It didn't take long to get he bar cleaned with everybody's help. After more patrons started coming in I put Alex in charge while I did a bank run before they closed for the day. When I got back Mikhail and his men were nowhere to be found. I stopped behind the bar and asked Alex if she'd seen them.
"Yeah they headed to your office about 2-3 minutes ago."
"Thank's!" I said quickly as I made my way down the hall and into my office.
By the time I got there it was too late, they were all gathered round the TV watching the event's from the previous night unfold.
"Red, come stand by me." Mikhail ushered me to his side.
"I was able to get the footage from the building you were held up in for the hit as well. This way we can hopefully get a clearer picture of what exactly happened from start to finish that night." he said.
All I could do was stand there and watch it happen all over again. I saw myself darting down the corridor's and jumping from staircase to staircase. The men were excited and in awe of my skill's. They were totally entranced, even Mikhail seemed to be impressed at my nimbleness.
Then the show ended, one of Mikhail's men, Ivan I think is his name, took out the tape and replaced it with a different one then hit play. I saw the parking garage, clear as crystal. This video was in HD. But why in the hell would the video of a parking garage be in HD?
"Mikhail, why's the video quality so good? It's a parking garage. What gives?"
"Yeah, these cameras are actually pretty new, records show they were installed about three day's prior to the hit. The man you...the target, was some big, rich money man for the mob. He had a few very expensive car's in that garage. He payed out of pocket himself to have the whole place wired with new cameras. Lucky for us."
"Yeah....lucky."
I cringed as I saw him. The black eyed man, he was apparently giving orders to the other men right outside the garage. Thankfully there was no sound to accompany the video. I relaxed a bit at least until Mikhail grabbed the remote.
"What are you doing? See something? Hey, that's the TV remote it won't work the VCR."
"I know. I'm turning up the volume."
"Volume?! There's sound?!"
"Da, according to the receipts we found when we searched the targets office, these are top of the line. They have night vision, background noise canceling full sound, and full HD picture with accompanied 8X Zoom feature. This guy wasn't messing around."
"No...he wasn't."
I looked back at the TV in time to see myself launching my body up the guy's chest and landing on his shoulder's. The men hooped and hollered in excitement. I heard some of them conversing.
"Watch this I bet she nails him." exclaimed Ivan.
"Oh I bet he felt that today!'' laughed Broli.
"She's amazing, look how fast she is, and precise." Alexi said in awe.
I glanced over at Mikhail, he was watching along with his men, a smile played at the corners of his lips. I used my power to view his aura and was very surprised to see it alight with pride and admiration.
I jerked my attention back to the TV once I heard the deep, disgusting laugh I'd come to loath. The room fell into an eerie silence as we all watched what transpired next. Smiles faded and were quickly replaced with a mixture of expressions, ranging from scowls, to shock, to total disgusting hatred.
Mikhail's arms were tightly crossed over his chest now. His jaw was set and tight. I could tell he was grinding his teeth. I looked back at the TV, memories, like ghosts haunted me.
"Before we're done....I'll strap you down and not only will I beat you till your on the very brink of death, I'll ride you like the bitch you are...over and over and over until I get tired of your mangled up ass then I'll finish you off. In the most merciless, drawn out way imaginable. Don't you dare for one second think this is over."
The tape stopped.
The room was silent, not even air dared move. Mikhail held the remote fast in his hand. He was staring at the screen. He had paused it just as the black-eyed man turned around. After a long pause he spoke. His word's were strained.
"This is the man who was in here looking for you this evening." more a statement then a question.
"Yes." I said as strongly as I could. I couldn't stop staring at my half naked and bloodied body on the TV.
"Alexi, Viktor take the men to the Manor and patrol the ground's until I return." Mikhail said in a stern commanding voice.
"Mikhail? What are you going to do?" I said unsure.
"What I should have done that night. End this."
All the men had turned to either face myself or Mikhail now. One of them stood and stepped forward, Alexi's brother Viktor I believe.
"You are our Queen, Mikhail, our King. That....worm violated our Queen. This will not stand! I go with you my King."
"As will I!" Alexi stated as he too came to stand next to his brother.
"I will fight for the honor of our Queen!" Ivan exclaimed.
Soon all the men had come to stand next to us, proclaiming their devotion to me. As touching and heart warming as it was I couldn't make peace with it. I wouldn't let others fight my battles. Before I could say anything Mikhail spoke.
"Alexi, Viktor, Ivan, Broli, Vlad you are to come with me. The rest of you, guard your Queen."
"Da, ser!" they said in unison as they all saluted.
"HOLD UP! Now y'all seem to forget a lil somethin here. I'm a trained assassin. I've been taking care of myself since long before y'all showed up. Now, I appreciate you wanting to protect me. But, I can handle my own."
They looked from me to Mikhail.
"Leave us." was all Mikhail said as he stared deep into my eye's.
Once everyone was gone and the door was shut Mikhail calmly walked to the TV and shut it off. He stood with his back to me for what felt like a very, very long time. I started to question what was happening. Was he mad at me for not telling him I wondered.
"Redalia....." he stopped.
"I'm so...I'm so sorry Mikhail. I was ashamed, I still am."
He turned so quickly I didn't have time to react, the next thing I knew he swept me into his arms and held me there. I felt his anger dissipate and knew in that moment he was never mad at me. He held onto me tightly.
"Let it go."
"Huh? Let what go?"
"Redalia...let it go."
"I don't know what your talking about." I tried to pull away but he held me to his chest.
"Let it go, Redalia. I'm here."
"Mikhail, stop it. I have to go."
"Stop running from it. Just let it go."
"Stop!"
"No, I'm here for you."
That was it, I couldn't hold back the tears any longer. They came rushing down my cheek's like a flood. I leaned into him and beat my fists against his chest. I screamed into his shirt, he just held me. I hit him, hard. I knew it hurt him but it made me feel better.
I continued my assault until I was so tired I could no longer shed a single tear drop. He loosened his grip a bit and retrieved a tissue from my desk, after wiping my eye's he pulled back to look into my face.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean too..."
"Redalia, you can't lock it up. The longer you cage the pain the worse it will fester. I am always here for you, no matter what. But, I can not stand by and let what he did to you go. I'm going after him, and I'm going to make him wish had never laid eye's on your beautiful face."
He brought his hand up and caressed my cheek before tilting my head and gently kissing me. His lips were warm and inviting. I felt so alive when he touched me, so exuberant! I never wanted it to end.
I leaned into him and wrapped my arms around his neck, he in turn let his arms circle my waist and draw me even closer. His mouth took on an urgency all of a sudden, as if he couldn't get enough of me, I knew the feeling and returned it to him ten fold.
I moaned slightly as he ran a hand through my hair. I broke the kiss and leaned my head back so that he could leave a trail of kisses down my throat. He backed me against the wall and grabbed my ass as he lifted me up so I could wrap my legs around him.
Suddenly he stopped. I felt him rest his head against my collarbone, he started to put me down and step away but I stopped him.
"What is it?"
He remained silent.
"Mikhail what is it?"
I placed my hand where he had laid the last kiss. Sure enough there under my finger tip's I felt the raised scar's from where Conall had tried to mate with me. All of a sudden I had a vision. I saw myself in a bright valley, talking with a giant black wolf, it was Korol', I'd know him anywhere. He was telling me about the Mates Bite.
I flashed back to reality and grabbed my head as I slid down the wall. Mikhail was there to catch me in an instant. It all came flooding back. The valley, the wolf, the pond, the dragonfly....the Mates Bite.
"The Mates Bite..." I whispered as I held my head.
"Red, what is wrong?" came the thick Russian accent I had grown to love hearing.
"The Mates Bite!" I exclaimed as I looked up at him.
"What about it?" he said, eying me suspiciously.
"Mikhail, I never returned The Mates Bite to Conall. I'm not bound to him! Oh my Goddess, Conall! I saw him today. Well I had a meeting with him I mean."
"Your making no sense Dorogoy (dearest). Wait, you met with Conall? ALONE? Redalia he could have hurt you or worse... What made you think this was good idea?!"
"He want's to meet you." I said simply as I let my arms rest on my knee's.
"Of all the....he what? You didn't tell him...who I am did you?"
"No, I'm good to my word. I had to tell him the truth though, and he want's to meet his brother. He understands everything now, and he feel's so ashamed and terrible. Mikhail, I told him I'd never be able to forgive him for what he did. I think that hurt worst of all." I looked away as memories came haunting again.
Mikhail bent to rest on his heel's, then he took my face in his hand and rubbed my cheek softly.
"You have nothing to feel bad about. I want to meet him, tonight. Can you make it happen? After I deal with this....current situation."
"I can. Oh wait I won't be here. I've been Summoned by the Council. I'm to meet them tonight at Dogwood Grove at nine o'clock sharp. Beliad was the one to deliver that little ol tid bit to my door today."
"Beliad Cane? Fourth chair holder on the council of THE ELITE?" he asked.
"Yes, but how did you...ya know what. Never mind, I give up on askin. Anyway, I can set up the meeting for you but I can't come tonight. I'm sorry sugar."
"It's fine, do you want me to accompany you tonight instead?"
"Oh no, they summoned me because they think I didn't complete my contract, the very same contract that, that big guy that was in here today was talking about."
"But he said you killed his leader."
"Exactly, Dumask must not have gotten the intel yet. It's ok I'll swing by and let them know he's dead and they need to check their sources again."
"It's nearly 8:30 now, how far away is this Dogwood Grove?"
"Not to terribly far. I oughtta be there and back at the house in about an hour or two."
"Then I will wait for you there. After....I take care of a few thing's."
"Oh, not gonna meet up with Conall tonight then?" I knew he was talking about the black eyed man, I chose to ignore it. Normal conversation was hard to come by these day's, I cherish it.
"I would prefer you join me on that particular endeavor."
"Ok, not a problem. I need to be heading out or I WILL end up being late." I laughed as I reached for his hand then playfully pushed him backwards onto his very nice tush.
I stood and dusted myself off, like I had too. Alex keep's everything so clean you can practically eat off of any surface around the bar. Then I turned to the secret exit behind my bookcase. I opened the door and looked over my shoulder one last time before leaving. Mikhail was standing by my desk now.
"Hey, how about you and me hang out tonight and watch a movie?"
"A movie would be nice. You will call if you have trouble?"
"Trouble I can't handle you mean? Yeah, sure." I winked then was gone.
My last view was him shaking his head and smiling, No seriously it was an honest to goodness smile. I couldn't help but smile to myself as I walked out to my truck, Once inside I took a few deep breath's and just enjoyed the silence for a moment before turning the key and heading down the road to the abandoned church off I-79.
I didn't turn on the radio, I just wanted silence for a while. So I
could think and reflect on everything that had happened. I knew at this very moment Mikhail was on his way to find the black eyed man. I still didn't like the idea of him and the boy's taking on the guy I should have been fighting, but he seemed incorrigible.
I pulled into the old overgrown parking lot and turned off the truck. We often used the Dogwood Grove for secret meeting's for just myself and the council. It was the only place we felt safe. I looked around but saw no other vehicles. A glance down at my phone told me it was 9:05.
THE ELITE council was never late. I started to become a tad suspicions but brushed it off as being left over jitters from the asshole in the bar earlier and then having to relive the horror on the tape in my office. As I made my way to our usual place inside the run down church's garden I noticed none of the grass or growth had been trampled down or cut.
Now my whole body was telling me something was wrong, I went on high alert. I slowly started backing away from the garden in hopes I could make it back to my truck before something happened. I was very wrong, yet again.
"Well, Well what have we got here?" came a deep, gruff voice from somewhere in the shadows. I sent out my feelers to find him but no luck, he was being cloaked.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
"Forgotten me already? I'm insulted. I figured, with how intimate we been you'd remember me pretty easily."
I stepped a little closer to my truck. The voice laughed, I knew that laugh! A cold chill ran down my spine instantly.
"I know who you are, your the pig from the parking garage."
"Pig?! I got a pig for ya sweetheart, a nice big fat hog. He's dripping wet with anticipation."
"Shut up you misogynistic asshole" I hissed.
"Oh, touchy, touchy. I love it when they play hard to get! Oh baby I'm gonna make you scream!"
"The only thing you'll be making me do, is vomit! Come on out and fight me fair. Or are you scared I'll break your poor little cock off and feed it to the wolves?"
Well that got his attention. He growled his anger and stepped out from behind an old pillar of the once beautiful gazebo. He smiled that toothy, vicious smile at me. He was different now, something about him had changed.
He was still ugly, evil, and stupid but now he seemed...powerful. I couldn't quite figure it out but he seemed as if he felt nothing could touch him. Man where was Mikhail and the boys when you needed them.
Just then I remembered something Mikhail had told me about us. I hoped this worked.
"I-79, old abandoned and falling in church, Dogwood Grove in the back, Black eye's!" was all I could get out before the monster was lunging himself towards me.
I dodged easy enough and spun round on my heel to see him slam to the ground. I ran at him and somersaulted through the air to land on his back. I crouched down, took his head in my hands and slammed it against the ground. Then I leapt back and waited.
It didn't take him a second to recover.
"There's no way! I slammed him hard enough to break his neck at the very least." I whispered to myself.
No time to think, he was on me. I slipped from his grasp and twirled on my side. Again I leapt through the air, avoiding his advances. I pelted him with a myriad of punches and kick's that I knew were hard enough to rupture organs and break bones.
But for some reason this guy was simply not going down. He came at me again and again each time I flipped or rolled out of his grasp. We were both tired, bleeding, and angry. He came at me again but I deflected his punch, while he was dazed I used the pause to my advantage.
I ran full force at him, used his arm as my levy, pushed off of his right knee and flipped though the air to land on his back. I wrapped my leg's around his waist and threw myself backwards with as much force as I could muster. When I felt my hands touch the ground I flexed my abs and pulled him harder towards the concrete slab that was the old gazebo landing.
I didn't let go until I heard the crack of his now broken skull. Before he could land on top of me I released his waist and balancing on my hands I pushed off him and flipped once more to land on my feet a little ways away. I crouched down for a moment then when I felt it was safe enough to do it I stood. Placing one hand on my hip and the other dangling by my side, I walked over to the corpse and checked for a pulse.
Nothing. Good, the world was better off without him.