DRAMA NOVEL ONLINE The Devil’s Reward: Chapter 10
It’s time to get my plan underway. The bloodier, the better.
My office is quiet as I work. I hate noise and interruptions, and my men know better than to disturb me unless it’s urgent. Which is why when my phone rings, I have to bite back a snarl of annoyance. When I pick it up, I bark, “What?”
Daria merely replies, “Zakhar is on the phone for you.” Then she patches him through. No one keeps the Pahkan’s right-hand man waiting.
“Zakhar,” I reply briskly, sitting back in my chair. Most men would be uneasy to have someone like Zakhar call, but seeing as he’s my uncle, well, I’m not most.
“Dmitri,” he replies, his voice the same raspy sound it’s been all my life. “I hear you are having trouble.”
I stiffen at his words. Someone has been reporting to those higher up the chain, and when I find out who, I will make sure it never happens again. First, I’ll cut out his tongue, and then, once my mercy has worn thin, I’ll kill him. “Is that so?” I ask casually. “Your information is incorrect, Uncle. I have already forwarded my reports to you, and as you can see, we are doing far better than we could have hoped at this point in our operation.”
“Yes, I’ve seen the numbers,” he agrees. “And you are right, the numbers are looking good. Your operation has secured us a straightforward route over the border and into the lower states. The Pakhan is happy with this, Nephew, but there is a matter of a certain motorcycle club that has come to our attention.” His voice hardens. “Is it true that you are doing business with these fuckers?”
I seethe as I quickly run through the people who are aware of my dealings with this club. Well, one particular member of this club. It seems I could have more than one rat in my house. A rat that will be trapped and dropped into the ocean at the soonest opportunity. “Your information is incorrect, Uncle,” I repeat smoothly. “I am in the process of eliminating the club.”
“Hmmm,” is all he says, but I know my uncle well enough to know he’s sitting at his desk, thinking. No doubt reviewing whatever information his informant has given him and trying to decide who is lying. His own blood, or his informant? Our family is big on blood, so it won’t be me he’ll doubt. Finally, after a few long moments of silence, he says, “The Pakhan wants them dealt with and out of the way. You will make it happen. I have sent someone to ensure that you do.”
My entire body goes rigid and I fight to keep my breathing even. “Who is coming, Uncle?” I ask carefully.
“He’ll arrive by the end of day tomorrow. You have a lot of promise, Nephew, so don’t fuck it up. Blood or not, you are still proving yourself, and if you fuck up, well, it would be a grave disappointment. Your father would roll over in his grave.”
A grave I put him in, I seethe. And one I’ll gladly put you in with him. “Alright, Uncle,” I say instead. “How are Aunt Velika and the children?” My uncle is currently on his third wife, having killed the other two when they only gave him daughters and not sons. Though he claims they became ill, no one believes that.
Velika is thirty years younger than my Uncle, but she has given him three sons, so she does not need to fear death as long as she keeps my uncle happy. From what I have seen, she is just as bloodthirsty, and he didn’t bat an eye when she killed one of his daughters for daring to look at her wrong. The other girls are now married off and out of the house, but I doubt their lives are much easier.
As my uncle tells me all about his son’s latest achievements, I take another phone from the drawer and begin hunting my traitor. First, however, there is one other problem I need to get under control.
My uncle is sending me a babysitter, and I’m bringing in another guest that will gladly help me take care of them if they get in my way. Bloodshed in our organization is par for the course, so even if my uncle disapproves, there will be nothing he can do about it. Especially because soon enough, I’m going to be running this part of the empire, and I plan on taking my uncle’s seat at the top. I just have to get all the pieces into place.