SEVEN'S POV
"Where are you taking me?" A shaky voice speaks from under the burlap sack.
"Shut the fuck up." Curby warns Sergey's son as we march him blindly into the back entrance of a private bar.
I've been here multiple times before. Victor owns the building and it's been operating as a form of speak easy bar for many different gangs to hold business meetings like the one tonight.
I walk in front of them, pushing open the various old doors and nodding to the large security guards at every entrance. Normally they'd be patting down any patrons entering and making sure no one was armed when entering the premises. Business between rivalry gangs don't usually go down too well when everyone's packing a weapon. However, because we own the place I guess we get the upper hand here.
I walk to the back corner of the bar, to the booth where I can see a group of men deep in discussion. I recognise Grimmy and Victor sitting head of the table side facing us as I approach with Curby and our hostage following me.
When Victor's snake eyes land on me he smiles. It's not a nice smile, it's a cunning, malicious smile and I understand we must have arrived at the perfect time for him.
I come to stand next to them, glancing over at Sergey and his men.
"I'm sure you gentlemen remember my nephew, Seven." Victor introduces me and I nod sternly at all the men at the table.
"He's brought a gift for you Sergey." Victor smirks that vicious smile again.
I turn and grab his son from behind me, pulling him to my side. Sergey looks confused at first, till I rip the brown burlap sack off his sons head. Revealing his beaten face to them all.
"Junior!" Sergey stands as he cries out his sons name, causing Grimmy and a few other men to also raise from their seats in defence, preparing for a retaliation.
"Dad?" Junior asks, confused and relieved at the same time.
"What have you done to my son!" Sergey demands, his hand slamming down on the table the same time his men either side of him pull out large knives, so much for a thorough pat down. I react just as fast as the rest of Victor's men, grabbing my gun tucked in the back of my pants out and pressing it to Juniors temple as the others aim their guns right at Sergey and his men.
"Now, now Sergey. My nephew has taken great care of your son. Haven't you, Seven?" Victor turns to me.
"Yes, sir." I answer, still holding my gun to a shivering Junior. Fucking pussy, honestly. The guy was acting like a big rig the night Curby and I jumped him. Cocky little bastard who thinks he's above everyone and untouchable because of who his father is. I wish the prostitutes he left bloodied and bruised at the brothel the other night could see him now, hell I wish they saw him piss his pants as soon as he realised he was getting jumped.
"What is it you want Victor?" Sergey asks sitting back down, understanding this negotiations talk is now turning into a stipulation that leans heavily in Victor's favour.
"Well first of all you're going to wipe that small debt off that your men so cleverly tried to pull off." Victor begins, folding his ringed fingers together in front of him in the table.
"That was incredibly dishonourable of you but I can see where you thought it would work. Setting up my men, in an attempt for us to try turn on our own. If I'm honest you even had me thinking Flanko took the drugs and money. If it weren't for Seven insisting to me that he was telling the truth then I would have almost killed a friend over your little stunt." Victor continues to smile as he talks, finding it entertaining to watch as Sergey shifts uncomfortably.
"So let me tell you how this is going to go." Victor leans forward.
"From now on we solely run the cocaine lines from import to distribution. You're out Sergey, everyone in production has agreed." Victor reveals and Sergey's head shakes in disagreement.
"You can't cut me out. My family owns the Coca farms we produce from. Without me there is no product to even import." He argues and Victor chuckles. It's never good when Victor laughs.
"Oh Sergey." Victor sniggers and shakes his head.
"It's like you have forgotten who you're dealing with here. Those farms now belong to me. My men and I took over operations on the farms at the beginning of the week. I'm honestly surprised you weren't on to me quicker with the lack of contact from your family." Victor smirks and Sergey's face pales.
"How dare you—" Sergey spits through his teeth.
"I dare to do what is right. You crossed me Sergey, so your family paid the price you were willing to sacrifice." Victor interjects him and I hear Junior let out a shocked breath at the news Victor has killed his family who ran their Coca leaf farms.
"There were woman and children on those farms Victor! Where are they now?" Sergey asks and I look to Victor. He never mentioned any woman and children.
Victor simply smiles evilly at Sergey, making my blood run cold and my stomach turns. Junior let's out a small whimper and I press my gun harder against his temple.
"Shut up." I warn him quietly. I don't know what to think about Victor possibly murdering the woman and children on the farms, it's against our rules and etiquette in practically every gang or association out there. We never involve the innocent in retribution. Surely Victor is simply bluffing to Sergey about this. I notice the way even Grimmy is glancing sideways at Victor, even Grim knows that's too far and he's killed more people than anyone else I know.
"You play dangerous games Sergey, you win dangerous prizes." Victor smirks.
"It's not all bad though, I kept your only son alive when I could have easily killed him too." He says so casually, and glances those snakes eyes at me holding Junior with my gun still pressed to him.
"Take this as a warning Sergey, if you ever cross me again Seven will be handing you back your sons head." Victor warns, and nods an instruction for me to hand over Junior.
When Sergey and his men stand from the table I lower my gun and shove Junior over to them, he practically runs to his dads side.
Sergey says nothing as he exchanges some kind of understanding look with Victor. I guess he'd prefer to keep his woman bashing son alive then argue with Victor. He nods once before leaving with his men, well that went down a lot better than I had thought it would. But Victor has that effect on people, he controls them with fear and it always works out for him. His shoes are big to fill and I don't ever see myself being able to threaten people the way he does, let alone pass out orders to kill someone. Or children for that matter. The thought makes my stomach turn sickly.
"Uncle, can I talk with you?" I request once Sergey and his men have left.
Victor motions for Grimmy and the rest of the men to leave from around him so we can talk in private. I slide into the booth seat directly across from him.
"What is it Seven?" Victor asks, pulling out a fresh cigar and trimming the end of it with a metal cigar cutter. I've seen him chop a mans finger off with the same utensil, maybe not that exact one though.
"I uh, I wanted to ask about what Sergey said. About the women and children on the farms?" I keep my face neutral, not wanting him to pick up on my distress of the possible situation.
"What about them?" Victor eyes me as he strikes a match and lights the end of his cigar.
"Did you kill them?" I let myself ask. He's quiet for a moment, puffing on the thick roll of tobacco leaves.
"No." He finally answers and my shoulders relax.
"I got someone else to do it for me." He speaks and the tension is pumped right back through me. Victor watches me carefully for my reaction. I hold onto my composure, if I were to react emotionally about this he'd think I'm weak. And I'd be given either a punishment or a task to toughen me up.
"I thought laws said we couldn't touch the innocent." I remind him but disguise my accusing tone as a question. Victor simply sighs and shrugs his shoulders.
"Who is to say they were innocent." He challenges me.
"But they were children? I thought the law said both women and children are untouchable in retribution—"
"I am the law Seven. I decide what is untouchable and what isn't. Do you understand me?" Victor says harshly through his teeth and I back down immediately.
"Yes, uncle. I understand." I look down at the table, disturbed by what he's done and his lack of remorse or repentance of his actions. Victor may be the Don of our gang but that certainly doesn't give him the power to blatantly disregard the laws set in place by our founding leaders many many years ago. Does it?
"Have you been staying away from that pretty flower working at the club?" He asks me and my blood runs cold. I'd hoped he'd forgotten about Lilianna.
"Yes, uncle." I lie still staring at the table.
"Good. I'd hate to see something happen to that pretty wee thing if you didn't." Victor threatens and I clench my hands into fists under the table so he can't see them.
I just nod, not trusting my voice after he threatened her, my emotions would give me away.
"Is that all you wanted to discuss?" Victor asks me, puffing on his cigar.
"Yes uncle, that's all." I nod and look up to him.
"Mm. Off you go then. I'll see you up north tomorrow to show you these new contraband runs I need you to manage." He dismisses me and I slide out of the booth and leave.
"You're not staying for a drink?" Curby asks me as I walk past the bar.
"Nah, I got some shit to do." I shake my head and walk out the back, ignoring his pleas for me to have just the one drink with him.
I get in my car and speed home. I feel sick thinking about the innocent children Victor has murdered and wonder if he's ever done something like this before. Surely not. I hope not. My mind wonders to Lilianna and how he threatened her once again, my hands grip the steering wheel tightly as his words run through my mind.
"I'd hate to see something happen to that pretty wee thing."
If Victor knew the whole truth about not only what I'd done with Lilianna but also how I felt about her he wouldn't hesitate to harm her.
"Fuck!" I shout aloud in the car. I don't know what to do. I have to stay away from her to protect her. But I find it so difficult to do that as it is. Seeing her tonight proved that.
I almost kissed her. I wanted to kiss her so badly it took all my strength to deny myself it. I felt that unusual turning in my stomach again when she was practically begging for me to kiss her. I don't know how to explain it but this time it felt kind of nice. I was shocked she actually wanted me to kiss her, especially after seeing her dance with that guy she was clearly into. She could of asked him to kiss her, fuck Lilianna could literally have asked any man there to kiss her and they would have. But she wanted me.
I know she let me touch her up in the changing room that time but I'm not convinced someone like her is genuinely interest in someone like me. Especially with her knowing who I am and what I do. A big part of me thinks it might be some fantasy of hers; to mess around with someone she knows she shouldn't and who isn't good enough for her. It would make sense for someone as perfect as she is to want to rebel down this kind of road for a moment in life, especially after her grandmothers death. I've fucked plenty of girls wanting that bad guy experience, but it's always only for a moment before they go back to their safe, trustworthy, nice guy boyfriends. Not that I care, a fucks a fuck and I've never wanted them more then a night but it's definitely a pattern I've picked up in girls like Lilianna.
The other, much smaller part of me convinces itself that she does genuinely want me. It's the smaller part because it's highly illogical for a girl like Lilianna to want me the way I want her. But every now and then I indulge in those thoughts that she too feels that same magnetic pull to me that I feel for her. I've never been interested in someone before and to be honest it's rather terrifying how intense it feels. The physical reactions my body has to her are sometimes overwhelming that I honestly feel like I might be sick. But the mental shit is a whole new thing for me. I'm always thinking about her, always wondering what she's doing, where she is, who she's with, what she's thinking. I want to know how she's feeling, if she's happy or if she's sad and what's making her feel those things. I want to know literally everything about her and it drives me fucking insane.
I'd never expected to feel this way about someone ever. I'd done everything I'd been told to do to avoid falling into the trap of caring about someone but it's happened anyway. It's not like I wanted to care about her, and it's not like she did anything specifically to gain my interest. It just happened and I couldn't help it.
I slam my front door shut as I stalk through the long hallway, the noise echoing loudly off the white marble floors and through the huge house. Making my way down to the room I'm in search of. I pull the office door open, not caring that it hits the wall at the force of me opening it and stalk over to the floor to ceiling bookshelf. My fingers brush over the old tattered spines of books till they find the metal box wedged between them. I pull the box out and carry it over to the large desk, dropping it on the surface before throwing myself into the large office chair next to it.
My hands fiddle with the intricate lock on the old metal box till the lid pops up slightly and I'm able to flip it open. Taking a deep breath I look down at its contents. I haven't looked in here for sometime, but after uncertain nights like tonight I find it helps give me some kind of grounding.
I look over the various trinkets in the box, a collection of memorabilia of my father. This small box is what I have left of him, what I have to remember him by. I pull out the gold zippo lighter, engraved with our firms bird emblems. The same birds I have tattooed on my chest. I run my thumb over the carved swallows, remembering my father lighting his cigarettes with this very lighter. I place it back in the box and pick up another keep sake, a Rolex watch. His favourite watch that he was wearing when he died. The face is cracked and the battery stopped long ago but I don't feel the need to fix it, this felt the last few beats of his pulse on his wrist before he died. To fix it would feel like I'd be removing those last moments.
The next item is a photograph of my father and I. It's not in the best condition, I use to cling to this photo for a good few years after he died so it's crumpled and torn at the edges. I was nine in the photo, a year before my dad was murdered. He took me out to the beach up the coast, I remember it so well since it's probably my favourite memory with my father. We went swimming in the ocean and got ice creams. He taught me how to analyse the sea and spot rips, saying that people can change just as fast as the tide itself. And that spotting those changes can mean the difference between life and death.
Next I take out the folded piece of paper, glancing over my fathers death certificate before placing it back into the box. Lastly I grab out the smaller little metal box. It's small enough to rest in my palm, the metal is adorned with very intricate patterns all around it. The metal has darkened in places due to its aging and I flick the lid up to examine the inside.
The gold ring sits perfectly wedged within the deep purple pillowing inside the box. My thumb wipes over the large green tourmaline stone in the middle of it. Three gold bands join together to frame the large stone, small diamonds surround the gem, encased by the gold. It's a woman's ring and I use to wonder who it belonged to and why my father had it hidden in his possessions at home. I came to the conclusion it must've belonged to maybe my grandmother or great grandmother, the generation before mine and my fathers which allowed for leaders to take a wife. I knew better than to ask Victor about it, so I kept the ring a secret just as my father had done. I fold the lid back over the ring box and place it back with the rest of the items.
I stare down at the small collection of things that mean something to my dead father and wonder what kind of man he really was. I was so young when he died, maybe I didn't notice the evil streak in him that Victor possess. Would my father have done the same? Would he have gone against our laws and killed woman and children? As much as I try to see it objectively I just can't picture that same man in my memory at the beach making those decisions like Victor has. Deep down I believe my father was a completely different ruler, the respect he gained wasn't conjured through fear but that was possibly his downfall. Maybe if his best friend had feared him enough he wouldn't of crossed him.
Times like this I wished my father was here, I could talk to him about Lilianna. Ask him if what I was feeling really was foolish, if she really was making me weak. I wonder if my father would had sympathised, but then again Victor is only hard on me about being close with her because of my fathers death.
To think his best friend chose a woman over him use to disturb me, but I'd never understood that feeling of being close to someone in that way or at least now I understand the want to be close with someone in that way.
I imagine myself in that same situation, would I give up someone like Curby for instance, if it meant I got Lilianna?
As soon as I entertain the thought my heart begins to race. My stomach drops and I slam the lid closed on the box in front of me.
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