The hard way.
I was hoping the young man would still be of use, providing more details with regard to Church Exports. That's why he remained on ice, waiting for my personal interrogation.
The illegal drugs coming into my port on my turf was unacceptable. I had to escalate my plans to eliminate Mr. Church sooner versus later. I had the distinct feeling that my family's other enemies would smell blood in the water, becoming piranhas within days. I couldn't allow that to happen. I held the glass of scotch to my head, not looking forward to telling my father the sordid details.
I had no doubt I'd be blamed for the mess.
I'd spent perhaps too much time researching her background. She'd carefully covered up her tracks, just as she'd managed to hide her real identity from almost everyone. But I wasn't just anyone. I had my sources, men trained to find anyone I required. Still, she'd lived the majority of her life in anonymity. I hadn't even been able to make a connection to Peter in an official manner.
It was as if she'd been erased from the record books.
My frustration was growing.
"She's a handful, boss," Maksim said as he entered the room. "Who is she? You almost never bring a woman here, certainly not to stay."
"Be careful of your tone, Maksim. I don't like to be questioned." He was right. No woman had ever spent the night in my house. No one was good enough. I was particular for several reasons, including making certain the location of my home remained a secret. I had far too many enemies, those who would enjoy destroying what personal life I'd manage to salvage over the years.
The thought brought memories into my mind, beautiful images of the other man I'd once been, someone who believed in happy ever after. Another time. Instead of the brutal bastard I'd become. I pushed the random thoughts aside, refusing the ugliness.
"Yes, boss." He moved closer, lifting a single eyebrow. "I apologize. I didn't mean to offend you."
Sighing, I moved toward the folder I'd placed on the desk, swirling my finger across the unopened top. Taking out my frustration on my employees wasn't going to change anything. "You didn't, Maksim, but we have a problem. The man you hunted down for me. Is he secure?"
"Very. Got him locked away, just awaiting your orders."
I could almost hear excitement in his voice. "I'll be handling the issue personally but first I need your help in tracking down information."
"All right. Whadya need, boss?"
"Church Exports. They are becoming a player and you know what that means. I need you to gather information on the streets. Find out if anyone is talking about them and if they are, I need to know in what regard." I heard the edge in my voice but now wasn't the time to back down. I had to act swiftly.
"I've heard the name, but they're legit. Two-bit assholes pawning off religious artifacts to unsuspecting customers." He laughed until he noticed my serious expression.
"Not any longer. They're moving in on our turf. Drugs and the kind that kill. Maybe more. I must know everything you can find. Get your best and most brutal men on this but use some restraint. I do not want any unnecessary bloodshed. Do you understand?"
Maksim nodded. "Absolutely. What can I expect?"
I thought about his question for a moment before answering, "Chaos."
"If you'll excuse my ignorance, they have no soldiers to speak of, at least none that have made their presence known. Why don't we just take them out, alleviate the problem?"
Maksim's point was well taken. The easiest route was simply to eliminate the threat in any way possible. "Because we don't want that kind of notoriety curtailing our business. He has dozens of investors, powerful men in their own right. From what I've heard, the body count has already increased, which will put extra pressure on our operation. We need to be diligent in everything we do." The information provided by Miguel had included a full list of people possible involved, some wielding enough power to force us into shutting down for a time. I simply couldn't take the chance, not when things were going so well. I also had very personal reasons.
One that had altered my life forever.
"All right. Makes sense. And the girl?"
"She's off limits. Mine to deal with and punish. If she becomes an issue, including attempting escape, you will stop her at all costs. I also want no one else to know she's here." Only Maksim had learned I had a guest. I wanted to make certain it remained that way. I doubted that Peter had any idea she was missing. That would soon change.
"Of course, boss." He glanced around the room, taking a step closer. "What about Dimitri?"
Planting my hands on the cool surface, I leaned over the desk. "Secure at least for now. I need to get this under control."
"Good enough. I'll report in later."
"Excellent. Just make certain we keep this on a lockdown. I don't want anyone on the street to have any idea."
Maksim gave me a pensive look, hesitating. I could tell he had more questions than I was ready to answer, but he knew me better than most, merely nodding out of respect before heading to the door.
"One more thing," I said under my breath.
He turned, another sly smile creeping across his face. He knew my tendencies, the need to control everything around me. "What do you need, boss?"
"Find out everything you can about Willow Church and her alias Roxy." If she'd even used that name before.
"Anything in particular?"
I thought about the question, uncertain of what I was actually looking for. "Where she went to school. Where she was born. The basics."
"Not a problem."
Was I trying to ascertain whether I could trust her? Perhaps. She was a woman with deep, dark secrets and I was determined to find out everything about them, including her weaknesses.
I waited until he left before polishing off my drink. I had a bad feeling that things were going to become violent in the streets. What I'd learned in my handling the oversight of our brotherhood was that the majority of people craved someone taking the lead, forcing rules and methods of punishment. They thrived on following behind leaders like good lap dogs. Upsetting their daily routine only proved to create additional work on my end.
I had zero patience at this point.
I turned and gazed out the window, glancing at the moon already rising above the horizon. The nights came early in the fall, the time of day I enjoyed the most. My people knew better than to bother me at night for fear of facing my wrath. I could trust all of them, knowing Maksim had a firm hold on controlling the other Bratoks, although only my father insisted on using the old Russian terms. He'd been indoctrinated into the Solntsevskaya Bratva by my grandfather, a man rising from the vicious labor camps. My father's own rise to the elite group, highly feared amongst all those living in the mother country, had fueled his ambition, making him one of the most dangerous soldiers.