The Hermit (Mafia Empire Book 1)

By the time we’re all done checking our weapons, tensions are running high, putting everyone on edge.

Evinka moves closer to me, signing, “I don’t like not having your back.”

Not wanting the others to hear what we’re talking about, I sign back, “I know. But I won’t be able to focus on shit if Grace isn’t safe. Please do this for me.”

Reluctantly, she nods, then she shoots a glare in Ilias’ direction. “Careful of that fucker. He’s going to get you all killed.”

My eyes flick to the head of the Greek mafia who’s been begging for a bullet to the head. “Not if I kill him first.”

For the sake of the alliance, I shove the idea away. I glance at Grace, who’s been quiet, and taking a moment before we head out, I wrap my arms around her, holding her tightly to my chest.

Lowering my head until my mouth is next to her ear, I murmur, “You’ll be safe with Evinka.”

She nods, her arms squeezing me hard. “Just be careful out there, and come back to me in one piece.”

“I will, moja láska.”

She pulls back slightly, and her eyes find mine. I see the words in her gray irises before she says, “I love you, Dominik.”

Leaning down, I press a tender kiss to her mouth and whisper, “When I come back after the attack, I want you to say those words to me again.”

With fear creeping into her eyes, she nods quickly. “Okay.”

I bring my hand to her cheek. “Don’t worry. I’m hard to kill. I’ll be back before you know it.”

She nods again, then pushes up on her tiptoes, kissing me with so much passion it has my heart hammering in my chest.

When she pulls away, a smile trembles around her mouth. “Go take your factory back.”

I stare at her for a moment before turning away to give Evinka a chin lift. Making eye contact with Alan, I order, “You keep them safe.”

He nods. “I will.”

Krystof and Sef follow after me as I head to where Santiago is standing by the open door.

His eyes drift over the silent street outside the building, then he murmurs, “The quiet before the storm.”

“Let’s go,” I say. Glancing at my two men, I order, “Follow the truck with the SUV.”

They jog off to get into the vehicle while I walk with Santiago toward the beast.

I watch as Enzo and Leo get into a Jeep, then my eyes flick to where Ilias, Cassia, and their men pile into an SUV.

Here we go.

We all know how important today is. If we beat the bratva, it will show the world the alliance is a force to be reckoned with.

I climb into the truck, and when Santiago gets in behind the steering wheel, we glance at each other for a moment, then he says, “It’s all or nothing, right?”

“Right.”

He starts the engine, and the truck rumbles to life. “Such a good fucking girl, princess,” he groans.

I give him a what-the-fuck look. “Do you need a moment alone with the truck?”

Santiago chuckles, the grin on his face wide.

When he pulls away from the building, I glance out the window. I see Grace’s blond head peeking around the side of the doorway, then Alan nudges her back. He notices I’m watching and gives me a thumbs-up before disappearing into the building.

“Knight should be in position already,” Santiago mentions as he drives down the quiet street at a slow pace.

“And he might take out every single fucker before we get there,” I grumble.

“You don’t have a lot of patience, do you?” he chuckles.

“None.”

“Careful that you don’t become like Ilias.”

I give Santiago a dark glare. “Do you want me to shoot you?”

A burst of laughter escapes him. “I’m not dying today. My tarot reading said I’m going to live a long life with a woman who’s like the rising sun.”

“The fuck?” I mutter, starting to believe Santiago is really crazy.

“It’s true,” he says, giving me a grin. “I can feel her coming toward me, and soon our paths will cross.”

Letting out a sigh, I grumble, “Please shut up so I can focus on our surroundings.”

As Santiago steers the truck up a side road that will lead to the back of the factory, I spot a body lying at the entrance of an alley.

“Looks like Knight came through here already,” I mention.

“He used to be special forces. I found him in one of Rojas’ houses, covered in blood from all the men he single-handedly killed. The fuckers trafficked his sister, and she died of an overdose of the coke they forced her to take.”

“Jebat,” I murmur.

“He’s broken, but broken men make the best soldiers,” Santiago says as we drive past more bodies.

When we’re a couple of miles away from the factory, he brings the truck to a stop. “I’m leaving Princess here. If shit gets out of control, I can come back to her and launch a missile at the factory. It’s better to blow the place than to let the bratva have control.”

I nod as I shove the door open, and after we climb out, Santiago smacks the ass of the truck before heading to the Jeep Leo and Enzo are in.

After we climb into the backseats, Leo drives the last few miles.

When we turn up the road that runs past the back of the factory, we can already hear the sporadic pop of gunfire.

As the building comes into view, Santiago and I jump off the Jeep and run to the side of the road where we’ll be able to have some cover.

The others park their vehicles in a way that blocks the road off, and soon, we’re all running toward the war that will make or break the alliance.

I leap over the body of a soldier who died of a perfect shot between the eyes. Another soldier appears in a window, but before any of us can react, he takes a shot to the head. I watch as he falls out of the building, and a moment later, his body hits the concrete below.

When we reach the entrance, I grip my machine gun tightly.

“Blyat!” Someone shouts. “Ubey ikh vsekh!”

I run toward a stack of crates, and leaping into the air, I grab hold of the top one, flinging my body onto it so I have a vantage point from higher up.

Santiago takes cover somewhere below, muttering, “Yeah, leave my ass down here.”

I open fire on a group of soldiers hiding between the crates while shouting, “There are explosives in the crates! Try not to blow us all up.”

I hear gunfire from below, then Santiago mutters, “The fucker shot a hole in my sleeve. I love this shirt.”

I can only shake my head as I continue to fire at the Russians, making sure not to hit a crate.

Bullets hit the corner of the crate I’m standing on, and I leap off while shouting, “Move, Santiago!”

We run for our fucking lives, weaving through pallets and containers. Whatever was in the crate detonates, sending a blast of energy and heat through the air.

Santiago’s body slams into mine, tackling me to the ground just as a piece of debris flies right over us.

It takes a stunned minute before we lift our heads, then he says, “Let’s not make the lovely Grace a widow today.”

The crazy fucker just saved my life.

Climbing to my feet, I lock eyes with Santiago while giving him my hand. As he takes it and I yank him up, I mutter, “Thanks.”

He shrugs. “Your gain is my gain.”

Enzo catches up to us, and out of breath, he says, “I lost sight of Leo and Ilias.”

I check the magazine of my machine gun, and seeing it’s empty, I take the strap off and drop the weapon. Grabbing the gun from the holster on my armored vest, I growl, “Let’s move.”

The three of us keep taking out soldiers, and as we slowly make our way to the front of the factory where the office is, we start to find a rhythm where we take turns shooting.

When the office comes into view, I catch sight of Leo. He gestures at the office, then nods, indicating he has eyes on Pavlov.

Before we can move in on the office, Ilias comes from left field shouting, “Pavlov! Get out here so I can kill you.”

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Enzo mutters. “I really struggle working with the hot-headed old man.”

Suddenly a bullet slams into Ilias’ armored vest, making him fall onto his ass.

Knowing Pavlov’s attention is on Ilias, I make a run for the office he’s hauled up in.

Right before the doorway, I drop and slide across the entrance, firing through the open door and hitting Pavlov in the hand and shoulder.

Bullets start to hit the ground around me, and one clips my ear. I dart to my feet, and bursting into the office, I take out the soldier who just fucking shot at me.

Training the barrel of my gun on Pavlov, the intense rage I’ve been struggling to control burns its way to the surface.

The fucker holds up his hands in surrender, and seeing I’ve managed to shoot off two of his fingers from his right hand fills me with great satisfaction.

“You can’t beat the bratva,” he sneers. “We’ll just keep coming.”

Santiago, Enzo, and Leo come into the office, and Santiago says, “And we’ll keep beating your asses.”

When Cassia steps inside and trains a gun on Pavlov, I growl, “This kill isn’t yours.”

“He shot at my father,” she hisses.

“Who’s just out cold,” Leo tells her. “You need to fucking calm him down, or he’ll get us all killed.”

Santiago comes to stand next to me and asks, “Mind if we play a quick game?” He pulls a stack of black cards from his pocket. “Whichever card I pull is the way we kill the fucker.”

“Really?” I mutter as I glance at the golden guns and knives on the back of the card. “You want to do this now?”

He shrugs. “I’m a believer in letting fate decide what happens.”

Letting out a heavy sigh, I nod. “Get it over with.”

Santiago shuffles the cards while grinning at Pavlov. “Do you feel lucky?”

Pavlov only glares at us, his eyes going blank as he accepts that he’ll die today.

Santiago pulls a card. “Oooh, good one.” When he turns the face of the card to me, it’s labeled The Devil. “I get to decide.”

I give him a hurry-the-fuck-up look.

“I choose…” Santiago pulls a knife from the holster on his hip, “for you to slit his throat. I feel it’s only right that he dies by his own signature move.”

“I’m going to take a walk through the factory to make sure we didn’t miss anyone,” Enzo mutters.

“I’ll have your back,” Leo tells him.

While they leave, I grab the knife from Santiago and shove my gun back into the holster. Cassia keeps her weapon trained on Pavlov as I move in on him.

Like a true bratva soldier, Pavlov lifts his chin while looking me dead in the eyes. “I’ll see you in hell, Varga.”

My arm moves fast, and it takes a few seconds before blood starts to seep from where I slit his throat open. With zero emotion on my face I lock eyes on Pavlov and watch as the shock registers.

No matter how brave you are, the shock always registers when the body realizes it’s dying.

He coughs, and drops of his blood hit my neck and armored vest, then he sinks down to his knees, and a grin forms on my face. “That’s right, kneel.”

I watch as he slaps his hands over the open gash in his neck while trying to climb to his feet, but his body quickly loses strength, and he slumps to his side.

Cassia walks closer and spits on him before turning around and leaving the office.

“Run!” we hear Enzo shout. “Fucking hell! Everyone out!”

The ground shudders, and I’m hit by a blast that slams me into a wall. I see the grin pulling at Pavlov’s lips right before he dies, and then another blast rocks the entire area.