REAPER (Boston Underworld Book 2) (24 page)

Chapter Forty-One

Ronan

F
or the next three days, we remain holed up at Alexei’s house. The lad isn’t very fond of me after the stunt I pulled before with Mack and the small matter of shooting at his car. But he helped me when I needed it, regardless. I don’t have a clue if it’s because of the alliance or because of Sasha.

I’ve noticed he has eyes on us often. Like he’s trying to pick us apart, work out what’s going on between us. I haven’t a clue why. Crow always said this one was funny when it came to women. That he had a soft spot for them. And I’ve seen him enough times to know it’s true. I don’t think he’s got eyes for Sasha, but I still don’t like him looking at her the way he does. I don’t like anyone looking at her.

Because she’s mine.

I glance at her sleeping form beside mine and wonder how the bleeding hell I ever had the good fortune to cross paths with her. For her to see past my issues and care for me anyway. I haven’t worked it all out yet, but the one thing I do know is Sasha is kind and has a good heart. For some reason, she believes there’s something in me worth keeping.

I don’t take that lightly. Only, I worry I’m going to jack this whole situation arseways if I don’t tread carefully. There’s still a bit of dread inside of me when I think about having a baby. I’ve no fecking clue how to care for a baby. But when I look at Sasha and it really settles over me that she’s carrying my child, I get a big head over the notion. I fancy the idea that I’ve claimed her in such a way. That she will never have another but me, and that we might make a family together. The way that Crow said, with that picture he had in his head. I want that with Sasha. Only, I need to sort out all of this other bollocks first.

The benefit of being at Alexei’s is that he has a dungeon that could rival my own. He uses it himself from time to time or allows the Russians to do so when the need arises. That very same dungeon is also where Andrei was left to fester until I was in fair enough shape to handle the business that was left undone.

I didn’t reap as much enjoyment from the act as I’d hoped. The prick had already contracted some sort of infection by the time I had a go at him and he wasn’t as lucid as he should’ve been. But he did suffer. There were no bones about that.

His death was slow and painful. A standard I set for anyone else who thinks they might touch what’s mine. When I finished with him, I sent Andrei back to his men in pieces.

Now there’s only the other matter of the feds to contend with.

On cue, there’s a rap at the door and then Rory pokes his head in.

“Ye mind?” he asks. “I need a word with you.”

I cover Sasha over and then reach down to kiss her cheek right in front of Rory. I don’t mind so much, now. I’m not uncomfortable anymore. Worried I’m stuffing it up in front of the lads. The only thing I care about is that they all know she’s been claimed.

“I’ll be along in a moment,” I tell him. “Let me get dressed.”

He nods and shuts the door behind him and I dress in the clothes that Alexei provided me. It’s no suit, but it’ll have to do.

When I open the door Rory is waiting outside, and he gestures down the hall. I walk beside him and into a room where Conor, Michael, Dom and a few of the other lads have joined us as well. Since the shake up with the feds, they’ve all gone to different safe houses. This being one of them.

“Any word on Crow?” I ask as I take an empty seat.

“The barrister assured me he’ll be home for Sunday supper,” Dom answers. “They’ve got nothing but a bloody house of cards. A huff and a puff and we’ll blow it right down.”

I rock back in my chair with a nod. I suspected as much. This isn’t the first time we’ve had heat on our backs, and it won’t be the last.

“And what of the rest of it?”

“Alexei’s done his homework,” he answers. “They’ve got nothing. No body, no dice. Some grainy photos of you, and an informant with a past so checkered it won’t hold up in court.”

He sounds confident, but I still don’t like it. I want to tell Sasha it’s over. But it won’t be over until that witness disappears. A notion I’m not too keen on. I don’t like involving women in our business.

“Who is she?” I ask.

“Some junkie whore,” Rory answers.

A voice from the door behind us replies.

“Yeah, like me,” Scarlett adds. “Nothing more than a whore.”

Rory’s face pales, and he attempts to backtrack quickly, but it’s no use. Scarlett ignores him and comes and sits right down at the table like she has a right to.

“This isn’t your business,” Dom tells her. “Now you best leave.”

She crosses her arms and snaps her gum, shaking her head in refusal. “Nah, I think I’ll stay. Because I have something to say on the matter.”

The room falls silent, and all of the lads look at each other, wondering who’s going to handle her. They all know Rory fancies this girl, so they don’t want to step on toes. But he’s not saying anything either. So I take it upon myself to sort out this headache.

“Tell us what ye have to say and then be on your way. These meetings are for the lads only.”

“Look, all I’m saying is I know this girl. She goes by Shorty on the street. Girl’s got a wicked bad asshole for a pimp. He’s keeping her son from her to keep her in line.”

“Where are ye headed with this?” I ask.

“When I saw her last, she told me that she was getting her son back. That some guy promised he was going to help her. That he’d pay off her pimp if she did what he asked. Set her up with a whole new life.”

The room falls silent, and the lads piece together the information Scarlett just tossed us. Donny must have promised to get her son back if she testified as a supposed witness. And then the feds would set her up with a new identity.

“That plan sounds like it requires an awful lot of chips to fall just right,” Michael remarks.

“Aye,” I agree. “Donny never did think things all the way through.”

“She’s scared shitless,” Scarlett says. “I just thought maybe you don’t have to kill her. Maybe you could help her get her son back instead. And send her on her way to somewhere else. I guarantee you won’t have any more problems with her if you do.”

“Ye can’t guarantee something like that,” Rory says, the irritation in his voice clear. He knows such a guarantee from Scarlett would likely put her at risk if this plan of hers ever did go south.

“I can and I will,” she says. “I know this girl. She’s had it rough, okay? She just wants out of this life. She’s grasping at whatever life vest will keep her afloat.”

The lads all look to me for an answer. Something that would have made me uncomfortable before, but now I take no issue with it. Because it isn’t just me that’s riding on this working out favorably, but Sasha and my child too. And I need to know that the man who comes home to her at the end of the day is one she can actually stomach to look at. But I also need to ensure her safety.

“We need to speak with this girl,” I say. “Then we can sort it out. Dom, you and Scarlett give Alexei the details and he will get us everything we need.”

He nods and stands up to do exactly that. Only his phone rings, and he answers it before he goes. The words are few and quiet, but the expression on his face tells me it isn’t good news he’s just received.

“We’ve got another problem,” he says when he hangs up. “Niall’s just had a massive heart attack.”

Chapter Forty-Two

Sasha

“
I
don’t want you to go,” I argue, though I know it’s totally unreasonable.

Ronan gives me a frustrated glance. I’m not being fair, but my anxiety is through the roof.

“I have to get this sorted,” he says. “They’re just going to have a wee chat with me, Sasha. It will be okay.”

“But what about their witness?” I ask. “They’re going to arrest you.”

“The witness is here,” Ronan answers me.

I blink at him, not sure I heard him correctly.

“Excuse me?”

“She’s downstairs.”

My stomach lurches. I don’t want to know the details. But I can’t stop myself from asking, anyway. I have to know. I have to know if he’s telling me what I think he is.

“You mean, as in…”

“Alexei is having a word with her,” Ronan explains. “That’s all. No harm will come to her so long as she cooperates.”

“Right.” I blow out a breath and wrap my arms around myself.

Jesus, this world sometimes… it’s too much. But I’m in it for good now, like it or not. It still doesn’t make it any easier to come to terms with all of these mixed emotions inside of me. I don’t want anyone to get hurt. But I also can’t allow Ronan to go to prison.

He must be able to see the confliction on my face because he walks over and pulls me against him. His palm flattens over my belly, and my pulse flutters when he examines me with a soft expression.

“I’ll do what I have to in order to protect the both of you, Sasha. And that does mean anything. But I want ye to know I’m not a monster. I’m trying to do what’s right. I’m trying to believe we can sort this out another way.”

“Can I talk to her?” I ask.

He frowns and almost immediately goes to shake his head. “This is mafia business.”

“But it isn’t just your business anymore,” I argue. “This involves me too. I want to know we can trust her. I want to protect you too.”

“I don’t need ye to protect me,” he huffs. “That’s my role, Sasha. Make no bones about that, it always will be.”

“I get that,” I say. “I really do. But just let me talk to her. Let me see for myself. Just so I can be at ease. Otherwise, I’ll be going out of my frigging mind wondering.”

Ronan quietly considers my words for several moments, his eyes searching mine. He sees the worry on my face. And I know how it is with these guys. They want to take on the burden of protecting us and never let us fret over a thing. But he needs to realize right now I’m not that kind of woman. And he better just get used to it. Because when it comes to Ronan, I’m always going to worry.

And he may not comprehend it just yet, but I think when it comes to him and what we have, I’d do anything in order to protect it too.

“I have to head on,” he says. “But Conor can take ye down to speak with her while Alexei is there. I don’t want ye speaking with her at any other time. Or getting attached.”

“I understand.” I reach up and graze his cheek with a kiss which he turns into and meets with his own lips. 

When he finally pulls away, he’s even more reluctant to go. “Ye make it hard to leave you,” he says.

“Good,” I answer. “That’s the way I want it.”

I move to leave, but Ronan reaches out and grabs my arm.

“Sasha?”

“Yes?”

“You can tell her we’re keeping the dog, too.”

***

The girl in the basement isn’t what I expected.

At all.

She’s young, extremely thin, and can’t even be an inch over five feet. Judging from the way her toes are bouncing off the floor, she’s scared out of her mind.

She’s sitting in a chair with her hands folded in her lap while Alexei stares at her across the table. He isn’t speaking right now, only observing. And while I’ve only known him a short time, I’ve never seen his gaze so cold as it is right now. This right here is the mobster. The other side of the coin. These guys all have one, but his is admittedly a little scarier than some of the others.

And I don’t know whether to thank him or hate him for it. But in the end, my loyalty wins out, because I know he’s doing this to protect us. To protect Ronan. And this girl is a threat. Until she proves otherwise, she will need to be treated as such.

Her eyes fly to mine when she sees me standing in the corner of the room. Alexei turns a moment later as though he didn’t hear me come in. Conor is at my side, and he makes sure to tell him that Ronan gave me permission before he slips out the door. And then it’s just the three of us.

“I wanted to see her myself,” I explain to Alexei.

He nods and gestures at an empty seat at the table. I walk across the room and sit down, and the girl never takes her eyes from mine. She’s looking at me like I’m the one who holds her fate in her hands, though it couldn’t be farther from the truth.

“Hi,” I greet her. “I’m Sasha.”

“Hi,” she whispers.

The room is quiet for a moment, save for the harsh breaths coming from her chest. Her fingers are wrapped around each other so tightly they’re almost white. She’s so thin that at first glance, one might assume she’s a junkie. But her gray eyes are clear and I recognize the expression on her face all too well. That isn’t drugs, but stress.

“Look,” I begin. “We have a problem, you and I.”

“We do?” she swallows, her eyes darting back to Alexei.

I’ve never been intimidating in my life, but right now, there’s something else taking over inside of me. Maybe it’s a mother’s protective instincts. Maybe it’s a love so fierce that it’s given me the courage to do what I never could before. Either way, I feel calm and assured with what I’m about to say. And I know now that the choice is hers.

“We do,” I answer. “Because you see, it’s my boyfriend that you’re ratting on. The father of my child.”

Her eyes well up with tears, and her body starts to shake.

“We love each other,” I tell her. “And we’d do anything to protect what we have. Do you get that?”

“I do,” she whispers. “You have no idea just how much I get that…”

“So do you still think Donny is worth all of this?” I ask. “Because let me tell you…”

“He was supposed to help me get my son,” she cries. “That’s what he said. I’m doing this for my son. That’s all. I have nothing against any of you. I just wanted to get my son back.”

I glance at Alexei, and he nods. What she’s saying is true. And a little bit of my resolve cracks. But then he throws me a bone.

“I have offered to retrieve her son for her. And Crow will send her away with what she needs to start a new life. If she should so choose.”

“Right.” I blow out a breath.

I look back at the girl, but it’s clear she doesn’t trust us. She doesn’t believe that we’ll follow through on what we’re promising her. But she can’t honestly expect us to be any worse than Donny. I can only imagine what he did to make her agree to this. He had a way of exploiting weaknesses. I’m not surprised in the least he chose to exploit hers too.

“We all have to do things we don’t like in this life,” I tell her. “I’ve had to do plenty of it. Make the hard choices. You’re going to have to do that too. And if you choose right, then you will live. That’s as simple as it can get.”

“But how do I know I’ll get my son back?” she asks. “I need more than your word to go on…”

“What choice do you have?” I ask her.

A tiny sound of defeat spills from her lips as she shakes her head and tears fall down her cheeks.

“Look, I don’t know much for certain in this life, honey,” I tell her. “But the one thing I know as sure as the sky is blue is that these guys don’t go back on their word. If they say they’ll get your son, they will get you your son. And they will walk through hell to do it. But that doesn’t come free. Nothing in this life comes free.”

She’s quiet for a moment, and then her chin straightens and she lifts her head to meet my gaze. The tears have stopped falling, and she’s come to a decision. I can only pray it’s the right one.

“Okay,” she says. “You have my word. If I get my son back, I will disappear. None of you will ever hear from me again.”

Relief floods over me because there isn’t a single part of me that doubts she’s being sincere. Over the years, I’ve learned to read people pretty well. I’ve learned how to spot the monsters and the liars lurking just below the surface. This girl is neither of those things.

She’s a pawn, like me. Like I was to Blaine and Donny. She did what she had to. But she has no agenda except for getting her son back. And I believe these guys will do the right thing.

“There’s just one more matter,” I tell her.

“What’s that?” she asks.

“My boyfriend and I have grown rather fond of your dog. And well… we’re keeping her.”

I’m prepared for her to argue, but she doesn’t. She just nods, and that’s that. Daisy is officially part of the family.