FEROCIOUS FEVER
1149 Words
“Boss, your attention is needed now!” Andrei broke into the fountain area, interrupting what was a moment in the eyes of Vladimir.
Rage like never before swelled up inside of him, because a perfect spell had been broken.
Who cares whatever was happening that needed his attention? Definitely not him!
Not while he was trying to understand the woman before him who confused him.
“Let go,” Ivy said, finding her voice again.
She had never been more relieved in her entire life. Although she would rather die than tell him, she was grateful for Andrei's sudden presence.
“As you wish–” Vladimir pulled his hand away, and turned his back to her. “Princess,” he added when he was out of the water.
“You-” she sucked in a breath, and then hissed through her teeth, unable to find a suitable word to show her displeasure.
Vladimir chuckled with his back still turned to her, as he walked away.
“You better have a damn good reason for interrupting me,” he whispered, whilst walking past him.
Andrei hurried after him, stepping to his side. “Does Hector Gambino pushing out a PSA sound like a good reason?”
Vladimir's eyes lit up. “You don't say. That was quick.”
“You're playing with fire, Vlad.”
“Andrei, my friend, I like the flame. I love the fire. I've had to pretend not to just to keep the peace. But if the Gambino's can play their dirty games, so can I. So will I, my friend.”
He stopped by his room to quickly change out of his wet clothes, before stepping out again.
Together, they turned the corner towards the information room at the same time, but Vladimir was first to go in.
“Talk to me,” he encouraged the guy in control at the room, immediately he walked in.
“Boss,” Leonid began, whilst typing furiously on the computer.
Around them, screens surrounded the wall, with different information on display.
On one side was the stock exchange market, showing what market they needed to tap into at any given time.
Another screen had the maps of different countries with some red dots marked on them. The red dots showed the countries they had business dealings with.
There were screens to communicate with their spies from across the globe, and another for video coverages.
“Okay!” He pressed send and one screen brought up a video. “I think you should watch this yourself.”
Gianni Gambino, the man with the big mole right at the corner of his lips, popped up on screen.
His face alone, handsome with a terrifying visage, was scary to the average man. He was also Isabella's brother.
“I know a Bratva move when I see one,” he began, wasting no time. “I also know you, Vlad, you will be getting this message soon. So this is what I'm saying, you release my sister in time for her engagement party tonight, or poof! A volcanic war.”
The screen went blank, and Vladimir instantly broke into a fit of laughter.
Maxim, who was seeing an active moment for the very first time, looked around in hopes to see someone just as confused as he was.
His cousin truly did confuse him. First he was shaking hands with a Gambino girl, and now he was laughing at a threat.
The door opened again, and Boris Bratva walked into the room.
“I just heard what you did, Vlad. Your mother told me. Why would you make that move, Vlad? Just why?”
Vladimir turned to his uncle, whilst still laughing his heart out.
But just a few seconds later, his laughter abruptly ceased.
“Place call through to Gianni,” he ordered, his features so darkened and intense, it iced up the entire room.
Leonid set to work immediately, and in a couple of seconds, the screen was ringing.
Three rings in, a response came. Gianni's face popped up on screen, with his grandfather, the great Hector Gambino beside him.
“Vladimir Bratva, you have bitten more than you can chew this time, I promise!” Gianni wasted no time in going off.
“This time only?” He touched his chest, feigning hurt. “And here I was thinking I've been a problem for a while.”
“You will release my sister, you i***t! You release her or–”
“Or volcanic war right?” He laughed condescendingly. “Have you ever thought maybe dear Isabella just prefers it here, than that dog s**t place you call a home?”
“Hear this fool, grandpa? Hear what he f*****g says?!”
“Enough!” Hector Gambino finally spoke up, and Gianni went silent immediately.
His grandfather, old as he was, still managed to be very intimidating.
Perhaps, because he had seen it all. Like he always said, in his time, differences were not settled with conversations.
They went into the streets like real men, and counted scores, one body at a time.
“Why do you have my granddaughter, Vlad?” He asked.
“Because the fools you call family roamed my sky, dropping tiny bombs. Not enough to cause a problem, but you can understand the new bride didn't find it quite pleasing. Also, you're trying to backdoor me to form a relationship with the Kaya’s by pushing Can on Isabella. Did you expect me to sit still?”
“No. Not even a bit. I just expected you to move with more dignity, since you've always held a moral superiority. You ambushing the poor girl at her job is to prove what? You didn't come out on top with that move. If anything, you showed you're just on our level. You know, the level you always try to berate. Anyway, all that I said is to tell you to keep her–”
“What?! Grandpa? Hell no!” Gianni blurted out.
Even Vladimir's ears twitched, because he hadn't expected those words from the old man.
“Let me speak, Gianni!” He cautioned his grandson who went silent again. “As I was saying, keep her. If that's your ultimate move, then you keep her. But rest assured that you'll hear from me.” The screen went blank, leaving everyone in the room muttering under their breaths.
However, it took Vladimir just a couple of seconds to figure out what he meant by that threat.
“Hedeon, you will return to Sheila Greene's villa, and bring her here, now!”
Hedeon didn't waste any time in turning right around.
“And bring some guys with you. You'll definitely stumble on Gambino's,” he said confidently, because if there was one thing he knew for certain–
It was how his enemies thought.
- Writer
