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“I don’t know, yet. We may need to move them into here as well. However, I think the only reason he grabbed them was because they were with Delphine.”
“Take these with you. See if you can tag at least one fucker,” Pirate says, handing Hex several trackers.
When we reach our bikes, we find Abra, our Sergeant of Arms waiting for us. The three of us take off and speed toward our rendezvous. After parking around the corner we make our way onto the patio. There, we find a man sitting alone, but he has several muscular men in suits around him. He gestures for us to join him.
I glance around the patio and see Zip sitting against the wall. He’s not wearing his kutte but has on a zippered hooded sweatshirt and a New Orleans’ Saints ball cap pulled down over his eyes. He has an artist pad in front of him where he’s using several colored pencils to sketch. The men around Hex’s father aren’t paying him any attention. Good.
Taking our seats, I study the man who is holding Delphine hostage. I expect to see some resemblance between him and Hex, but I see nothing that resembles my friend. Hex has dark hair and eyes, while this man is blonde with ice-blue eyes. He’s not as muscular as Hex, but there is still an element of cold-calculated danger about the man. He carries himself as someone who expects others to fear him. Hex doesn’t seem to have gotten the message.
“Where the fuck is Delphine?” He demands, ignoring the outstretched hand of the man we came to meet.
“She’s safe. For now,” he replies. “Along with your sisters.”
He’s watching Hex for his reaction, but since this isn’t news to Hex, he maintains his cool. Barely. I can see the anger broiling under the surface.
I study the man across from us and realize that I recognize him. He’s a well-known member of the Russian mob. His name is Maxim Zoloth. He’s known as the Bringer of Pain, and has a reputation for using mental and physical pain. Those he faces not only know he’ll hurt them, but that he won’t stop with their deaths. Maxim destroys families in his quest to punish his enemies. Knowing he has Delphine and Hex’s sisters makes me ill.
“They better be safe. I’ll have no trouble delivering retribution if you’ve hurt them,” Hex snarls.
The man nearest Hex shifts slightly forward, but Maxim lifts his hand to stop him.
“They are all alive and relatively unharmed. For now.”
“What the fuck do you want?” Hex demands.
Rather than answer the question, he sits back and studies Hex. “I’ve found out quite a bit about you these past few days. After my son saw you on the Nemi the night it sank. He thinks you had something to do with it. Did you?”
Hex stares at the man without answering. Even knowing him as well as I do, I can’t see any signs of a reaction. However, Maxim nods slowly while a grin spreads across his face.
“Impressive. Maybe I should have taken both of you instead of just the oldest.”
“How is Vlad?” Hex asks. “Still recovering from the attack?”
Maxim’s only reaction is a slight widening of the eyes. “So, you know he’s your twin brother?”
“I know. Means nothing. What do you want?”
Maxim glares at Hex. “I want to know who attacked him that night and took Cleo.”
“No idea,” Hex says, pushing back his chair as he stands. “So, if that’s all, tell me where I can find Delphine and I’ll let you walk out of here.”
“Sit down!” Maxim snarls. The four men surrounding us move forward. The one nearest Hex puts his hand on Hex’s shoulder. Hex shakes him off and pushes him away. I take a step back and into the man coming up behind me. Turning, I drop one of Pirate’s trackers into the man’s jacket pocket without him noticing. “Enough! We still have business to discuss. Sit down or you’re never seeing Delphine or your sisters again.”
Now it’s Hex’s turn to glare at Maxim. He shrugs off the man, who is trying to push him back into the chair. Hex sits, and I do the same. “Get to the fucking point,” Hex snaps before repeating his question. “What. Do. You. Want?”
“Cleo.”
Hex snorts. “Try again. You ain’t getting her.”
“Not to keep, you idiot. She owns Golubrev Shipping now that her father’s dead. I had a deal with him to ship some valuable items for me. I want her to follow through with the arrangement.”
Hex and I share a glance before Hex returns his attention back to Maxim. “What items?”
“None of your business.”
“If you’re thinking of transporting kids or women…” Hex starts, but Maxim waves him off.
“Nothing so mundane. Women and children are not valuable. They’re cheap and plentiful. I’m not telling you what I’m sending, but I assure you I don’t traffic women and children. The items deal with are one-of-a-kind. Golubrev was making alterations to one of his ships to hold the merchandise. I only need you to guarantee those arrangements. Now, that’s not asking too much in exchange for the lives of your mother and sisters, is it?” Maxim reaches into his pocket and withdraws a business card, that he slides over to Hex. “You can reach me at the number on the back. Don’t wait too long. The ship sails in five days. Your mother and sister won’t receive food or water until I get confirmation from you that the ship’s alterations are complete. If the ship sails without my cargo, they’ll pay the price.”
