A Pole and a Gun

30 - Incredible

♧ TRIXIE

I used to think that revenge is not in my plans. Karma is a bitch and you will fuck yourself on your own in the end. That used to be my mantra.

The same as I always run when things get tough. From my parents, from my studies, from any type of responsibility. Lately, I've been stringing together a series of terrible mistakes, interrupted by an occasional major disaster.

Just once, I would like to make it through an entire day without having a 'what the fuck' moment. Life has a way of throwing me curveballs, and I'm so fed up with myself at this point, I want to hit one of those wretched balls with a steel baseball bat and swing them out of my park.

I know everything happens for a reason. Now, I'm running straight ahead into a fucking war-zone, and I've never felt as chipper as I do in this moment. The only thing that feels completely right is where I am today. With Dimitri and his guys.

"Yer aff yer heid," Nox states dryly, knocking me off my soapbox. (You're off your head-crazy)

"Why don't you say what you really mean?" I bite back at Nox. I know it is his concern for my safety speaking, but I can't help it. "I want to help bring them down."

"Your hunter's knife won't be enough," he shakes his head as he says the words. "You're a danger to yourself with that thing."

While I know his direct approach holds the truth, I feel dismissed and useless by his brash comments. The time I have spent with these men has shown me that I'm a tough cookie to crack.

"Kristof," Dimitri interrupts our bickering and waves him over. "Get Trixie to the supply room and give her a crash course while we go over a possible attack strategy."

I blink once, twice, until his words register. Dimitri is letting me go with them. Even though Nox is completely right to point out that I'm a freaking menace and do not know what I'm doing.

Kristof pulls me by my arm out of the office. Practically dragging me out as I'm staring baffled at Dimitri, who only gives me a wink before returning to his laptop and conversing with Nox.

I follow him downstairs where the gym is, and he weaves me through a distinct set of doors until we stop at one that's closed with an electronic password lock. I fold my fingers over each other, trying to keep myself from fiddling while he punches in the combination of digits.

My jaw drops to the floor. The room is basically an arms dealership. Everything you could ever need to plan a heist is at our disposal and Dimitri trusts me enough to let me have my pick, with Kristof's guidance, of course.

"Let's pick something out for the lady," Kristof makes a revealing swipe with his arm and I giggle at the motion.

Like he is presenting me jewelry from a high end store, Kristof goes through the weapons that are displayed, picks some from the wall, and sees how they fit in my hand. Weight, grip, size; and we keep going until we find a good match that's easy to aim with and use for a novice.

After a while going back and forth, I finally have my own firearm and I'm looking expectantly at Kristof to magically make a shooting range appear.

"We can't fire for real in the penthouse," Kristof bursts my bubble. "Dimitri would kill me, and these walls aren't completely soundproofed." He wiggles his brows and mortification hits me. Nox and Kristof live here and can hear stuff. I need to control my volume when Dimitri and I are fucking like deranged animals.

"Give me the basics then," I will the red blush staining my face away and focus on the gun in my hands.

"Safety first," Kristof does a sequence with his gun and makes me repeat it on mine until I hear it click. "A good stance is important, or it can knock you back when you fire." He moves my body and corrects my position as he instructs me further. Then he gives me the most important tip of all, control my breathing. "Focus, aim, inhale, and pull the trigger at a steady exhale."

The rest of the morning passes by in a blur. Dimitri has rounded up his team, barking orders around, and after lunch we all strap in, ready to go.

We're driving in the same car and I notice Dimitri's eagerness at the same time as anger rolls off of him in waves. I know he can't wait to get this over with. Considering his father gave his permission without a second thought, I think he might be immensely relieved. He plead his case, and then dropped the evidence on Andreas' lap like a ticking bomb.

"Are you nervous?" Dimitri reaches for my hand and draws circles on the inside of my wrist with his thumb. The caress is soothing on my frayed nerves, and I manage to speak for the first time since we entered the Jeep.

"About what?" I question, with a trembling lower lip, while I gaze outside. The fear and adrenaline are coursing at the same time through my body, firing me up for battle but at the same time instilling a good dose of worry into my veins.

Dimitri glances my way with a raised brow. He has been in tune with me since we became intimate, and he knows I'm digressing for my benefit. Dimitri is a hard headed mob leader. He prefers to face his fears instead of cowering in a corner. Slay your demons first, then ask questions.

"Yeah," I admit, grasping his hand tighter in both my hands. He provides me with an unspoken strength.

With him by my side, we'll get through anything they throw at us.

When we arrive at the drop spot, a place for gathering Dimitri's men before we continue on foot to Sergei's hangar. There is tumult coming from Nox's Range Rover.

"I'm going to kick zem in ze weiner," we hear Babushka protest, and Dimitri quickens his pace as his face sets in a frown.

By the disheveled look, it appears Babushka has been hiding in the trunk. Adorning stripes of war paint made by charcoal on her cheeks, waving an automatic rifle around while struggling with Nox, who is looking at the older lady wide-eyed.

She looks determined to join the fray, even if it's her own grandson that will receive the brunt of our impromptu visit.

"Vat?" she scowls at Dimitri. "I'm coming, Aleksei vas sitting next to me when he got your email."

"So you came and hid in Nox's car to just show up?" Dimitri is close to losing it and I put my hand on his shoulder in an attempt to relax him.

Babushka jumps from the car and shrugs, "he's ze gentlest driver of you lot."