a steel grip on his operations," Aleks mutters, shaking his head.

I nod, continuing to snap puzzle pieces into place. "They're not just known for drug trafficking, are they? And they have a mole in law enforcement here in The Cove."

Aleks nods. "Money laundering, arms smuggling, and human trafficking. Their presence here in America taints everything. We need them fucking exiled from The Cove."

Still, none of what we've learned here we couldn't discuss in our headquarters in The Cove. Interesting. There's more.

"But to really evict them, we must know their next move. What's our in with them?"

Aleks nods. "We've had one of our new recruits in their ranks for the past three months. Isabella's warning came on the heels of his intel."

Ah. There we go. This is why we're here.

I'd bet money on Dmitri. Dmitri Petrov joined our ranks after the death of our enemy several years ago and after passing numerous tests to prove his allegiance to us. He'd rather die than betray us.

"Jesus," I mutter, shaking my head. "If they discover he's one of us…"

"Yeah, he's capital-F fucked," Aleks supplies. "He said it was a risk he was willing to take to prove his loyalty. Right now, he's managed to convince the sister of Carlos Cabrera that he loves her."

Ollie speaks up. "Carlos Cabrera is the cartel's chief enforcer, right-hand man to Morales. Our buddy has used Carlos's sister to get intel we otherwise wouldn't have."

"Such as?"

"Such as the locations of their safe houses here in America, the schedules of their shipments, contacts of their supplier, and even the name of one of the corrupt officials on their payroll."

"Shit. He's playing a lethal game, but that's invaluable information."I nod.

"Yeah. We've already managed to intercept two major drug shipments because of information he's gleaned for us. We've let a few slide, even local ones, because we obviously don't want them knowing we're onto them."

"Fuck."

Aleks suddenly goes so still that I want to check to see if he's still breathing. It's like someone's just pressed the pause button on our conversation. He turns toward me and takes out his phone. I watch with interest.

My phone buzzes.

We have a visitor.

There's a reason he's texted me first and not the group chat. Viktor would already be prowling, ready to smash skulls, and Nikko's weapon would be drawn. He knows I'm slower to react and more methodical in my approach.

A chill skates down my spine, and I immediately sit up straighter. Have they found us so soon?Have they tracked us here? We're not ready.

I keep my shit together.

Oh?

Biometric feedback in the loft. Someone's here.

Aleksandr takes safety so seriously, he always has biometric readings on all of us. Apparently, he has the scanner on his iPad as well.

"Lev." My gaze snaps to Mikhail when he calls my name.

I nod.

"Put your damn phone down and pay attention." I blink at him slowly and look at my phone, then back up at him. Understanding dawns on him as Nikko and Viktor talk quietly to each other.

Aleks to group chat: No one moves. Do not respond. Someone's watching from the loft. Let Lev handle it. He's the fastest and most lethal in tight situations. Lev?

A strategy snaps into place, the strategy laid out in front of me. We have to move.

Viktor, keep talking. Say some bullshit about Lydia and her family or the wedding or something. Mikhail, pretend you have to take a call.Nikko, go to a secure place where you can draw your weapon out of view of the loft and as soon as Ollie and I approach, spot me. Ollie, you and I will go. What do we have for weapons here?

Mikhail: got a gun and blade

Aleks: same

Nikko: carrying two fully loaded guns but fucking arsenal in the car

Aleks: you brought your shit in my CAR?

Mikhail: drop it, stay focused

Ollie: smoke bomb in my jacket pocket, could come in handy since it's a loft. Gun.

Viktor: my fucking fists

At least one of you standby with Nikko, Ollie, get ready with the smoke bomb and for Christ's sake tell me later why you have that shit with you

Ollie: club last night. Let's go

Ollie might look like a nice guy but he's one kinky motherfucker. I don't even want to know what else he's got with him.

Viktor starts talking some nonsense about gardening and Lydia and fireworks and shit. Mikhail excuses himself to take out his phone and makes a fake call.

"I'm going to use the restroom," I tell them. "I'll be right back."

I walk in the direction of the loft to gauge the location. Is it near a window? How high is it? Is there a way for us to get the ladder away from the loft easily? I walk by it and quickly note everything—tucked away from any windows, it's at least ten feet off the floor, and the ladder looks nailed in place. In this case, that is not good.

I walk into the bathroom and pretend to use it, quickly coming back into the room where my brothers are located. None of them even look at me, but my phone quickly vibrates with another text.

Mikhail: Plan?

I have to admit I fucking love that he's actually deferring to me with this. My father is turning over in his grave. Imagine that, you asshole, the one you hated most, actually knows his shit.

We have two options given that it's a loft with only one way up. Either one of us goes up and forcibly drags him down, or we demand he comes down of his own accord. There's no way for us to get there unannounced and there's no other way to get to him.

Viktor: Bring him down. Drag him down here and let me show him how we deal with a traitor.

I shake my head and reply.

My preference would be to demand he come down on his own. Anyone who went up after him would be at a disadvantage. Death wish. Ladder's secure, no easy way to shake him loose. If he won't comply, we smoke him out, force him to crawl down. Once he's here… we make sure he regrets trespassing.

Nikko: Ready.

Mikhail: Let's go

Aleks: On it

Ollie: I'll spot you

I lift my head and stare at the darkness above the loft ladder. I feel kind of dumb because it looks like I'm glaring into blank space, but I trust Aleks. If he says someone's there, then someone's there.

I nod to my brothers and face the loft.