LIES OF MY MONSTER

26

She tightens her fingers as if she’s suppressing something and subtly lowers her head. It’s then I realize I might have been staring at her longer than socially acceptable.

“Yes, Boss?” Maksim stands before me, oblivious to the tension he cut through.

“I’m going to need you and your team to stay back.”

His brow furrows. “Why? We’re always at these shipments.”

“We have no use for too many men. Guard the mansion instead.”

“Yes, Boss.”

Aleksandra starts toward the main car, but I face her. “You stay back, too, Lipovsky.”

“But I have my position as the lead sniper—”

“Someone else will take it.”

“But—”

“That’s an order. You’ll stay behind with Maksim’s team.”

Her lips purse, and an unnatural shine covers her eyes, but she does everyone a favor and remains silent. She doesn’t move, though, until Maksim grabs her by the shoulder and drags her to his side.

I narrow my eyes for the slightest bit before I catch myself and swiftly slide into the back of the car.

The feeling of doom I’ve had since this morning lessens, but it doesn’t completely disappear.

As Yuri drives out, I catch a glimpse of Aleksandra balling her hands into fists. Her lips push forward in what looks like a pout.

I have no f*****g clue why that draws a smile on my face.

When we arrive at the port, it’s about eleven-thirty. This month’s shipment will hit the dock around thirty minutes from now. The mayor is cooperating. The police won’t stick their noses in our business, and some of the feds eat our money like pigs.

So they’re out.

What else could disrupt this shipment aside from Juan’s betrayal, which is highly unlikely. I offer him the best rate around, and he even suggested expanding our ventures at the last meeting we had.

I step out of the car and stare into the distance at the hidden part of the dock and the containers stacked everywhere, forming a maze. The chilly breeze freezes my face and I slide a hand into my pocket.

Viktor joins me after doing the rounds. “Everything’s in order.”

“Go with two of our best men to the other side of the marina. If you sense a hint of danger, drive a boat out and warn Juan’s men.”

“I can send the men, but why should I go? If there’s danger, as you said, who will protect you?”

“I’m no dainty princess, Viktor. I can protect myself.”

He narrows his eyes. “Like back in Russia, you mean.”

Touché. “Those were different circumstances.” There’s no Aleksandra to distract me now. “Besides, Yuri and the others are here. Go.”

He hesitates for a beat, then he barks at two men to follow him.

“Yuri.” I tap on the window of the driver’s side. “Keep the car running.”

He nods, brings out his gun, and checks his bullets. I don’t have to tell him that the situation is dire. He already understands.

I must say, though his accident was unfortunate, I prefer him post-accident than before it. He was a nice guy who kept to himself and had trouble keeping up with the others. Now, he’s an important weapon in my arsenal.

Not a fighter, per se. I wouldn’t send him on an on-ground mission like I would Viktor or Maksim. He’s more of a strategist.

I walk to the other men who are positioned down the length of the dock and tell them to keep their cars running, too, and to take cover.

I’m about to get to the third group when there’s movement behind me. I spin around fast, pulling my gun at the same time.

No one’s there.

No. That’s not it. There’s no one there now, but there was definitely an intruder a few seconds ago.

I click the interphone in my ear. “Viktor, take that boat and intercept Juan’s men.”

“Yes, Boss.”

I’m thinking it could be Juan or some of his rogue men who decided to cause trouble, but it seems that the shipment has been used as an excuse to get close to me.

The sound of screeching tires echoes in the distance, and my men go on high alert.

“Take cover!” I’m not even finished with shouting the words when a stream of bullets fire in our direction as if they’re being shot from a machine gun.

Thankfully, my men hide behind the cars in time and start firing their own weapons. I jump behind a large red container to get a better read on the situation.

The intruders have vans like ours and are in ski masks to hide their identity.

But that’s not the part that gets my attention.

It's the weapons.

I’ve seen those specific sniper rifles that can’t be found in the US somewhere, but where?

One of my men gets hit in the arm, but before the masked man finishes him, I shoot him in the head. That easily gives away my location, so I use the cover of the container to run to another one before I shoot two more men.

But I also miss a few times, mainly because my men come into view, and I’d hit them if I took the shot.

Ten minutes later, I’m low on ammunition. As in, I only have two shots left. I can only use one and leave the other until I get to Yuri. The problem is, due to the constant running between the containers, I lost him, so he’ll have to be the one to find me with the GPS.

That is, if he wasn’t hit himself since he’s really s**t on the ground.

Fuck.

I should’ve canceled or postponed this operation the moment I felt there was something f*****g wrong with this whole day.

A car revs in my direction, and I shoot the tire. It swerves to the side, but it continues approaching me at a maddening speed, so I use my safety net bullet and hit the other tire. It’s pointless to aim at the glass since it’s likely bulletproof. Besides, it’s tinted, so I can’t gamble and try to shoot the driver.

The van tilts and hits one of the containers, then rolls over. I grab onto a metal rod on the nearest container then push my weight over to the other side and then on top. I barely miss being shot at by the men in the van.

The moment I rise to my full height, the hammer of a gun clicks at the back of my head.