Downswing Read online

  "Last I heard, Mr. Sokolov," I moved slowly, swirling the whiskey in my glass around leisurely. "The amount had risen to approximately 1.3 million dollars, if I'm not mistaken." I smiled slowly at the man, my eyes and face reflecting nothing but pure ice.

  "With a price like that on your head, Miss Fox, do you really think I should let you escape?" Leo said quietly, those intense eyes focused on me like a wolf eyeing a particularly juicy sheep.

  I almost smiled.

  "Quite frankly, Mr. Sokolov, I do think just that. That's merely a drop in the bucket to you. I offer you so much more than a mere 1.3 million dollars." I answered back coldly, waving my hand impatiently.

  "Oh? And what is it you think you offer me when I can take just as much pleasure from taking the bounty on your head and buying a bottle of Russo-Baltique Vodka?" Leo quipped quietly, raising an eyebrow.

  "Why, the gratitude of my dear friend, Alex O'Connor. Isn't that far more precious than a bottle of overly expensive vodka?" I lifted an eyebrow back at him, my gaze sliding to Hound.

  Hound was staring at Leonid Sokolov with a frighteningly blank look. When he turned his head to the side and met her stare, she ever so slowly ticked her head to the right, not blinking as her eyes bored into the man.

  "Did you just threaten my Foxy, Lo-Lo?" Hound asked in a very quiet voice.

  Leo's composure cracked, and he choked, grasping Hound's hands in his own, bending his head down to fervently kiss the tops of her fingers.

  "I was playing, my love, just playing! I have a reputation to uphold, you know. I have to be scary when I meet new business partners!" He said, his voice booming once more as he crooned to Hound, his posture and face changing to that of a man who knew he had just pissed off the woman who had him by the balls. She continued to stare at him, her eyes narrowing as he went on, crooning to her in Russian.

  Looking to Viktor, I noticed he was slowly moving his hand from his gun, and I nodded. He let out the breath that he had been holding, giving me the smallest tilt of his lips before his face went back to its regular stoic front.

  "Mr. Sokolov, I do appreciate you agreeing to stay out of my little feud with Korol, and I hope that once the dust has settled, we can do business together." I smiled fondly, but was secretly scared to the deepest corners of my soul at the possibility of ever getting on the man's bad side.

  Leo turned to me once again and bowed his head, smiling.

  "It would be my pleasure, of course! You did make quite the name for yourself while you were away. Quite a few of my business associates had mentioned wanting to utilize your group and its services. What is the name of your group called again?"

  "My group simply goes by Downswing." I replied, swirling the whiskey in my glass again.

  "Where did you get that name, Foxy? I've always been curious, but I just kept spreading the rumors of you just like you told me to!" Hound said, now focusing on me and ignoring Leo, though he kept trying to hold her hand.

  She slapped his hand away. Hard.

  Viktor and I both bit back a laugh.

  "It's a term in poker where a player loses more than they expect." I smiled, tossing back the rest of my whiskey in one go.

  "Ohhh. I get it. So, anyone who crosses you loses more than what they’re expecting. That’s cool, I like it. I have spread the rumors of the crazy underworld boss who likes to sing a song about a gambler before she takes your life. It’s been a big hit. I’ve played the song at the house when some of Leo’s pawns came over to fawn over him. You should see the panic on their faces. God, it’s hilarious. I’ll send you a picture next time.” Hound laughed, though she still slapped Leo’s hand with a resounding thwack when he reached for her again.

  "Thank you, Hound." I said graciously, biting back another laugh.

  "It is true. One of the men almost wet himself last week at our meeting when she did this. It was hilarious.” Leonid said, smiling fondly at Hound. She pursed her lips, but I caught the small smile that had broken through.

  “Well, my lovely comrade, I must depart. I did let a few of Korol's spies see me leaving my compound, but we lost them a while back. I want to make sure they stay lost until I get as far away from here as possible. You are still waiting to the big party to reveal yourself to him, da?" Leo asked, standing.

  "Yes, I'm officially announcing my presence to Korol… by crashing his party." I smiled.

  "Come, moya golubka, we shall take our leave-"

  "I'm not going anywhere. I want to spend the night with Foxy." Hound huffed, standing quickly. She flounced over to me and plopped herself onto my lap, curling her body against mine and stroking my hair fondly.

  Leo stood there, completely still for a moment, his terrifying face showing nothing. After a tense moment, he sighed, the tension draining from his body as if it had never been.

  God, the guy is a pro at being terrifying.

  "I get so jealous, you know. But, I understand. You want to spend time with your friend, that is understandable. And you two make such a pretty picture." Leo smiled, bowing to us.

  "Then I will see you tomorrow, my flower. Miss Fox, I will see you at the party in two weeks’ time. Dasvidaniya."

  “I will escort you out and leave the ladies to chat.” Viktor rose swiftly, bowing to me, and walking with Leonid to the door.

  “Ah, one last thing before I depart.” Leonid stopped, turning back to us. He gave one long look to Hound before turning and smiling at me.

  “Would you mind terribly if I borrowed Viktor here for the evening? There are some business ventures I would like to present to him, and since he seems to be your point of contact…”

  “That would be impossible-” Viktor began, but I cut him off immediately.

  “Yes, I think that would be a wonderful idea, actually.” I said softly, smiling. Tilting my head to Viktor, I looked him in the eyes as I gave my order. “Please accompany Mr. Sokolov for the evening and bring back whatever business you think would be the most suitable for us. We will need some connections and funds while we’re here, and I’m sure Mr. Sokolov has nothing but the best supply of both to offer us.”

  Viktor stood silently, but I watched closely and saw his fist slowly clench at his side.

  “I do not feel comfortable as your head of security to be gone from the manor for an entire evening.”

  “You walked me through our security measures earlier, Viktor. They are more than sufficient, and I can have Masamune and the Usami sisters on stand-by in your stead. They are quite capable, yeah?” I said softly, raising my eyebrow at him.

  Viktor’s face was a stoic mask, but I could see the anger simmering below the surface. I stood, facing the large Russian man who had become my closest friend, not budging an inch.

  “Or would you rather disobey a direct order in front of a potential ally?” I inquired so softly, my lips barely caressed the words as they left my mouth. Viktor’s fist clenched again, but after a tense moment he bowed his head.

  “No, Kapitan, I would never be so forward. I will do as you say. Please allow me to leave instructions with Onodera before I leave.” Viktor said, his voice equally as quiet and his gaze on the ground.

  “Well, duh, Vik. Please, Mr. Sokolov, if you wouldn’t mind waiting a moment here with us beautiful ladies.” I grinned at Leonid, who clapped his hands and guffawed.

  “I will do so gladly! Hurry along, Viktor, we have a tight schedule to keep!”

  Viktor bowed to the room, exiting silently, with his fists still clenched at his sides. As the door shut behind him, all three of us dropped our masks of civility and the room filled with tension.

  “That was very perceptive of you, Leonid, I thank you.” I said, inclining my head to the large Russian. Leonid sighed heavily, turning to Hound.

  “I know the looks of my Alex by now and by the look on her face, you ladies have more than just gossip planned for the evening. I will not allow you to go around town unescorted, Alex.” He glowered fiercely, the expression sending a shiver down my spin
e.

  “Foxy, you mentioned Masamune and the Usami sisters. Can we include them in our plans for this evening?” Hound asked me, drumming her nails against the arm of the couch in obvious irritation.

  “Yes, I believe that will be for the best. Viktor may be overprotective and would more than certainly disapprove of this plan, but Masamune has no such qualms. I swear the dude gets hard whenever he gets the chance to cause some mayhem.” I addressed not Hound but Leonid, whose look grew thoughtful.

  “Masamune Onodera. Of the Onodera gumi. His reputation precedes him.” Leonid brought a hand to his chin, looking deep in thought.

  Finally, the large man nodded.

  “Fine. But you will have an escort of your own watching from afar. That is not up for negotiation.” Leonid said finally.

  “Are you still doubting my abilities, Leo?” Hound asked quietly, her eyes clear as a bell as she looked at the man she had chosen to align herself with. The large Russian man, feared by governments, terrorist groups, and armies alike turned bright red and sputtered for a full moment before dropping to one knee beside my beautiful friend.

  “Of course not, moya roza! You are one of the deadliest beings I have had the pleasure to know and train.” He practically mewled to Hound, and both of my brows lifted as his large hands engulfed hers. “You are my greatest treasure, but there are too many unknown factors for this mission I know nothing about. Please just let me treasure you.” He rubbed his bearded face against her palms and after a moment, Hound gave a long sigh.

  “Fine. Send Ethyn. That prick wouldn’t dare get in my way.”

  Leonid gave a clear sigh of relief, standing once again.

  “Anything for you angel moy! You will not even know he is there. That is what he is good at!” Leonid laughed just as Viktor entered the room again. I looked up to see a small bag on his shoulder and he sighed as if the world was coming to an end as he stood next to Leonid.

  “Now, is that any way to treat a client, D’yavol?” Leonid guffawed good-naturedly.

  “Viktor.” My voice was a whip, admonishing him swiftly. He snapped his heels, standing up straight and tall before bowing swiftly to Leonid.

  “My apologies, we are of course so thankful for this opportunity.”

  “It is quite all right, Viktor. I know how painful it is to leave a pretty lady behind!” Laughing again and waving back at us, he then wrapped a hand around Viktor’s shoulders and pulled him towards the door, pulling a cigar from his vest pocket with the other hand.

  Viktor flung one last long look over his shoulder before the doors to the parlor shut behind the two devilishly handsome Russian men.

  “Well, now. That went more smoothly than expected.” Hound purred, looking to me.

  I sat down, lifting my glass of whiskey once again.

  “Yes, it did. Without Viktor here to hinder me, I can execute the plan myself instead of relying on one of the others. I know Cin is more than up to the task, but he is too close to the situation. I cannot risk him getting emotional and being captured again.”

  Hound said nothing for a few moments, merely staring at me with eyes uncharacteristically devoid of insanity. She leaned forward, her hair falling over her shoulder as she addressed me quietly.

  “You know, Foxy… When playing a game of chess, especially when the stakes are high, one should not seek to endanger their queen to help a pawn. Especially in the first few moves of the game.”

  I stared at Hound unflinchingly as a slow, deadly smile contorted my lips.

  “Ah, but this isn’t endangering the queen so much as utilizing the pawns to pull forth the king. It is useful to remove a few pieces from the other player’s board before he even knows what’s happening.”

  “The only problem is when the pawns of the game become more precious to the player than what they should be. If you sacrifice the queen to merely avenge them-”

  I rose swiftly, standing to my full height and looked at Hound with a gaze full of icy wrath. I sneered my next words- that vengeful, hated other half of me possessing my movements.

  “I will see the pawns piled at my feet before I lose this game. If it means sacrificing everything and everyone to win… that is exactly what I will fucking do. And I will do it with a smile on my fucking face. This game is mine, and only mine. I will see it through to the very end and feel the fires of hell eating my flesh before I allow anyone to take what is mine.”

  Hound stared up at me for long moments, neither of us even breathing as we took in the other’s measure. Finally, a slow, insane grin spread across her face and her eyes sparkled with glee.

  “And that is precisely why I will follow you straight into hell… my queen.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Burn Card

  “Amen.”

  The priest smiled at his congregation as he finished up the evening mass services. The few people who had attended service in the village of Drezna chatted happily inside the small church, the stained-glass windows reflecting the last little bit of the evening sun as nightfall fast approached. Father Yulian smiled and chatted quietly with a few of his parishioners for a few long moments before they exited the church, leaving him alone in his sanctuary. He walked toward the altar to begin blowing out candles, humming softly to himself. He was looking forward to visiting with the elderly throughout the village tomorrow, as he always did on Sundays after Mass. He knew there would be warm colibiac awaiting him at the Federov’s house- they loved testing new recipes on him, and he enjoyed their company well into the evening hours every Sunday.

  He felt at peace in this tiny Russian town. He felt like he had truly formed a family here within the stone walls of the hallowed ground he lived on. Thanking God every day wasn’t nearly enough to atone for his past, but he was doing everything within his power to try… and he felt that he was finally being granted some small semblance of peace for his efforts.

  “What a beautiful mass, Father.”

  Startled out of his musings, Yulian’s head whipped up, frantic gaze landing on the back corner of his church, on the last pew closest to the door. Sitting alone in the shadows, he was surprised to see the voice belonged to a young woman, whose head was bowed as if in prayer. Yulian sighed in relief, clutching his chest to calm his racing heart.

  “You frightened me, child. It is not often I have someone stay so long after mass, and a new parishioner at that.” Yulian smiled, walking slowly down the aisle to the pew. The last few rays of sunshine made the stained glass give off a kaleidoscope of colors, embracing the old stones of the church in the warm clasp of its golden hues. Yulian lowered himself to the pew next to the young woman, taking in her appearance.

  Brunette hair was cut just above her shoulders, the thick waves curled artfully and as the woman turned to him, Yulian had to suck in a breath at her beauty. Her plump lips were curled into a friendly smile, her bright grey eyes soft and almost sad as she gazed back at him. Her body, curved in all the right places, was wrapped in a flowing, black sun dress, while the skin it exposed with its cut and style was tanned to a beautiful golden hue. Yulian cleared his throat, offering a friendly smile of his own.

  “Your Russian has a bit of an accent, my dear. Are you visiting from another country?” Yulian inquired softly.

  “Yes, I suppose you could say that.” The woman chuckled softly, looking up to the front of the church to the large crucifix that was displayed over the altar.

  “Father, do you believe we can be forgiven all of our sins?” The young lady asked softly, her eyes softening with sadness even further. Yulian leaned back, crossing his hands on his lap and looking to the crucifix, as well.

  “I believe that through Christ, all things are possible, child. He is forgiving of those who truly repent and holds a place at His side for all those that truly embrace Him in their hearts.” Yulian said with ease, having said the same words so many times before.

  As the final rays of light caught the glass of the windows, a deep blue suddenly descended on the ch
urch, the warm hue from moments before vanishing as if they had never been. The stones suddenly felt cold and foreboding as the next whispered words from the woman were uttered into the silence.

  “And you believe this to be true of your own sins?”

  Yulian’s breath caught in his throat, and he sat still for the span of a few heartbeats. The blue hues from the windows bled from the church slowly, rescinding back with the setting of the sun. Darkness followed in its wake, leaving behind nothing but cold foreboding and stillness. Father Yulian turned slowly to the young woman at his side, his heartbeat stopping all together as he faced her once again.

  The woman was staring right at him, her gaze fastened on his face. As the last bits of blue caught her beautiful features in their light before vanishing entirely, Yulian’s heart started again, pounding so hard he was sure it would leap from his chest.

  Not a single bit of sadness was reflected in those large eyes. The friendly smile that had adorned her beautiful lips was nowhere to be seen, and she seemed somehow a foot taller than moments before. The blue caught the hard, icy look of her grey eyes for a brief span of a heartbeat. His entire being froze, and with a trembling breath tumbling from his lips, the church was engulfed in the thick darkness of night.

  A few candles that he had missed earlier burned at the front of the church, a few dozen feet from where he sat, but they may as well have been worlds away. There was no warmth left in his being as he stared at the young woman. No trace of the pretty foreigner sitting beside him remained. In her stead sat the being he had dreaded finding him these past three years.

  A cold angel of death.

  Yulian’s eyes slowly closed, a soft, broken laugh escaping his lips.

  “Who sent you?” He whispered, the sound echoing off the silent stones around them.

  The woman turned back to face the crucifix, her proud chin raised and her eyes still hard orbs of icy intent.

  “How many innocent people did you rape before retiring to the country, Father?”

  Yulian stared at the woman’s calm demeanor, the soft words rocking his very being. His past transgressions flashed before his eyes, the sins he had done so much to atone for nearly choking him before he could answer her.