Hello dear all, as promised yesterday, today I am updating "Fallen for an angel" and so we'll see more of Roman's world and we understand what led our sexy thug to fly to Dublin ...

Hope you'll enjoy it and won't it boring, sorry if you were expecting something else, but this chapter was necessary for the story and you'll understand why. Let me know what you think, thank yo so much for your comments and messages!!

On the right, a picture of Anton --> Viggo Mortensen

As you see,  I decided to put titles for each chapter, so maybe you want to check the previous ones :-)

Dedicated to all of you and in particular to AraMiAmor as a sincere thank you for you comments! xox

Enjoy

-TURN BACK THE TIME, TWO WEEKS BEFORE THEIR ENCOUNTER-

-KIEV, UKRAINE-

ROMAN POV

Anton and I ended our jobs on perfect time and made sure the delivers would reach the places by next Thursday. I made a phone call and ordered a couple of men to help in the process, to allow the casinos to be perfectly filled by Friday, when big shots were expected to come. The mess caused last week was cleaned up and made sure something of the sort will never occur again. I believe my message had been understood clearly.

Anton collected money from a couple of stores that recently had created quite irritating and useless problems; I never get what was the point in refusing to pay. If they weren’t going to pay us, they were going to pay someone else and that someone else wasn’t going to treat them nicer and be sure of my words when I say I was probably the less sadistic bastard out there. They knew what to expect from me and if they paid and behaved according the rules, they could go on living their lives like nothing. I didn’t care if they had a beautiful daughter or wife. It meant nothing to me. But that meant something for other people and an easy way to obtain more and more. I wasn’t going to use the family; my threats on the persona in question were enough to keep them obedient and Anton proceeded in the same way.

But of course you had to count in the troublemaker, the person that thought of fighting corruption and wrong with all their strength, the person that decided to change this world. Somehow I found them interesting, because they showed to have morals, their own minds and strong personalities, but it all was worthless and simply misused and brought me a pain in the ass and waste of time. See, so better just pay and stay silent and the threat of calling the police only had me almost laughing.

The police, nice try. Our boss had placed a couple of interesting and generous envelops in the right pockets and we got few police officers informing us of their cases, development in the department, who changed in the highest ranks and the usual business you need to be informed of. It was actually very useful and spared us considerable and precious time.

I waited for him outside the store and when he came back with a visible amused smirk, I knew the whole affair went as planned and he got some fun for himself.

“What made you smile like that?” I enquired him while pulling the car on the street.

“Nothing much, I just numbered few things I enjoy doing on corpses and that I might as well enjoy doing on still warm and pulsing bodies in case they would decide to rant out to wrong people and refuse to pay our organization. Oh dear friend, you should have seen their faces. Sometimes I should bring a camera with me to immortalise their expressions.” He let out a dry laugh and then handed me the envelope packed with money. I shook my head as to say to keep it. “Next store you want to play the bad-boy part? Your face might be enough to convince them, given they have two rather young and beautiful daughters.”

“What do you mean? You know I hold no interest in such things.” I pointed out while turning left and checking the rear view mirror.

“Why you took this street?” He asked realizing I was going on the opposite direction. I cocked my head slightly to the back and he got at first my hint. “Fuck, can’t they be less obvious? Why trying to tail us right in the middle of day during our business, right when I hoped for a quick and easy day to enjoy a drink with you.”

“There is something I do not understand Anton. Yesterday someone tried to kill me and last week we had more problems and let’s not forget the miserable attempt to our boss’s life that took place three weeks ago. Honestly, something is completely out of place, but I can't put my finger on it.” I checked again the car and decided to drive in a quieter and more isolated place and see if they were going to follow me. At least they were smart enough to not attract attention with shooting in the middle of a street.

“Going to make them talk?” Anton smirked and scratched his stubble, his light-blue eyes glinting with merciless amusement.

“Let’s see if they follow us, yes.”

I needed to know more about this, the info we gathered yesterday weren’t enough, but there wasn’t much else to pull out from them. They knew just a name and that was related to that Chechen group that was trying to gain too much territory and power for their own good and did not considerate how that would piss our boss off. They really thought they could establish in our city such control? They deserved to be squashed painfully. They were underestimating our boss, our group and me. An offense that I was soon going to make them pay back.

I had been thinking about it last night when I lay down on my bed and rested my eyes at the window, looking at the snow silently coming down the dark sky. We had a traitor in the group and had been clear since last week and since yesterday, but it wasn’t those two men. They were mere puppets and someone else manoeuvred them. And that was not Ruslan, even though my guts told me he had part in that. Anton had the same suspects, because this last month he had been more restless and disappeared a couple of times without valid reasons. Well, without valid reasons for me, considering he wasn’t a simple minion. He said he had spent two days with the most obliging and slutty prostitute and that drained his brain out. Disgusting bastard. It was a lie and I knew it, but had no evidences, and our boss believed him and told me to relax, because danger was part of our activity. Of course I knew that, but one thing was calculated and expected danger and another was unsuspected and destabilizing danger. That was way more risky.

“They are actually following us.” He laughed. “It’s going to be very entertaining.”

Yes, very entertaining.

But right when they realized I was leading them somewhere isolated and quiet, they abruptly changed direction and almost crushed against a bus. I sighed. Absolutely unprofessional.

“Now that was a damn waste of time and we have to drive back.” Anton groaned and turned on the music on the radio, and then smirked. “Got their plate, Roman. We are going to visit them later.”

I simply smirked back and drove to the original destination.

This time it was me going to collect money and I understood what Anton meant before. The owner of the restaurant paled down and almost fainted when saw me and same for his wife. They obviously knew me and I knew them and I enjoyed feeling their fear and respect for me and I playfully smirked at them, sitting on a table and ordering a good bottle of vodka.

“Mr. Goncharov, I trust you and your family are all well, especially your beautiful daughters.”

His voice, when answered my question, was dry and carried that hidden terror that made the man smell of his own fear. I was taking no fun in this like Anton would do and therefore I dropped the game immediately. “But I am not here for them and you know the reason for my visit very well, am I correct?”

He nodded and I gestured for him to sit with me and before sitting down, he exchanged a mute glance with his wife and she disappeared in the kitchen. He sat down and soon a bottle of high quality Russian vodka was in front of us with two small glasses. I poured some for him and then some for me and we gulped them down.

“Now, back to business, explain me clearly why you are not going to pay us anymore. You are clearly on our territory and it was thanks to us you concluded that deal with the liquor’s license in a minute. Am I correct?”

“Yes, Mr. Petrenko.” Oh yes, that was the surname the group gave me and I was known by that. And by the stars. He gulped down and gave a quick look at the kitchen and I was growing tired of this already.

“Listen well, Mr. Goncharov. I have no business with your family, nor do I care whether your daughters are beautiful and young. But that could become a real problem with some people of my organization and you know this too well. Now tell me simple and clear your reasons and then provide me with what I came here for.”

The man in front of me stared at my eyes and then passed a shaking hand on his greying hair. He was afraid, yes, but not only of me and this immediately made my instinct jump in alert.

“Can we speak in another place?” He begged and I studied his face and then the place. I nodded and we walked inside his private office. He locked the door, closed the small window and pulled the cable of the phone out of the plug. I observed the man shaking in front of me and I knew today wasn’t going to be a waste of time, but actually a quite remunerative day.

“Speak and do it clearly. You have a name or at least info I need, is that correct?”

“I do not know if you need this, but yes, I have info.”

“Speak and be aware to not leave anything out or I might lose my patience and find the way to make you talk even without your tongue.” He gulped and paled down and then sat on the chair of his desk. I stood there in front of him and threatened the man with my glare and presence.

“We have been ordered not to pay you and your group otherwise they were going to take my wife and daughters and God knows I love them more than my life. They can do anything to me, that I don’t care, but not to them. Not them.” I had no doubts he was sincere. He meant what he said. “They came here almost three weeks ago and said soon we won’t need to pay your group anymore and that things were changing. They ordered not to pay you and when I asked why, they simply told me to mind my business and do as I was told to.”

I see.

It was a way to lead us out. It was a way to drive me out and unguarded and it was a way to hit the organization. They knew that if they didn’t pay we would come over and made them. But why wasting so much time? And they were obviously planning to take the boss down and no wonder it all happened three weeks ago. Something was really out of place and then realized what was out of place.

“They were Chechens.” I said, not asked. He nodded.

Yes of course.

A new group coming from a remote region in the Caucasus could not know so many details and info about a group like ours without having someone spilling the beans. We caught two traitors yesterday, but they knew nothing about this side of business, as they knew nothing about the whole territory. They were mere minions and details didn’t belong with them.

Ruslan.

But who else?

Was he operating all alone?

Unlikely.

But who?

“Did you hear from them more? Did they ask you details?” He shook his head, but then he thought about my question once again.

“What kind of details?”

“Who usually comes over here, names, simple things like this.” He shook again his head. I was right. “Were they only Chechens or someone else was with them? I want a clear and precise description of those men.” He nodded and proceeded in giving me all the required information.

“Another thing, Mr. Petrenko.”

“What is it?”

“They said we weren’t going to be alone in this.”

“I see.” I believe they realized we were here, but they didn’t attack yet, so they were observing.

They knew I was here and that made it even more suspicious and smelling badly like treacherous treason; only someone inside our group could know that it was still Anton and me going to get payments done when the owner created problems, even if our ranks were way above this task.

It has been my firm decision to look over this business myself, because when we tried other men they only managed to make a mess and attract unwanted attention and I had to clean over that once again.

So I was really right and so that’s what it was.

A diversion to buy time, to stir problems and confusion and distrust inside our group, and then use the chance to take us at our weakest moment. As if this was going to happen. Now I understand the point of those useless attacks.

Well, I will make sure to deliver them a better and far more explicative message.

“Now, listen to me and do it carefully. I am sure they saw us driving here and talking to you, therefore they expect you paying us and that would mean the end of your family.” He grabbed the arms of the chairs and went pale like a corpse. “I never had a family and I do not know what it means to have to protect someone you deeply care for. I do not do this for you, but for the boss. Tell them you refused to pay and that I will come back next week. I need to get a hold on them and ask a couple of questions, and this won’t end for you unless they are taken care of, understood?” He nodded. “It will end if you decide to collaborate with me.”

“What have I to do?” I liked the fact this man was brave and determined to save his family. It meant he had honour.

“I need to issue you some physical pain.” At those words and at my hard and cold stare he widened his eyes. “Nothing unbearable, promise. Only a reminder for the next time. And then, send your precious wife and daughters away for few weeks. No plane tickets. Do it in two days, when they’ll be busy after us and won’t bother to care whether your family is going to visit a cousin abroad.”

“I have some relatives in Poland.”

“That is perfect.” He closed his eyes and sighed out tiredly. “Now, are you ready?”

“Just a moment, please. What about the money? I have not all the required sum here at the moment.”

“No payment for this month. The information you provided me are way more valuable.”

“Thank you.”

“Now, stand up and ready yourself.”

I hit the man only five times and minded well not to spill blood and not break any bone. He could indeed call himself lucky. The purple bruises would speak enough and so his swollen eye. I didn’t damage it; the man was only going to need ice and some cream for few days and then he was going to thank me more for this.

“You are strange sometimes, Roman. You just helped a complete stranger.” Anton said now driving the car since I had some phone calls to manage.

“I did not do it for them. The man gave us important info and he was willing to go through hell to save his family and thanks to that we might get at the head of this problem sooner than expected.” The person at the other side answered and I ordered him to meet at the usual place, an abandoned bus station at the very end of the city. I turned off the call and Anton quickly eyed me with curiosity.

“Why do you need to see him?”

“We might need fake ID and I want them made in the best way.”

“Why you think so?”

“My guts tell me is something reaching over the border of our country.”

“You see a war coming, right? I unfortunately see the same.” I knew he was in line with me and that was another reason I trusted him completely. He was logical and smart and made the right connection in no time.

Someone else was pulling the strings and it was not only that pain in the ass of Ruslan, for the simple reason he had not enough ground to move around alone, he must need someone else’s support, that was a given. The question now was who inside the group might take advantage from risking this much. I thought about the boss and I knew he was oblivious of all this mess, but it was about time to fill him in with fresh news and let me handle the way I had in mind. Anton’s mobile rang and when he read the ID call he snorted and cursed.

“Shit, hope the princess doesn’t need babysitting today..” He pushed the green button and answered. “Yes?” He let out a soundless sigh and I smirked. So, babysitting this evening. He shot me a crooked glare and I smirked even more. “Yes, of course.” Another pause. “Understood.” Another longer pause and another soundless sigh. “Yes sir.” He turned off the conversation and almost smashed the phone on the dashboard.

“Let me guess, babysitting?”

“The boss ordered me to tag along his son; apparently he is bringing him along tonight and wants me there as bodyguard.” He then smirked and I knew from that I was in, too. “And you have to come as well, my dear friend.” I snorted and then decided to get back to work. “Another phone call?”

“We need the address of the car of before and want to deliver some nice message.” Now it was me smirking darkly.

Before acting of my own accord, I judged it was better to talk with our boss and see whether he wanted me to act immediately or wait. It was his group and not mine and a wrong action or made without the consent, could lead to further consequences, even if you were trusted completely. We found the owner of the car and not so surprisingly the car had been stolen from his original owner; not a problem, as it took no time to figure out when and where it happened and the occasional right witness helped in the process. I smirked evilly remembering the way he was staring at me as if he had just met his worst nightmare.

Now I was here sipping some vodka to pretend I was having good time, while inside I felt nothing and only repulsion. The boss took us and his son to one of his nightclub and he was now discussing some business with a Russian army dealer. Yes, we needed some new weapons and apparently this man here could provide us with some new guns and rifles coming directly from the US. How hilarious was that?

I spotted Anton and he had the same void and granitic expression I had and probably wished to smack that idiot’s head on the table. I was guarding the boss from here; Anton was guarding Maksym, the good for nothing son and future leader. A chill ran down my spine at that thought, because he had no clue about how to diligently lead such business. The other man had a couple of guards as well and I appreciated the fact they ignored the girls going back and forth basically naked, wearing only some sort of inexistent piece of lingerie. One of them was actually dancing on the table for them and some others were with other clients. I shook my head and gulped down the vodka.

The transaction was easy and quick, but being in here among clients put the dealer more at ease and provided him with an apparently interesting night, given the way he eyed the girls.

When it was all done and sealed, the boss eyed me and in one step I was there.

“This is my right hand, Roman, even though he prefer to be referred as left hand.” I shook hands with the dealer and when a girl came and sat on his laps his attention was gone for good. Our leader gave me a quick amused look. His son was busy with something else and so he asked what he wanted to know. “Did you collect everything?”

“Yes, I did.”

“But you don’t have it here, right?”

“No, I don’t.” He understood what I had in mind and we took a stroll to an empty table and immediately another girl came around and tried to sit on my laps, but I gave her such a hard and intimidating stare that she retreated shaking and the boss burst out laughing.

“Come here, baby. Our Roman here doesn’t like to be bothered when working, but I sure don’t mind it.” I tried not to sigh. I wasn’t going to talk about such delicate matters with someone in the way. He caught my face and chuckled shaking his head. “I am sorry sugar, come back later and why don’t you bring a couple of your friends? I feel like playing all night.”

“Then I’ll be back later, Boris sir.” She lasciviously kissed him while grinding her basically naked body all over him and I thought of that girl I met yesterday. She had been lucky, yesterday; this one could be her. The girl finally moved away and it was time to finally speak. “What is it? It must be rather serious pain in the fucking neck, right?”

“Yes Boris, I believe we have two major traitors in our group and for sure one of them is quite high ranked, because he delivered information that only someone in that position could have known.” He studied my face and then sighed out loudly.

“I knew something like this was coming. You maybe think that I waste time around with girls and games, but it’s my way to operate and gain what I need, while yours is your threatening air and glares and your crude methods. But you’re the best.”

“Never thought you waste time, boss. I know you too well.”

“Thank you. Well, I sensed something smelt bad and all those attacks made me think of something to lead us astray and make us vulnerable with inside insecurities and doubts and I know what you are thinking about, but we don’t have enough proofs. The Chechens are being too arrogant and ignorant for their own good and they’ll soon pay for the lack of respect they are displaying so openly. And mark my words Roman; they are going to pay very painfully.” I nodded and adrenaline went through my system. “You and Anton fear a war, correct?”

I nodded and explain everything from the restaurant, my doubts and consideration, my questions, the car that followed us and the inevitable connections.

“I see...so I was right and you were right. We need to figure out who is behind this mess and going and slaughter all the members out there won’t do a thing, because we need to extirpate the real deal inside of us. I give you free rains and you can count on Anton, if that pleases you. I liked the way you managed the issue with the restaurant and wait for the car until next week.”

“Thank you and yes, boss.”

He studied more my face and then smiled.

“What would I do without you? I have no idea, as my own son is quite the incompetent spoilt brat. I wish I could pass everything to you, but you damn well know it’s not only up to me and you never heard of someone like you taking the place of the son. Unfortunately that is a rule I cannot change and that is thank you to those boring and useless pieces of old farts.” I said nothing; it wasn’t my place to make remarks about this. “Have you ever considered of leaving this life?”

“No, I never thought about that. I do not see myself out there; I belong to this group and still owe you my life.”

“Oh please Roman, this debt had long been repaid and it’s me now owing you my life.”

“Not according to me.” I answered quietly and resolute. Boris shook his head and gave me a genuine smile.

“I wished many times for you to be my son, because you would be the right person and leader, and because I love you more than I love that good for nothing of my son. You think because I play around I ignore the mess outside there? Or you think I ignore that Ruslan is quite the bastard? But I cannot kick him out like nothing, he’s the son of a dear friend and we all know how this shit goes. And what about my son? I don’t even want to try to understand that unhealthy and disturbing obsession he has for that bastard and I sure don’t want to know how they spend their time together.” He gulped down a shot of vodka and placed the small glass on the table. “So you see? I really wish you were my son, Roman.”

“Thank you for your words, but they are too generous for someone like me that belongs to nothing and is nothing.”

He went to answer, but the sudden outburst of shooting filled the air and I sprang up immediately, grabbing my gun and jerking the boss on the floor, my body covering his. The people and the girls that were dancing began to hysterically cry and they ran around aimlessly and a couple of them got shot right in front of us. Idiots. You don’t run away like that in these situations, you just get the fucking down and find a good spot. And I found one behind the Dj’s console. 

“What the hell is that?” The boss demanded.

“Those bastards dared to attack you in your own territory; they are really getting ahead of their real position.” Now I was boiling with cold rage and when I spotted one of those dogs I mercilessly aimed at his head and fired, enjoying the view of his blood spilling in the air.

One down.

I heard more gun shots and when I tried to look for Anton, he was taking down someone with his knife in the intent to protect Maksym; then shoved the corpse away and found my eyes. We exchanged a knowing glance and hell broke down. I fired more bullets and always kept guarding the boss and then I caught with the corner of my eyes someone coming from the left side, I had just the time to react and shoot.

“Down.” I roared to Boris and in that moment something pierced my left arm.

Shit.

A bullet.

“Roman.” That was Anton. “You ok friend?” He had run to us the moment he saw me jerking back at the impact with the bullet. It sort of hurt, but not so much.

“I think it went out.”

“Don’t move around.”

“It’s only a scratch, mind the boss.”

“I am fine.” He answered. “And so are my son and our guests. I owe you another one, it seems to me.” I barely shook my head when I felt hands on my left arm.

Anton tore away my jacket and shirt and wrapped the sleeve of the shirt on my wound, but lucky enough I was losing much blood. And it was my left arm. I could still shoot.

The fight went on for some other minutes and the bullets sprayed in the air along with blood and flesh and the hysterical cries made it even more annoying. It was only seven of them, but they managed to make quite a mess and right now we were staring only at seven corpses. It took few minutes, because we obviously had more than only seven guards and we could kiss our lucky star because the dealer was in one piece and so his men that actually helped in killing a couple of them. This whole issue entertained him and he seemed satisfied he had witnessed such thing.

“Bastard sons of bitches.” One of our men spat on the dead bodies.

“Search their pockets.” I ordered him.

“Yes sir.”

Anton approached me and purposely stuck a finger on my wounded arm and I glared at him. He thought this was really going to hurt? A couple of stitches and I was going to be fine.

“You know what all of this mean, yes?” He murmured to me and I simply looked at him silently, my face an unreadable dark and severe mask. “Of course you do.” We exchanged another glance and one of the men called for me.

“Sir, we found this.” He handed me a mobile phone and even though it was damaged, it still worked. I searched for some recognizable numbers, but found none. Anyway, something else caught my attention and it was a foreign prefix and the number had been dialled several times.

“Never saw that prefix.” Anton said, studying the numbers. “For which country is it?”

I stared at him and something clicked in my head.

I probably had the most important piece of information in my hands.

“It is for Ireland.”

Author's chit-chat:

So, what do you think? We all better understand now what's behind and part of the reason he has to fly to Dublin..

Next chapter will be divided between Enna and Roman and we'll understand completely the reason behind his sudden trip and then ...

Until next time xox