Chapter 10: Mae Kazimi

Chapter 10: Mae Kazimi

Controlling an angry Italian mafia heir is harder than it sounds. If it wasn't for Hale's training, I'd probably end up with my throat slit and buried six feet under.

Actually, I doubt Alek would even bother burying me.

"Alek-"

"Only my friends call me Alek," he barks, turning to me with such anger, I take a step back, head hitting the wall. "And you? You're not my friend."

"Fine, Russo. Whatever the hell you're about to do, don't."

"I'm about to fucking slit your throat."

"What?"

"I'm about to slit your throat," he repeats, voice so deathly calm it makes my legs slightly shake. "And then leave you here to choke on your own blood."

"Oh."

"The rats are quite hungry."

He's standing so close to my face I can feel his hot breath on my face. And for a second, my core melts and my heart begins to race in my chest.

And then he raises his eyebrows as if to mock me and scoffs, "You're a fool, Kazimi. And fools don't make it far in the mafia."

I snap out of whatever spell he'd cast over me and I blink, shoving him back and away from my face, "I don't care what the hell you think about me, Russo. I'm trying to save you from a grave mistake. If you speak to your step-mother now, everything will go to hell. She'll play you like a puppet, give your father a reason to kick you out for treason and turn your brother against you. You'll have more than just twenty assassins to worry about if you're kicked out of the mafia! You'll have an entire army hunting you!"

Alek cocks his jaw, but he knows I'm right. Every possibility is already running through his mind and I watch him as he glares at me with hateful eyes. He's not stupid. In fact, Alek's too smart for his own good.

That's what makes him dangerous.

He suddenly turns around and makes for the door that leads up the first floor, "Get some answers out of Rick and report back to me with your findings."

And with a flick of his hand, I'm dismissed.

I do everything I can not to throw the knife in my hands at his head.

"It's a bad idea to turn your back to your enemy who has a weapon in her hands," I can't help but say after him.

He pauses on one of the staircases and replies without turning around, "Perhaps. But my enemy is a lousy shot."

And with that he disappears up the stairs.

Only if he fucking knew who he was talking to.

If I threw my knife from here, it would still make it. If there was something I was good at, then it was aim.

My aim was perfect. Or at least I like to believe it was.

I turn around to the room that's beside Roberto's and make my way towards it. I twist the doorknob to check whether it's open but it doesn't budge.

The motherfucker forgot to give me the keys.

Swearing under my breath, I turn towards the staircase and begin to quickly make my way up. Why the hell don't they have an elevator for the basement? Why the hell is he making me run up and down the stairs when I could literally use the elevator?

It's only thanks to my training that I am not out of breath.

"You," I point to a guard. "Where's Alek?"

"He said he was going to his room, Signorina."

I turn my body and march towards the elevator and press the button, foot tapping impatiently against the polished floor, waiting. The elevator dings and the doors slide open with a low whine and I step inside, the guards following me.

I press the floor number and wait as the doors slide close and the elevator begins to move.

All of this is taking horribly long. Why the hell did Alek have to forget to give me the key?

Unless, of course, he did it on purpose just to make me come all the way up.

I mean, why wouldn't he? That's exactly something he would do.

I rush down the brightly lit hallway as fast as I can, passing my own room before arriving at Alek's. His door is slightly open as if he'd rushed inside in a hurry and so I tell the guards to wait outside as I barge into the room.

And freeze.

There, on the center of the bed is Alek on top of….a woman. And their clothes?

Nonexistent.

Both of them are too busy with each other, the girls' loud moans rattling my brain and making me swallow.

I'm still frozen in place when Alek raises his head from the girl's neck, bored eyes looking to his left to meet mine, "Can I help you?"

Can he? Can he help me?

"Yes," I clear my throat. "Yes, yes you can. Keys."

"What?" he snaps.

"Keys," I say louder, and then realize I should probably be slightly more specific. "Keys to Rick's door, Russo. Hurry up, I don't have all day."

His eyes narrow at me before he gets off the girl who sits up, pulling up his covers to hide herself. I roll my eyes, making my way across Alek's room and stop before him.

Alek is shirtless, and I can't help but stare at his toned abs and muscled arms. He's just the perfect size of muscle and abs and the ink that covers his chest and left arm makes me pause. He has tats?

"Are you done staring?" he asks in annoyance.

"Sadly, there's nothing to stare at," I say sweetly.

He raises his eyebrows, "Next time, knock."

"The door was open."

"I don't care."

We glare at each other for a moment before I snatch the keys from his hands and let out a loud and dramatic sigh, "Well, I'd better get going. I wouldn't want to keep you from your girl of the day."

I catch the girl's jaw drop and I can't help but feel a jab of satisfaction as I make my way towards the door.

"Watch your step, Kazimi," says Alek.

I turn around, narrowing my eyes, "Is that a threat?"

"Get the fuck out," he replies, already making his way back to the girl. "And shut the door."

I send him and the girl my middle finger and stomp out, making sure to leave the door slightly open just to piss him off.

"Kazimi!" He yells from inside.

I ignore him and make my way down the hall.

Shadow has a man to torture.

___________________

Men are such easy creatures. A blade to their manhood will have them singing.

And Rick was no different.

I had him telling me everything and anything I could possibly want, including about his family, personal life and ties to the mafia.

"I don't have any connections with the mafia," he'd said, skin pale and sweat soaking his skin. "A woman approached me and threatened my wife and ten year old daughter if I didn't do as she ordered."

I'd already known that the 'woman' was probably Alek's step mother but I'd stayed silent.

And then I had slipped out of the room, locking the door behind me.

But that had been two hours ago. Now, I stand beside Avery in front of a nice house in a pretty neighbourhood in my black top and leather jacket, loaded with enough weapons to keep myself protected. Beside me, Avery's blond hair is in a high pony and she wears a sleeveless black top and tight pants, a gun no doubt in her boots and God knows what other little weapons snuck away in her hair.

"Why are we here, Mae," she asks. I know she is still upset about this whole situation, but she's my family and I'm going to make sure everything is right between us.

"You'll see."

An hour ago, I'd called Rashid and asked him to find Rick's house and find out where his wife and daughter were. He'd found out that his wife had been found dead, shot in the head this evening, probably when Rick was kidnapped. But his daughter?

Missing.

And I intended to find her.

I make my way towards the front door, pulling out a lock picker and fiddling with the front door, praying the door unlocks quickly before someone spots us breaking in. Avery sighs loudly through her nose and pulls out her gun, pulling her mask down onto her face and using her left hand to bring mine down as well.

"Mae, I have a bad feeling about this," she whispers.

I shoot her a small grin as the door unlocks with a small tick and I walk into the dark house. Every light in the house has been shut and the place is a mess. Broken glass lies everywhere on the kitchen floor and the living room has been trashed. There is not a speck of blood, meaning the mother was killed outside her home, but it seems like men came to the house to search for her.

I don't have time to search the entire house. There's a specific room I need to look in and so, I make for the stairs.

Avery is close behind, her steps as silent as mine. After all, I'm not the only one who's trained under Hale.

We make our way to the second floor, backs to the wall as we make sure the coast is clear before walking into the first room. It evidently belongs to a little girl, the pink walls and stuffed animals in the bookshelf evidence enough. I can hear sniffling from the corner of the room and when I turn around to Avery to put a finger to my lips, I can see her eyes widen.

I get on my knees and look under the bed and spot a little girl curled in the back of the bed, hiding. She's shaking as her eyes meet mine and she lets out a blood curdling scream.

I bring my finger to my lips and whisper, "Mariyah, sh!"

She freezes as she realizes I know her name.

"I'm your daddy's friend," I say in a hushed voice, a small smile on my face. "I'm here to take you to him."

"Daddy is dead," she sobs, a hand slapping onto her mouth to keep herself from crying out loud.

I shake my head, "I just met him! He's alive, I promise. You only have to come with me, and I'll take you to him."

It takes only another five minutes of coaxing with a gentle tone for Mariyah to climb out of her hiding spot and follow us outside. I watch as Avery walks out of the house with a chocolate bar in her hands, something she no doubt found somewhere in the kitchen.

"Here," she grins, handing it to her.

Mariyah takes it from her without a thank you.

And as we make our way back to the Russo mansion, I can't help but let out a loud sigh.

For the first time, Avery's institution was wrong.

And for the first time in what seems like a long time, something finally has gone the way I want it to. And now, I can only pray it gets better from here.