Roses & Ruin

Chapter 74 (Lexi)

In that, I feel bad. But I know Liam would do the same given the chance. That's exactly what he'd do to me if he had caught me at the safehouse. So I don't feel so bad anymore.  

"You have brother's and sister's, Andrei Petrov. And I have everything I need to bring you down. I don't even need to gut your sister alive, but I would. That'd be the next video sent to you on that flash drive" Liam's cold eyes snapped between Andrei, me, and the USB in Anthony's hand.

Andrei grabbed him by the jaw and squeezed. He cried out because he was already bruising all over his face from the stapler and Anthony's fists. Andrei got nose to nose with him.

"You'll do what?" He leaned his ear closer so he could hear him. By how hard he was squeezing, Liam's mouth was dented like a gaping fish. "Did you say my sister's pretty? Thank you, Liam. That's kind of you. Why don't you tell her that" Andrei aggressively released his face and leaned out of the way so I could see Liam's. Liam grit his teeth but said nothing.

"Don't be shy now, leprechaun. Go ahead and tell her" Andrei snatched all the hair on the top of Liam's pale head and yanked. He yelped. "You're pretty" he gritted out.

"Now tell me I'm pretty" Andrei smirked like a punk. I just sat there. This is a lot. And I don't even know the half of it. "What video does he have on you, Andrei?"I decided to acknowledge that instead.

"I think she's best left out of it" Anthony quickly stepped in. What the hell's he hiding?

Andrei looked between the two of us and stood up from where he'd crouched over Liam. He crossed his arms and his muscles bulged out revealing new parts of his tattoos. "She's already a part of it. What does it matter? Actually...why are you a part of it? Why are you here?" It suddenly dawned on Andrei.

I could see Anthony's expression turn uncomfortable, but I'm so used to lying to the Petrov men it came out easily.

"Anthony couldn't see who he was calling from under the desk. He clicked his recent call list, which I'm on because of the safehouse situation. We've been in correspondence" I stated. Andrei didn't say anything, he just gave a short nod. He's not suspicious right?

That was a perfectly logical explanation. We're just all acting guilty because of the secret me, Anthony, and Enzo share.

Anthony shook his mind clear. "Guys, we needa get off the site. I texted Dom. We can just bring Liam with us and talk it through with Domani once he meets us at the other spot" he got into work mode. My brother turned to me.

"You're taking the car home. The bike stays with me" he held the keys up. When I went to trade he grabbed my wrist. "And if you touch it again..." he trailed off. "Tie me to the Brooklyn bridge. I get it" I rolled my eyes. Anthony observed our exchange. Then he untied Liam from the pole, but kept his wrists bound as he dragged him along to his car.

"Christ, I need a fucking shirt" Anthony sucked his teeth when he remembered he was topless and bleeding. "I got some extras in my trunk" Enzo assured him. We all followed along because we were all parked in the same vicinity. When I walked past Andrei's bike it dawned on Enzo.

"Wait...you drove that here?" Enzo asked me. I nodded yes. He bit the inside of his cheek to hide his amusement. "That's kinda fucking sexy" he admitted.

"Woah there, lovebirds. Not in front of me" Andrei scowled at Enzo who pressed his lips shut. Anthony didn't make a comment, just shoved Liam into the back seat aggressively. "Bind his ankles then" was the last thing I heard before I stepped into Andrei's car.

-

My insomnia kept me up all night. I was in my bed, then I was too restless, so I got out of bed. I wandered the house. I ended up back in my room and I sighed. I would go out and get myself something to eat, maybe another happy meal, but the guard I kneed in the balls is very upset. I don't wanna try my luck at trying to get past him again.

In the early hours of morning I heard the roar of Andrei's bike. I got out of bed and started for the stairs. By the time he was walking in I was stepping down into the foyer. He said nothing, but arched his brow.

"Tell me everything" I got straight to the point. Andrei yawned and stretched his arms way up and out. "Can we do this tomorrow? It's been a long night" he told me. "No, now, please" I even asked politely.

I could see him considering it. Then he just shrugged and said fine, dragging me into the living room to park ourselves on the sofa. Then Andrei told me everything. I mean everything.

He told me about the plan to blow up the bowling alley. He told me that's what he was talking about when he'd told me he uncovered new operations. He told me about the surveillance footage and what that could mean for the guys. My gut flipped at each new detail. Especially that one. They could go to prison?

If Andrei fled the country they'd never be able to grab him in Russia, so I guess he'd be fine, but Anthony...he'd be in so much trouble. Then they'd investigate everyone else. I would suddenly be coiled up in the FBI and CIA and ATF because of my affiliation to Enzo.

No, wait. Vitaly would never let me marry Enzo if they were pinched. He'd drag me back to Russia and he'd form new alliances with someone else, and I'd be married off to some creepy old man.

I tried picturing Anthony rigging explosives and murdering an entire bowling alley of people. I can't put what I know about Rizzo, and what I know about Anthony, together to make any kind of sense to me.

Is that why he didn't want me to know what was going on? Is he ashamed of it? He obviously wants to hide that part of him from me.

I look at him as Mr. Smooth, but he had a man chained up and beaten half to death for interrogations on who the guardsmen worked for. He choked him to death if Andrei's telling the truth about things. A trucker too. The one involved in the drug trade at the bowling place.    

It's one thing to know they're mobsters, but it's another thing to attach details to those titles. To actually really think about it. Of course, I've seen the Petrov men do horrible things. They wanted me to know how bad they were. Is that better or worse than hiding it?

Who is the real Anthony Rizzo?

"I'm going to bed, kid" Andrei ruffled my hair to piss me off, then hopped to his feet and left me in the living room by myself. I'm tired, but I can't sleep. All this newfound information isn't going to settle my restless head any, but at least I know a thing or two more than anybody wanted me to. And to me that's a good thing.

Never be as clueless as they think you are. It keeps you one step ahead.