Devil's Prey(33)

"Could that be a day trip perhaps?" she teased as her fingers tickled the back of his neck.

"Believe me, you'll love the Caymans too, Peaches. The scenery is  equally awe-inspiring and there are a lot of things for us to see and do  while we're there. Either way, I promise you won't be bored."

Max studied the water again and thought about how different everything could have been but it worked out for the best.

Mila had only given him a small part of his money; five hundred thousand  to be exact but along with the cash was the information about a  sizeable portion of the banks Dimitri used in Switzerland.

He knew the right people and for a fee that was well worth it, Trey  Lennon, a member of the Lucifer's Saints, had hacked into various  accounts belonging to his former mentor. He'd drained over two hundred  million dollars in five-million-dollar withdrawals and programmed each  to take a trip around the world. As the money hopped from one account to  another, it eventually became untraceable through its many networks.  Trey had set the pattern to last for two weeks before the money ended up  in several accounts in the Cayman Islands. The operation had cost him  well over two million dollars but it was worth it to Max.

Money would no longer be an issue for them and although they would never  go back to the carefree lifestyle they lived before, without financial  problems, every part of their existence would be tolerable.

Not that Max was all that concerned about being on the run from Dimitri.  Now that he knew the chances of him taking out his brother and father  were slim, it'd given him time to focus on the Koslakov Mafia and their  network of associates. As beautiful and lovely as their current vacation  spot happened to be, it also served as a frequent location Yevgeny  Kitaev visited often. He owned a huge second home, a hillside villa on a  golf course in Montego Bay. He was in good company with many other  well-to-do Europeans and Jamaican native families who happened to be the  most fortunate on the tiny island sitting in the middle of paradise.

Dimitri would be the last man he would go after but until he did get  around to him, he planned to assassinate every one of his stepfather's  partners and acquaintances. His Russian backers would finally think he'd  gone too far and decided to wage war on his own people and one by one,  they would all fall away from him like dominoes.         

     



 

This is exactly the reaction Max was hoping for. It would make it that  much easier to tear his former mentor's kingdom down, brick by bloody  brick.

After Dimitri's business associates had been dispatched of, he would go  after the key soldiers. They would never see him coming because although  he knew he was capable of becoming a monster, it was a side of him he  wished Mags had tamed.

Unfortunately, she was only one person and although she had been a  calming influence on him as a person-both psychologically and  spiritually. However, she would never be able to change who he  fundamentally was. The beast inside him was created by one monster:  Dimitri Koslakov and not until he was dead, gone and in the ground  rotting would that dark side of him succumb to light and perhaps an  overwhelming sense of peace.

Max wasn't naïve and never thought he could ever truly be a good person  but perhaps there was some part of him that was worthy of redemption. He  had to place his faith in that, the same way he knew he loved Mags more  with each passing day. There was hope that one day, he'd love her so  much, his heart might burst from happiness but until then, he was  content to hold her in his arms and show his emotions rather than  embarrass her constantly by expressing to her how much she meant to him.

Mags turned toward him before she stood.

Her thigh was fine though an ugly purple bruise still marred her perfect  golden skin. The bullet had to be operated and removed but since it  wasn't an actual live round, they were able to blame the accident on the  ineptness of phantom friend to handle a weapon.

Their story, which was accepted by the emergency attendants, was a  friend-who didn't realize she'd slid the safety off-aimed, fired and  shot Mags accidentally.

It wasn't exactly a lie since he knew his mother had meant to wound her  but maybe should have aimed somewhere other than her thigh.

"I'm gonna take a dip in the water. You sure you don't wanna come?" she  questioned while all he could do was look at her and drink in the  essence of her beautiful body.

"I don't know. That could be a dangerous proposition coming from you,"  he murmured as his eyes stared into those pale green orbs that had him  positively mesmerized.

Mags laughed out loud. "Oh come on, Max. Please don't tell me you're  scared of little ole me. What could I do to a big, strong guy like you?  Smother you to death with my breasts? Maybe choke the life out of you  with my thighs? I'm still healing you know."

Max laughed out loud. "Okay, fine, you've convinced me."

She rewarded him with a tempting smile as he stood to his feet. He  grabbed her suddenly and threw her over his shoulders as she began to  fight and pound his shoulders with her fists.

"Put me down! This isn't funny, Max!"

"Actually, it's hilarious." He ran towards the water and held her over  his shoulders until he was waist deep before he set her down.

She placed her hands on his pecs and glared at him with cold green eyes. "That was an asshole thing to do."

"Come on, Peaches, live a little. You know what they say about all work and no play."

"Very funny." Her facial features softened as she looked at him again.  "Are you sure we should do this, Max? I mean, once we put the plan in  motion, there's no going back. We could live a good life. Hell, we've  got more money than most people will ever spend in a lifetime and we can  stay one step ahead of Dimitri."

Max shook his head as he stared at her with bright aquamarine eyes.  "It's not a choice, Mags-at least not one we get to make. He's gunning  for us-I shot his wife for Christ's sake. He wants me dead."

She looked away from him and glanced towards the sun. "All I know is  when I was with the WKs, Koslakov was feared more than Abandonato. I  can't tell you why because they're just as deadly to me-different ways  they do business but dead is dead if you fuck up and piss them off. I  don't know . . . maybe Brad and Nel didn't fear Angelo as much as they  feared Dimitri because he didn't look for me hard enough. Perhaps if he  found me and knew what they'd done to me . . . maybe he could have put  the fear of God in them."

His right hand grabbed her throat before he worked his way up to her  chin and turned her to face him. "Abandonato did everything in his power  to find you, Mags. I know because I was the one put on the detail to  make sure he never located you. The WKs have been doin' business on and  off with the Koslakov Mafia for a while. They figured they needed  protection from the Italians after what they did to your parents. Please  don't think Angelo isn't gunnin' for the people who did that to his  favorite cousin and her husband not to mention the disappearance of  their daughter."         

     



 

"What's your plan then? A life on the run?"

Max shook his head. "The WKs are small fish in a big motherfuckin' pond.  You said you wanted to know why they killed your parents. Along the  way, I've told you a lot of half-truths. The real reason why your  parents are dead is because Sophia was Angelo's cousin. That was  Dimitri's first strike against Angelo. No one knew we were comin' at the  time-hell, we didn't even know Nevada was gonna be our home base.

"For a while, Dimitri tried to get some traction in Southern Nevada but  it was a no-go. The Tri-Cities area-Reno, Carson City, Lake Tahoe-was a  better fit. Before he knew he wouldn't be able to get past the Italians  and the union    s in Vegas, he put out a hit on your mother. The WKs  accepted the offer. Five million dollars. They owed Abandonato two mil  and kept the rest. Your dad didn't steal shit. He'd always played fair  with them but he died because of who he was married to and no other  reason."

She lightly bit her bottom lip. "I know why you're telling me this . . . but why now?"

"We can't have secrets from one another-not if this is going to work.  You knew I saved your life but perhaps you didn't know why. Now you do,"  he answered honestly.

"Why do I get the feeling that isn't the only reason?"

Max smiled genuinely. "It's not. I still want to meet with Angelo  Abandonato. As soon we get back to the States, I plan to arrange a  meet."

"Are you sure about that?" She looked into his eyes again. "Meeting him  would be a dream come true for me. Now I know he thought I was important  enough to look for, I have all the respect for him in the world. How do  we know he won't get spooked and put a bullet in your brain?"

"Well, first of all, I do want to marry you. Raz was right about one  thing. I love fucking men but I love fucking women too. I've always  known I could go both ways and for a long time, I thought perhaps Raz  and me had a future. That was until I met you. I need a ride or die  chick, Mags. Without a fucking doubt, that woman is you. I knew it from  the first time you stepped into Brad's office and met me. I sure as hell  know it now."