A Pole and a Gun

29 - Courage

♤ DIMITRI

The next morning, I untangle my limbs from a sleeping Trixie. We passed out last night after all the exertions, wrapped in each other, craving the connection we share.

She lies with her head on my chest, her chocolate hair in waves around her face, and the black bruise around her eyes setting. In the light that peeks through the curtains, the slap Pavel had given her was clear as day. My beautiful Malyshka has endured too much.

And those bastards were going to pay.

I dress quickly, leave a soft peck on Trixie's forehead and saunter into the kitchen before checking in with Dominic. He had all night to hack into Tolderov's system and he must've found something by now.

Nikolai Tolderov is around Babushka's age and keeping up with technology as much as that generation tries isn't that easy. His equipment is ancient. I just hope he has a digital back-up of the transactions he made with Sergei, so that we have enough to confront him with.

I'm so close to providing a full case to my father, and to nail Sergei once and for all. My fingers itch to shape his face into a whole new one. I want to pound my fist into his face so hard until not even his mother recognizes him. If aunt Malayna was sober enough, maybe she would notice the scumbag of a son she has.

"Hey boss," Kristof salutes when he passes the kitchen.

I give him a curt nod and concentrate on my shot of caffeine.

"What's the plan?" he asks, frowning deeply at me. Anger simmers in his gaze, mirroring my own inner turmoil.

"Plan?" I stare back at him, lost in thoughts.

"You're not letting Sergei get away with that?" Kristof thumbs over his shoulder.

He's referring to the kidnapping and obvious ignorance of my family. Trixie should have been safe under my protection. And yet the bastard made a move, anyway. Shooting Pavel was only a silly bandage on a superficial wound. My thirst for revenge on his motherfucking ass was not nearly sated.

"Absolutely not," I bark. "I want information. Yesterday!" I slam the mug with force against the counter and the handle breaks off from the impact.

I heave a sigh and drop the porcelain in the bin while I weave my hand in my already messy hair. This entire situation is grating on my nerves and every step we take in one direction ricochets back with another blow.

This man needs to pay. Nobody fucks with me. He believes to be untouchable, stealing my merchandise from right under the nose of my men and me. This ends today.

I walk to my office in silence. The tapping of my leather clad feet and those of Kristof following me are the only sound engulfing us. My men have never seen me like this, hanging on to a fine thread before going on a full rampage, bringing everyone around me down as I barrel through. But I have to be smart about this. Sergei has proven to me that he has two or three brain cells left in that thick head of his.

Nox is already sitting on the chair in front of my desk, and Kristof takes his seat on the couch in the corner. My friend and guard, looks at me expectantly, waiting for me to spew orders to fuck this shit up and blow some holes in the skulls of Sergei's men.

I sit behind my desk and call Dominic, my head of surveillance.

"What have you got?" I bark into the receiver and place my phone on my desk, clicking the speaker button.

"I did a swipe of the entire drive and what I found is equal parts interesting and disgusting," Dominic's voice booms through.

"Don't keep me waiting." I tap my fingers on the keyboard, pulling up the CCTV feed from the hangar.

Dominic scrapes his throat, and I feel he is nervous and getting restless about certain information he has for me, "Mr Bendorova..."

"Oh, come on," I sigh, exasperatedly. "Spit it out, Dominic."

"Ehm, I think I should warn you about a small crush Tolderov may have on your Babushka."

"What?" I growl.

"He made this creepy collage and other stuff," Dominic is dragging the words, hoping to avoid the backfire of my rage, but it's just another fucking drop in an overflowing glass. Nox doesn't hold back, and a snort leaves his nose, trying to contain a belly full of laughter.

"I'll deal with that shit later." Oh good, just what we need, another stupid asshole. "Get to the point."

"Right," Dominic coughs and Nox and Kristof scoot closer to the desk. "Tolderov kept records of all the extra transactions and the side hustles with Sergei. I can see that in the beginning they had their own setup, but lately they have been getting greedier and sloppier and started messing with the Bendorova finances and some inside work." I receive an email with files and screenshots. Fortunately, Dominic is sane enough to not send me Tolderov's 'art' and keep it to the information I need.

I compile everything in an email, with the audio files and some pictures I took from the video footage; that I forward to Andreas and Aleksei. I can't be too careful, and I think keeping them both in the loop on what is going on is my safest bet.

As soon as I'm done, I pick up the phone and call my father.

He picks up at the third tone. "Dimitri."

"Permission to proceed?" I ask.

I feel the seconds ticking away like hours as I imagine my father eying his laptop after the bomb I dropped in his lap. I've built my case, provided all the information and now I just have to wait for his permission to go hunt a family member.

"Granted," he says flatly, and cuts the line.

"Well, guys," Trixie announces, leaning against the door. I hadn't heard her even come in, but from the look on her face, she has been here a while. "I don't care how or when. But I'm coming with you," she cracks her knuckles like she has seen me do on multiple occasions. "That asswipe is going to wish he never laid his hands on me."

A smile graces my lips. Under different circumstances, I would say 'fuck no,' but I know that she is as hell bent on getting revenge as I am. Life is hard, but at least with Trixie by my side, it won't be boring.