Love is War (The Clans Book 5) Read online

  Speaking of men, I saw Rhys, that fucking Romanian asshole, there tonight. I don’t know how he got in my club, how he got the password, who the fuck would dare defy me by helping him out, but the fucker was so smug standing there. He was starting right at me and yet seemed to think he was blending in. I could smell his bullshit from a mile away. I don’t know what he was thinking showing his face there, but maybe it needs some rearranging even though it would be a damn shame. He may be a skeeze, but he is handsome...for a Romanian.

  Shit, who cares, though. I despise him for what he has done. Everyone here knows what a pig he is, betraying his own for a friendship of convenience to someone even lower than scum. And then allowing that scum to fuck up everything in Russia. It turned out to be in my favor that the Romanians lost this part of the world because I got a foothold, but it doesn’t mean I don’t distrust him being here. Nothing good can come of it.

  I am approaching my street when I hear something, faint footsteps as if I am being followed. I don’t look back, only slow my pace. If that doesn’t fuck with his mind, I don’t know what will.

  I am a woman, and I should run, I should know my place.

  And I do. It’s at the fucking top.

  What I don’t expect is that two men come up to me, one cutting me off form the side and the other at my back. I feel a knife poking up against my back as the man behind me, clearly shorter than myself, tries to get me into the alley. Even better; no witnesses to what I am about to do to these men.

  I play the part of the scared, frozen woman and do as they say, knowing what these two want with me. Considering they haven’t covered their faces, I also know they have no intention on leaving me alive. It’s really too bad because I have no intention of leaving them alive.

  The moment we are out of sight, I go for the knife, kicking the man behind me to the ground with an "oomph" when my heel connects with his stomach, then the knife slices across the jugular of the other man faster than he has time to react. I watch for a second as he garbles and struggles to talk and breathe, his hands flying up to the stream of red as he collapses.

  I turn to the other man, knife in hand, and I smile manically at him. I know he has another weapon on him as he reaches for it, still in pain, but I reach out much too fast, slashing his stomach through his clothes right where I already hurt him. Then, I go for his hands, his chest, his face. He is a fucking masterpiece of bloody cuts when I am done with him.

  I don’t need to watch this one die. I would rather be home, so I leave him in the alley with his dead friend, keeping the knife for my own purposes. Maybe a trophy, or maybe I will gut someone else with it. Who knows?

  I walk into my little house; little but good, much more than I ever thought I would have. I see Olena still up, her headphones in her ears as she jams to whatever she has playing. I smile at the fact that she is here; here and completely clean and off the drugs. She has struggled with them for years, though she had been clean for a few months, I worry. I worry every time she doesn’t come home at night. I worry when she turns down food and loses weight, when I see the familiar circles under her eyes.

  She is probably the only human left in the world whom I truly care about, and I wish I had the tools to save her. I try, but my power is so limited when it comes to the silent killer of the drugs that run these streets as much as I do.

  She smiles at me. "Good night, Vera?" she asks, though I don’t even know if she will be able to hear the answer over the noise. So, I nod.

  "As good a night as any."

  Chapter Six

  VERA

  My eyes flutter open to the sound of banging against my door. It is the third time I have heard the insistent banging this week, and I know I am going to have to do something about it. What the actual fuck is going on?

  I grab my cell and dial one of my men. I bought a couple of the home surrounding mine so I could have my gang nearby when I needed them. This would be a job for two of my men, one of them being the newbie that clawed his way to victory a few nights ago. It won’t exactly be a loss if he gets shot by whoever thinks they have the right to be at my door. No one comes to me directly. They know to get a meeting, and that’s if I will even grant one.

  "There is a banging at the door. It has happened before, and either there better be a fucking good reason, or I better have the person’s head on a platter within the hour!" I bark into the phone in annoyance, trying to be heard over the noise. I roll my eyes and head to the closet to get dressed after hanging up. Who knows if I would be needed after all? I couldn’t exactly greet anyone in a thing and tee shirt, even if it would be distracting for half a second.

  Instead, I go for something business, a button down that makes my breasts feel like they might pop out at any moment and a pair of nice jeans, ankle high boots to top it off.

  I look in the mirror and grimace at my fucking hair, though. I am a restless sleeper, and I wake up to a blonde rat’s nest each morning no matter what I do. Half the time it’s easier just to stick it up and make it look like I meant it to be that way. So, that’s exactly what I do. Some eyeliner and lip gloss, and then I'm done. I can look good, drop dead gorgeous if I fucking want to, but I am not that woman, worrying over every part of her face and having all the right brands of makeup. There are more important things to do with money. Besides, that spot is already taken by my beautiful best friend, Olena. Though, she’d never accept a compliment like that, not from me. She’s always been jealous of my curves.

  My phone rings, and this is the first time I notice the pounding has stopped. I answer it. "Did you take care of the fucking problem?" I hiss into the receiver. I can hear the apprehension in the man’s voice...Vanko, I think his name is.

  "Mic Vera, there is a young girl out here, asking to speak with you. She says that it is urgent. We found her on the ground, banging at the bottom of the door. She has no weapons. What should we do?"

  I am not caught off guard very often, but this one takes the cake. I have no idea what game Glib is playing if he sent some little girl to me to bother me, but just because she is young or a woman does not mean I am going to show mercy if I find out she does work for him after all. And if she doesn't, then she better have a fucking good reason for crawling her way here.

  "Let her in, keep her restrained. Bring her into my office," I order, going into the small room I made into an office; a place to run the business side of being a gang leader in the Ukraine. We have to make money somehow, after all, so the place is piled high with paperwork, and a long laptop sits closed on the side of my desk.

  I don’t bother sitting as they all come in. I am instantly on this girl, circling around her harshly. My eyes don’t soften even when my heart does. She has to be maybe sixteen, seventeen, or maybe she’s older and malnourished. She wears a simple blue dress, but it is in bad shape, and her face is dirty. She has long hair in tangles to her ass. This could have been me several years ago, and it is horrible memories that rush through my head as I give the appearance of sizing her up.

  Her lips are trembling, and I can tell she is frightened. I go and sit behind my desk, trying not to appear too soft as I ask her, "What is it you want from me, little one. You have been awfully fucking persistent to get ahold of the Mic of the Ukraine. What makes you think you have the right, a little slob like you?" I try not to wince at my own words as on the inside I am hurting for her. I can tell she has been through something, and I can only guess at what she might want from me.

  "Excuse me, Mic, I am s..s..sorry, but I am desperate," she says. Her voice is soft and deep. It has this husky quality that is well beyond her years. I bet the men that she probably has to bed get a kick out of that. Because that is clearly the only way for a girl like her to make it on her own out there. And I don’t think there is anyone that is going to come looking for her. "I need protection. And, there was a rumor, a rumor that you saved a little boy and his sister. I cannot have this life anymore. It makes me not want to live."

  I too have felt that way so many times since the day my father put me on the streets, not a care in the world as to what happened to the extra mouth to feed he left alone. I lean back in my seat, and I have a vision, one I have had many times. I have always wanted to run a brothel as a legitimate business and be a Madame. If run right, the girls would be clean, safe, healthy, and happy. It didn’t have to eb the way it was on the streets. Russia...they go into the Czech Republic all the time and pick up girls and monetize them, often in a much more humane way than even a legitimate company would. But I have never felt I have enough resources or power. But maybe this can be a start. And just maybe I can have an heir to my kingdom. it’s not like I see myself being a mother. This is as close as I will get, and what is a diabolical leader without a protégé?

  "Do you think you have what it takes to learn to do what I do and more?" I ask her straight up, a frown on my face as I glare into her eyes. She has to know I am serious. "Otherwise, you are no use to me. You do as I say, I make your life worth living."

  She nods, almost in tears, and I nod to my two men. "Get her cleaned up."

  I rub my hands together in excitement as they leave the room. This girl could be sexy, smart, and ruthless, and I will teach her to be all that and more as long as she is loyal.

  I am finally building my own family.

  Chapter Seven

  RHYS

  I swirl my tuica around in the glass, smelling the plum brandy, hoping that it will take away my heavy thoughts. After a few drinks in, I’m still feeling the weight of the world upon my shoulders. In most cases my homeland drink does nothing but serve its purpose, making me a tad drunk and worry free. On this day though, it does not do that. On this day...it’s making me realize that I’ve come to my very last resort. I’m going to have to
do something that I might regret, but at this point, it’s my only option. I need to make some headway on my mission here, and thus far, nothing has gone my way.

  Vera is no naive girl, in fact she’s much more than that and I see it now. She’s a Queen to her country in every right, but she doesn’t see that while she has some power - she fails to hold all of it. That is where I come in and where I hope she can see my value. While she is fierce, terrifying but yet kind...she needs my help, even if she doesn’t want to admit it. I’ve heard the name Glib being spoken amongst the streets, overhearing people speak about him deal drugs. He’s the drug lord, while she’s the fearless warrior queen ready to take him down. In a way, I admire her for that. For wanting to make this world a better place. But she can’t do it alone, or else she’ll fail.

  She’s made it very clear that she wants me out of this country. It’s simply not going to happen. I’ll be here for as long as I need to be here, whether she likes it or not. Vera doesn’t see that there is opportunity here. For me to get what I need, and for her to accomplish what she’s been trying to for years.

  I rise from my chair, taking a swig of the last remaining drops of tuica and head out my front door, down the stone path and through the gates into the heart of the city. It should only take me about ten minutes to get to Vera’s place and during this time I can think of what it is I will say to her. How I will convince her that this is the right thing to do for both of us. One of two things will happen, she will either laugh in my face and tell me to fuck off, or agree that this is the best suited option for us both.

  I pull my suit jacket closer to my body, cursing myself for not grabbing a coat on this cold night. This few minute walk seems to drag on forever in this weather. I feel something wet hit my face as I walk and look up to the sky, seeing snow beginning to fall heavily. It might have just started, but I’ve seen how heavy the snow can lay here. In just a couple of hours we may have a few inches. This time tomorrow it could be over a couple of feet. I guess we’ll see what mother nature has in store for us.

  I turn the corner and head for the building where I know Vera’s apartment is. There are two men stationed outside of the front entrance, guarding their fearless queen from the looks of it. Cocked eyebrows are thrown in my direction as I approach them. “Now boys, you know who I’m here to see.”

  They whisper amongst themselves before one pulls out a phone. “I’ll text her now.”

  Not even a moment later I hear the sound of a window budging, “What the hell do you want at this hour?” I glance up to see half her body sticking out of a window, getting a really nice look at those perky tits of hers.

  “To speak to you,” I reply back. The street lights illuminate her enough to where I can see her expression. For a moment, I think she wants to tell me to fuck off, but at the wave of her hand I know that tonight I will be speaking to her about my idea. About our alliance of sorts.

  “Well, she’s allowed me to pass. Move over boys,” I say to dumb and dumber. The one on the left looks like he wants to kill me, while the other steps out of my way so I can make it through. I head upstairs in the direction of Vera’s apartment, wondering why in the hell there’s not an elevator. The woman lives on the third floor, and I’m not the type of man who enjoys physical activity unless it has to do with me unleashing my load into a hot cunt.

  When I step into the hallway her apartment resides in, I see her standing in her doorway, wearing nothing but a blue and black striped, chiffon robe. “I was about to play with my kitten. What do you want?”

  “I didn’t take you as the type who likes cats,” I retort, heading her way.

  She giggles. “Not the type of kitten I mean, silly Romanian.”

  Oh.

  “I’d like to discuss something that I feel will benefit the both of us,” I start off saying.

  “Ugh!” she grumbles, throwing her hands up in the air. “You come here this late at night for business. Stupid man. Come inside so I don’t freeze my tits off.” Vera heads in her apartment while I follow closely. She sits down on a small, vintage couch that looks like it’s from a Victorian era. As she pulls her legs close to her body, her tits are fully on display. I never have a problem looking at her in the first place because she’s a damned vision, but when she’s like this...taunting me...I just want to choke her.

  “Well...stop staring at my boobs and get on with it so I can play with myself.”

  At this point, I don’t get shocked by whatever comes out of her mouth. Vera is not the typical type of woman. She’s the complete opposite.

  “You’ve realized that I’m not going to leave until I get what I want,” I say, looking over her features to see if she understands.

  “You’ll leave when you’ve had enough of my torment.” I roll my eyes at her response. She’s trying to scare me out of this city, but she won’t, and she never will.

  “I’m not going to leave, Vera. It’s best you understand that now. I have a solution, though, a solution that will give us both what we want.” Vera cocks her head to the side as she listens to what I’m saying, obviously interested. “It’s evident you want the Ukraine and to abolish all drug use. I’ve heard the rumors about your country and what success you have made over the last few years, but you still have one big problem - Glib. Thus far you haven’t been able to take him down, and you won’t be able to unless you have more power. That’s something I can give you.”

  “I don’t need you to get power.” Vera hisses, those eyes of hers scanning over my body. I know what she’s doing. She wants me to think that she doesn’t need me, but the reality is that she does.

  “That’s where you’re wrong. You do need me, Vera. This is my suggestion, the two of us form an unbreakable alliance. One that will give both of us what we want. I will get trade routes in the Ukraine while you can grow your underground businesses here and in Russia, plus you’ll have the entire Romanian Clans behind you in the process of overthrowing Glib.”

  Vera’s mouth opens in a small ‘o’ before she closes it. I can see her mind running rampant with the questions she’s keeping locked inside. Her eyes close for a few moments before she stares right at me, anger burning behind those irises. “You want me to marry you.”

  “Exactly that. I want us to be married, to have everything that we both want, need and desire.”

  “You thought about every part of this before bringing it up to me. Romanian, you knew what I would say to this proposition.”

  “Because I know what you want more than anything.” I reply.

  “And what is that?” she inquires, shifting herself in her seat.

  I take a step closer to her and dip my head down to hers, keeping our eyes mere inches away from one another. “You want people to fear crossing you so badly that they wouldn’t dare. You want a country that is ridded of the poison that is killing your people, and most importantly Vera, you want kids off the street. You might think I don’t know much about you, but I do. You have a very soft heart buried in that chest, and if you accept my proposal I will make sure orphanages and safe houses are opened up immediately so that no more children are living on the streets, fighting for their lives.” It’s in this moment that I know I have her where I want her. Kids are her soft spot, and she won’t deny them the opportunity to have somewhat of a normal life.

  “Fine. I accept,” she hisses it out, no doubt knowing very well that I cornered her into this arrangement.

  “Great. I’ll be back in a couple of days to work out the logistics.”

  “Logistics?”

  “You’re marrying a Romanian Clan leader. Surely you know a wedding will follow.”

  She rolls her eyes and grumbles at what I’ve said.

  “I’ll see you in a couple of days,” I say to her, standing up fully before I walk out of the door. I exit her apartment building and as the snow hits my face I dial Ion’s phone number, wanting to tell him the good news.

  “Yes?” he answers, already sounding annoyed.

  “I have an update that I think you’ll be pleased about.”

  “Do go on.”

  “I have made an arrangement with Vera to obtain trading routes back in the Ukraine, through an alliance, a marriage. I took the liberty of making a couple of small promises to her to ensure this would go through.”