A Treacherous King- Dark Mafia Romance

eleven

Caine
An all consuming rage is simmering in my chest. I feel blinded by white hot fury. Vlad. The motherfucker had hijacked my shipment.

Leo had relayed the events to me on our phone call. They were waiting for the boat to dock when shots were fired from the top floor of the old cotton spinning factory situated on the bank of the river.

Simon had been hit.

Leo managed to drag him into an abandoned building behind the factory, but they were surrounded. Leo couldn't protect the both of them while trying to carry Simon to safety. They were left with no choice but to hide out until backup came.

Focusing on the erratic beat of my heart pumping blood faster than it should be was the only thing keeping me from coming unhinged. I mentally push all other thoughts to the back of my head. Now was not the time to think about how my cock had hardened, pressing the American up against those roses. Or how sweet her skin had tasted as I drug my tongue along her ear. Those were traitorous thoughts. Thoughts I would not be revisiting again.

I instead need to focus my attention on saving what's left of my men. It's my fault for underestimating Vlad and his wishes to overthrow me. Only my close confidants knew about tonight's shipment. Including Ivan. He was no doubt the traitor with loose lips that had tipped Vlad off.

Vlad had sent his soldiers to ambush my men. Now they are dead because of me. All because I hadn't taken out Ivan when I had the chance. I would not make the same mistake again. He'd betrayed me in the worst way. He had put my family in danger. Ivan was to die.

The American is holding on for dear life as I race across the city. I hadn't been thinking clearly when I had demanded her to follow me. She had the bullet proof vest I had thrown her, strapped tight against her chest. She held a fierce grip on the seatbelt strapped around her, a look of fear in her eyes. The smear of blood from the flat of my knife stained her cheek.

I had been out of mind, completely lost in a haze trapping her in my garden. I had cut her. A small stream of dried blood trailed down her neck, a reminder of what I was fully capable of. She makes me crazy. That was clear. She makes me into a monster. I had felt like an untamed animal, breathing her in. Her fear is calling on the darkest parts of me. Darkness I had suppressed for years.

A full moon illuminates the sky along with a spattering of distant stars. I can see the reflection of it on the water as we speed down a gravel road along the bank of the river.

I slow up as the old factory comes into view. I pull the car over onto the side of the road, and turn the headlights off. In the rear view mirror I can see headlights from several cars approaching, Maks pulling in directly behind us.

"Stay here." I tell the American as I get out of the car.

"What's the plan?" Maks asks, as I retrieve the duffel bag from the backseat. He's dressed in all black, a submachine gun resting in his arms.

"Don't have one." I say while strapping my own bullet proof vest around me. I pull one of my pant legs up, strapping a knife on me.

"You give the order and stay here. We've got it." Maks motions behind him at the other enforcers patiently waiting for my call.

"When have I ever backed down from a gunfight?" I remark.

A wicked gleam flashes in Maks's eyes. "On your signal then boss."

"Leo and Simon are holed up on the top floor of that building." I say, pointing out the abandoned building behind the factory. "Leo said Vlad's men seem to be waiting them out. We won't be lucky enough to catch them off guard. They probably assume Leo called for backup. If they catch sight of us, they will shoot."

"How many?" Maks asks, inquiring of the size of Vlad's army.

"Leo counted at least twenty." A grimace passes over Maks's face.

"Shit. Only eight men were here tonight. That means..." He trails off.

"Six of my men are dead. Leo said they were only able to pick off about five of the fuckers before they had to retreat. That leaves approximately fifteen left." I survey the men around me. There's twelve including Maks and I. Uneven but it will have to work.

"We split up. Six take the old factory and six follow me to Leo and Simon." Maks nods in agreement. I go around the front of the car and jerk open the passenger side door. The American looks up at me wide eyed. "Let's go." I say, motioning for her to get out of the car.

"Wh..what am I supposed to do?" She says fear with a bit of defiance mixed in her tone. I grab her arm and pull her around to the back of the car. Maks regards her with a look of surprise but he doesn't say anything.

She jerks her arm away from my hold on her, then her eyes take in the sight of Maks and the other men with a look of dread.

"Wait. What is this? Is this some secret spy mission or something." Annoyance seeps into my bones. I don't have time for this shit. I check the rounds on one of my 9 mms and hand it to her. A look of utter shock crosses her features. I can read her thoughts like they were written in bold font and laid out before me. My captor just gave me a gun.

"Before you even think about using that against me, just know that these men have vowed with their blood to protect me. If you aim that gun in my direction, they have the order to take you out. Understand?" She clenches her jaw and rolls her eyes.

"Fine." She says, sounding like a scalded teenager.

"You're going to stay right behind me." She gives me a reproachful look but nods.

"Let's go." I motion with my fingers. Maks takes the lead as we all file out alongside the road. We're concealed for the most part by tall grass, allowing us to blend in. However, when we approach the two old buildings, the grass becomes scarce.

The overgrown weeds are replaced with gravel and dirt. I can see figures in the distance. I count eight near the bank of the river. It looks like they're pilfering through the shipping crates filled with guns. The other six enforcers are nowhere in sight. This makes me hesitant. I pray that they haven't breached Leo and Simon's hiding place. I hope against all odds, that they are still alive.

Maks is crouched down in the tall grass, to the left of me. When I give him a head nod he signals for his men to follow him. They cross the road, darkness quickly swallowing them up.

I glance behind me to find the American crouched down, holding my 9 mm like it's her life source. The light from the moon is reflected in her dark eyes, as she looks at me expectantly.

"You see that old shipping crate next to the building?" She follows my gaze and then nods. "On my count, make a run for it and take cover behind it. Got it?" She releases a breath.

"Okay." She says shakily. I nod my head at the men beside me. They know what to do.

"One. Two. Three."