Chapter 18

**ALEXI POV**

I walk out of the room, making sure to lock the door, i might be giving her freedom of movement, but not until i can trust that she won’t run. I don’t have the time or the patience to be chasing her around this city. It is better for her to stay where i can keep an eye on her for now, at least until i increase the guards around the mansion and give them all her photo.

I walk into the kitchen, surprised to see Nikolai sat at the table, two coffee cups in front of him, steaming and black, just the way that we like them.

I smirk, “This some kind of intervention, friend?”

I don’t have time for his shit, i have better things to do than explain myself, it was my decision to bring her here, and it’ll be my head on the fucking chopping block if it all goes wrong.

I don’t need their fucking opinion. Just their muscle.

Maybe some fucking loyalty.

“You know i do not care what you do with the people we capture.” he says, accent thick as he shrugs his shoulders, pushing a cup towards me, “Sit with me, i just got back from a hunt.”

I sit, smirking. “Ah yes, i promised you blood, didn’t i?” i shake my head, unable to hold back my laughter, “Who did you kill?”

Nikolai smiles back at me, “A couple of low life's, not one will ever know they are gone.”

I nod, taking a long chug of the coffee, the burning in my throat soothing, “So you are not going to ask why i decided to keep her?”

“I don’t need to know why.” he says, watching the basement door, “I just need to know how far i am allowed to go when she fucks it up.”

“I want her alive.” i tell him, my voice cool, but not cold.

My men are loyal, i do not know why i ever questioned it. They are like family to me; we have been one unit for a lot of years. More years than i have been in power. They have never once failed me, and i doubt that they will.

They are more than family; we share a single soul.

Nikolai nods, draining his cup of coffee. “Let me know if that changes, i will be happy to take the runner to the warehouse.”

Nikolai doesn’t care whether you are male or female, once you betray us, you are the enemy. There is no going back from that. Not for anyone.

But the rule stands, even with him, no children.

“I didn’t know where you had disappeared to, i sent Misha on a job without you.” i say, “He’s tracking down the male runner, Jack, and Stephanie’s little sister.”

“Why would you need the sister?” he asks, “For blackmail?”

I shake my head, “She is still a child, we are removing her from the care of her foster father and placing her somewhere safe.”

I watch as his hands clench, “What did he do?”

I lean my arm on the counter, staring at the screen on the table, my little Malyshka still sound asleep, “I don’t know the extent of it yet, all i know is Stephanie only took up the gig as a runner to protect her, she had little or no choice.”

“There is always a choice, she could have run.” he says, sounding bored, “I fucking hate that, everyone has a choice, she just chose fucking wrong.”

He better what his mouth, or i might just cut out his tongue.

“That’s the thing, Nikolai.” i say slowly, unsure why i am getting so angry. “She DID run, it got her nowhere, so she did the only thing that she could, all whilst hiding some of the money to pay for her sister’s future. A future she knew she would never live to see.”

Nikolai looks at the small girl asleep on the screen, and for one moment, one split second, i am certain i see pride in his eyes. But it is gone so quickly that i cannot be sure.

Not a lot gains my second in commands respect but love for family does, more than any physical act of bravery.

“If you think that she is good enough for you, then i will protect her with my life, you know this already.” he says, shaking his head, “But once you find out who is behind all of this, you let me know, because i am going hunting again, and this time, there will be a trail of blood to follow.”

I smile, flashing my teeth, “I already know who it is, and i am already liquidating his assets.” i say, my voice colder than ice, “I want him to sweat before he finally get him. I want him to know that he fucked with the wrong people.”

“I can make him regret it in a single evening, why waste time destroying his money?” he asks, furious, “We have enough money, we have no need for his.”

“It’s not about the money.” i snap back, “It’s about putting the fear of what we will do into the minds of anyone else who thinks that they can fuck with us.”

He watches me for several seconds and then he nods, “I will ring Misha and ask for an update.” he says, “I will see if he needs any backup. You deal with the political side, i never had any care for it.”

He stands, heading for the door, but i call him back, “You can torture the boy, Jack, but not in front of the girl, i don’t need the headache of having to pay for her therapy.” he goes to leave again, and i stop him. “I also need Jack alive for something but do what you want other than that.”

Nikolai nods, eyes dark. “Anything else?”

He is itching for the hunt, and when he does, little can stop him, not even my orders. I am lucky he is stood here listening to me at all.

That's the thing about Nikolai, he has no second thoughts, he doesn’t care who he hurts to get the job done. That is why he is the best.

“Nothing else.” i say, going back to staring at the screen.

I don’t even hear him leave, and that’s when i know, jack won’t make it until dawn.

Nikolai is on the war path, and he cannot get to David, so he will get to his runner.

I wonder how my little malyshka will feel to know that her foster brother is facing a fate much worse than her for their crimes.

They fucked with the wrong man, and his demons are coming for them. All of them.

Luckily for her, my demon wanted to keep her. Not tear her apart.