“What do you want?”
“You. I want you, old friend. And I think from what I hear you’ll come to me because I have your girl and her old man. At first, I arranged to go to your apartment and take her there, but this works too. Either way I have one over you tonight. So, you’re going to come to his humble abode and give yourself over. Then you’re not just going to fix my device, you’re going to make it even better than it was before. You’re going to improve it. That’s what you’re going to do Eric. You’ll come for her, won’t you?”
“You bastard.”
“See you when you get here. Make sure you’re by yourself, won’t you.”
He hangs up because he knows he doesn’t need me to answer that question he knows I’ll come because he knows me.
I look at Aiden and Alejandro and I feel like breathing fire.
“He’s at Summer’s father’s house. He has Summer and her father. He wants me to fix the device.”
“Fuck,” Alejandro breathes.
“I’m going,” I declare.
“We’re going with you,” Aiden says and both men nod.
* * *
When I get to John’s house, I see the dead bodies of my men on the ground near their cars.
I’m alone right now but Aiden and Alejandro have snuck on to the grounds from the surrounding woods at the back of the house. If they can get in, they’ll back me up that way. If they can’t then I just have to play it by ear.
I get out of my car and rush up to the door when I see Oleg lying dead on the step in his blood and Borya next to him with a blood covering his shirt. Borya is still breathing though. Barely.
“This way,” says a man who appears at the opened door.
He looks Italian so I’m assuming he’s one of Micah’s men.
I rise and follow him inside where I see the rest of men waiting for me.
This shouldn’t have happened and there wasn’t anything I could have done because Robert fucking got to Oleg.
I’m led to the back into John’s gallery. It’s a large display hall with a number of his paintings.
At the head of the room near the sliding glass doors are Robert holding a gun to Summer’s head and Micah standing next to them with a gun to John’s head. John is kneeling on the floor though and his face looks messed up.
I don’t know what the hell I’m supposed to do right now to save us. I’m surrounded by ten men with guns as well as Robert and Micah who also have guns. Even with Aiden and Alejandro I’m outnumbered, and we have no plan.
I look at Summer and see how terrified she is. She’s shaking and there are bruises on her face and neck, which means the fucker touched her.
He touched her again.
“Well look at this,” Robert begins. “Just like old times right. Me in charge and you at my mercy.”
“Let them go, Robert. I’m here now. You got me good this time.”
“I did, didn’t I? You know it’s interesting to see how the tables have turned. I was always in your shadow and now you’re in mine. I have big connections now. I’m the one calling the shots.”
“You’re not talking about this guy, are you?” I taunt motioning to Micah.
I’m trying to bide myself sometime.
Micah seethes and kicks John who cries out from the pain.
“Disrespect me again boy and I kill him,” Micah retorts.