“Kazimir Markovic! Put down your weapon!”
Kaz kept his gun exactly where it was, but did lift his gaze just far enough to take in the officers. He didn’t recognize them, and doubted they were his father’s men, who could be bought off for the right price … so how did they know his name?
It dawned on him quite slowly at first as he took in the scene around him, realizing how it made him look. He was the only one standing there with a gun at that very moment, and as quickly as he had been surrounded just moments prior, the men had already climbed back into their cars.
This time, Kaz did smile.
He’d been fucking played.
“Markovic, we will not ask again! Drop your weapon and put your hands where we can see them!”
Turning that smile to Alberto, he didn’t take his eyes off the man as he did what he was told, placing his gun at his feet before holding his hands, palms out for them to see.
“This isn’t over, Gallucci. This won’t ever be over.”
He could almost see Alberto frown as his words penetrated, but Kaz lost sight of him as he was grabbed and shoved onto the hood of the car, his arms wrenched behind his back. He thought he heard Violet’s cries as one of the officers read him his rights; he could almost imagine he heard her pleading for him, but as he was forced up, and pushed toward the squad car, he knew he would never be able to get that sound out of his head.
Officer Barnes, from the name on his tag, had a hand to Kaz’s head and was about to push him down into the car when they all paused at the sight of Vera running out the house. At first, Kaz thought she was coming for him, but then he noticed her attention was on something past him.
And more, her curses and words weren’t spoken in English.
But Russian …
Kaz turned to look over his shoulder, trying to see who his sister was yelling at, but knew with a gut feeling who it would be.
It didn’t make sense otherwise.
How could they have known he and Violet were at Vera’s place at all?
There were only two people that knew where Kaz would go if he was in trouble, it had been that way since they were children, but only one of those two people did Kaz know would not give that information to anyone.
He didn’t know how he had his fingers dipped in this one, but Kaz didn’t doubt that his father was behind this.
He only got a glimpse of Vasily before he was being forced into the car, the door slammed shut after. Already, the fleet of cars that belonged to the Gallucci family were vanishing out of view.
Kaz didn’t have time to reflect on that, not when the officers were climbing in the car themselves, it was only moments later when they were pulling off.
“You’re lucky the boss’s daughter was there,” Barnes said from the front seat, glancing back at him. “He went easy on you for her sake.”
Boss? Kaz was trying to piece together what the man was saying when it clicked. The reason why he didn’t recognize them was because they worked for the opposite side.
They were on Alberto’s payroll.
Shit. Why hadn’t he thought of that before?
The panic must have shown in his face because the one driving laughed.
“Don’t worry, Markovic,” the officer said looking away from the rearview mirror as he pulled onto the interstate. “You’re not going to die tonight.”
Violet yanked her arm out of her father’s grasp, turning in the seat to stare out the rearview window. It killed her—killed her—to watch the police shove a handcuffed Kaz into the back of a police car. It wasn’t long before her view was obstructed by moving cars, and then their vehicle was taking a corner, leaving the scene behind.
She felt the hot tears crawl down her cheeks, her breaths coming out hard and fast with each one.
The man who had attacked Kaz—she hadn’t seen him rush in from the side until it was too late. She should have warned Kaz somehow.
“Turn around,” Alberto said, calm and seemingly happy.
Violet didn't listen.
Carmine was too busy holding his broken jaw, cursing in a mumbled way every so often, to care about his sister or his father.
The next box I hold will belong to his heart.
That’s what her father had said.
It was the only reason she came out of the house, even knowing she shouldn’t.
That fear—the terror—sent her running.
But it wasn't quite enough to make her go when her father demanded she should. She didn’t belong with her father, she wanted Kaz.
“Violet, turn around and sit,” Alberto said.
She still didn’t give him what he wanted.
Without warning, her father grabbed her arm and twisted, making pain shoot through her shoulder as he forced her to sit in the seat properly.
Alberto didn’t let her go, his fingernails digging into her skin.
Violet hissed. “Let me go.”
“There, that’s better,” Alberto said like she hadn’t uttered a thing.