The inky night had the Port of Miami in a sleepy chokehold when I found myself hunkered down, hammer gripped tighter than a stubborn bulldog with a juicy bone, watching the sad fuck Dario's petrified face barely hanging onto that rusty railing for dear life, with nothing but a couple thousand feet of open air and hungry sharks between him and an all-expenses-paid trip to the depths of Davy Jones' locker.
Tears and god knows what else were streaking down his ugly mouth as he blubbered, "P-p-please Alex, I'll get the money, I swear on my Ma's grave!"
I let out a harsh bark of laughter that had the scavenger birds scattered across the docks taking flight. "You desecrated that woman's resting place years ago when you gambled away her life insurance payout. Such an ungrateful little shit, aren't you?"
My eyes narrowed into slits. "You really thought you could skip out on a mil, Dario? What, did you think the Ivanov Family Christmas card got lost in the mail this year? That we'd just forget about the massive f*cking hole you dug yourself into?"
I shook my head slowly, letting out low whistle. "Nah, nah, nah...that's not how this game is played, cumpadre. See, we're not like those nickel and dime bookies you're used to jerking around. we're the real goddamn deal."
I gripped the hammer tighter as Dario lets out a high-pitched squeal like a stuck pig. A well-placed swing caught his grimy fingernail dead center, instantly shattering it into a mangled mess of blood and flesh.
"Ah sh*t, my bad amigo," I chuckle darkly, watching in amusement as he desperately clings to the railing with his remaining hand. "Clumsy me. You know how it is, bad case of the old hammer twitches."
"P-p-please Alex! I'll do anything! Anything! Just gimme a chance to get the cash! I swear on everything I won't run!"
Rearing back, I winded up for another swing, this time aiming a little higher than some stubby fingernails. "Tell you what? You got.... " I paused*. "...* Sixty seconds. To come up with a compelling reason why I shouldn't turn you into fish food. I haven't fed my sharks for a while, I think they'll enjoy fat meat for dinner."
I nodded down towards the black depths below, where I could clearly make out the telltale fins of some curious onlookers. Wouldn't be the first time the gang had to make an impromptu donation to the local oceanic ecosystem.
My hammer hung frozen in mid-air as Dario's pathetic screams pierced the night. "Wait, wait! I'll get the money! My stepdaughter, Isabella, she just inherited a fortune from her abuela!"
I arched an eyebrow, intrigued despite myself. Dropping my arm, I leaned in closer with a predatory grin. "Oh yeah? Do tell, Dare-Bear. This juicy little revelation better be good if you want me to put the brakes on making you my own personal shark bait."
Dario nodded frantically. "It's true, I swear! Old lady died a few days back and left everything to Isabella in her will. Bitch must've had plenty of cash stashed away."
A greedy glint flickered in my eyes as I processed this new information. A tidy inheritance, huh?
"How much are we talking?" I growled, giving the hammer an anticipatory twirl. "And don't you dare try slipping me some low-balled bullshit number. I want the goddamn truth on this one."
Dario's adam's apple bobbed up and down as he gulped audibly. "N-North of seven figures, easy. Probably closer to eight when you tally it all up."
Shoving the hammer into my waistband, I grabbed Dario by the collar and hauled his blubbering ass up and over the rusty railing. I couldn't stop the cruel chuckle that rumbled up from my chest.
I leaned in until my nose was practically touching his sweat-soaked face. The pungent stench of fear wafted off him in thick waves. "You make sure that little sugarbaby gets her trust fund cashed out and in my hands by this Friday night. Every...last...penny, Da?"
Dario bobbed his head up and down like one of those stupid dashboard ornaments. "S-s-si, Alex, whatever you say! I'll get it, I swear!"
Releasing my grip, I let the sniveling bastard crumple into a blubbering heap on the dock. I couldn't resist one last parting shot as I loomed over him.
"Because if that inheritance cash doesn't materialize in the next seventy-two hours?" A cruel smile twisted my lips as I patted the hammer still tucked into my waistband. "Well, let's just say you'd better start mentally preparing which organs you're willing to part with first."
Dario's bloodshot eyes widened with terror at the implied threat. Good - the fear would keep him motivated.
"Your kidneys could probably fetch a pretty amount on the black market," I mused darkly. "Same goes for that lecherous liver of yours after all the drinking you've put it through."
Crouching down, I grabbed a fistful of his greasy hair and wrenched his head back at a grotesque angle until our eyes met.
"Hell, I might even sell off that lump of coal you call a heart just for the novelty factor," I hissed with relish. "After all, we both know you stopped using the damn thing years ago, didn't you, Dare-Bear?"
With a violent shove, I sent him tumbling backwards. Straightening up, I aimed one final look of absolute loathing and disgust at the pathetic worm.
"The clock's ticking, amigo. You'd better start kissing whatever ass you need to in order to make this right."
Spinning on my heel, I strode off into the inky night, letting the soft lapping of the waves against the docks mask the echoes of Dario's muffled sobs behind me.
I slid into the sleek leather passenger seat of Dimitri's blacked-out Cadillac Escalade, the vague scent of stale cigarettes and cologne hanging in the air. My brother and right-hand man glanced over, one thick eyebrow arched inquisitively.
"Well? Did the sharks get fed tonight or vat?" Dimitri rumbled in his thick Russian accent.
I let out a disappointed sigh and shook my head. "Nah, the fat bastard claims he can get his hands on enough cash to cover his debt by week's end."
Dimitri snorted derisively as he cranked the Escalade's engine to life with a guttural roar. "You actually believing that bydlo's lies? Since when did his word become gospel, bratok?"
"Relax, I'm not an idiot," I shot back, unable to mask my irritation at his insinuation. "I gave Dario one final thristy-dva to get me that money by Friday at midnight. If he doesn't?" I let out a dark chuckle. "Well, let's just say I'll be having a private audience with his kidneys on the black market."
The big Russian grinned, revealing a mouthful of straight, bleached-white teeth. "Ah, the classics. Always good for a laugh, bratishka." His meaty paw shifted the gearshift into drive as we peeled away from the docks with a squeal of expensive rubber on pavement.
"How is he going to pay up?" Demtri asked in Russian.
"His stepdaughter's inheritance." I shrugged, watching the night scenery of Miami's sketchy industrial district whip by outside the tinted windows. "Fuck if I know. He called her Isabella or some shit - said she's his stepdaughter from his second wife. Apparently the old babushka left her quite a nestegg before kicking the bucket."
Dimitri's grin spread into a predatory leer. "A nice pair of young tits with money to burn? Maybe we don't let Dario completely off the hook just yet, eh?"
I shot him a sidelong glance, perfectly understanding where his crass mind was headed. "You thinking we take the devochka for a little...leverage? In case homemade Hepatitis over there pulls any more funny business with the cash?"
"Damn straight," Dimitri replied with a hearty laugh. "This Isabella could be just the leverage we need over the asshole in case if he doesn't pay up."
Nodding thoughtfully, I scratched at my stubbled jaw. As abhorrent as the idea was, using innocent pawns to check the actions of disloyal rats like Dario...well, it was just smart business practice in our world. The very notion made my stomach churn - but if it kept asshole defaulters like him from stepping out of line, so be it.
"Alright, do some digging then," I said after a few moments' thought. "Find out where this Isabella works, if she's got any other family besides Dario hanging around, all that good shit. We might just need to summon her sweet little ass for a...closing conversation before this is all done."
Dimitri's laughter filled the Escalade, mixing with the dull thrum of bass from the stereo. As we disappeared into the night, the hunt had officially begun.
Whether Dario made good on his promises or not, this Isabella was firmly in the crosshairs now. No more running, no more hiding.
The debt would be settled, one way or another. That much was certain.