Thick As Blood - Nestor Oceteva

23. Selective Senses

I jogged slowly on the treadmill as Slipknot played loudly on the sound system. Every 50 or so steps I winced as my leg pained but it was still bearable. The stitches had come out last week and now it was just slowly regaining the movements through repetition. When the pain started to come more frequently I slowed the machine to a walk before turning it off.

I looked out of the gym windows and saw the mercenaries that I had hired arriving back from their mission. I wiped the towel across my face and took a long drink of water before going to meet them. I saw a woman's body being dragged from the back of the truck and they were taking her to the garage. I couldn't see her face since she had a bag over her head but I recognised the tattoos covering her hands.

I padded my way along the house I had purchased here in Santo Padre, it was rural and not too far from the Galindo house. Easy for Nestor to travel to work from when Miguel called at all hours. When I arrived in the garage, the men had already tied her to a chair and bound her hands. I walked up to her and pulled the bag off.

"You!" She gasped, "I should have smothered you in your sleep like father told me to."

"You are probably right, Tahlia." I said as I sat opposite her. "Now, when did old Kirill say that?"

"The first day I met you. It wasn't a coincidence that we were assigned the same room." She laughed as she explained. "Oh poor unwanted Lily, we have known who you were all along."

I punched her breaking her nose with a sickening crunch before blood sprayed across her mouth. She just laughed again and spat a mouthful of blood out.

"Dad wanted you killed but mom thought we could use you and use you we did." She taunted from her spot before her attention turned to the door behind me. "Hello handsome. We could have had some fun together."

I saw Nestor's hands turn to fists as he walked past me and brutally punched her in the face repeatedly. I waited for a few more hits before interrupting him to stop. I went to the work benches that lined the garage wall and opened some drawers. I grabbed a coil of electrical cable, wire cutters, a screwdriver, a hammer and nails. Nestor watched with intrigue as I collected the items and walked to the light switch. I pulled the cover off and quickly wired the three cables to the switch and unravelled the coil to where Tahlia sagged unconscious. I split the wire and curled them around a 6 inch nail each except the earth wire. I held the nail above her thigh and hammered it in deep.

She came awake screaming as I embedded the nail deep in her femur bone. Nestor came and held her other leg down while I hammered the second and final nail into the other leg bone.

"You would have been better keeping that to yourself Tahlia. Now my boyfriend gets to witness Harbinger play." I said calmly and quietly. "After all, a couple that tortures together, stays together."

I felt rather than Nestor's deep chuckle as he stood behind me. His thumbs running circles on my hip bone.

"Want to hit the lights love? It's a getting a bit dark in here." I asked innocently.

With another chuckle he let go of me and walked to the switch. When he flicked it on Tahlia's body spasmed and arched in pain while I laughed at her. I held no remorse for my actions, she had shown her hand and it had pissed me off. I guess I had come full circle, it was now my blood family that I could trust and Nestor of course. I gestured for him to turn the light off and Tahlia slumped back in the chair shaking.

"I am no longer going to just kill you Tahlia but Kirill and Ivanka are going to have to die. First, I will send them a piece of their child, bit by bit."

I took a knife from the bench top and grabbed her hand that held a family created ring on her thumb. Her screams pierced my ear as I began cutting it off.

"Alex is alive!" She screamed between cries.

I froze and removed the knife.

"What?" I said dumbfounded.

"Alex is alive. There was no car bomb." She struggled to say as she panted in pain.

"Where is he?" I didn't want to get my hopes up but I had to ask. She could be doing this so I don't kill her.

"I don't know. Something went down when KJ got home, he suddenly wanted out of the life. He sent Alex somewhere, we thought it was to you. When dad realised KJ hadn't even told you he killed him and blamed the IRA, said Alex was with him when the car blew up."

I couldn't hear anymore, I left the room but as I passed the door I flicked the light switch on. Her screams died out before I even made it to the wet bar and poured a tall glass of whiskey. I held the cool glass up to my forehead as I tried to make sense of this. Think, think, think. I couldn't understand. KJ wouldn't do such a thing, he wouldn't send Alex away without telling me. I paced the room as I tried to think if this was true where would I start.

I had finished my third glass when Nestor entered the room and I saw the trucks leaving our house. I could only assume the body was being taken away. Nestor poured himself a drink and sat on the lounge suite and patted the spot beside him.

"It doesn't make any sense." I said as I sat in the spot. "I don't even know where to begin."

"Russia, we can start there." He said as he took a sip of his drink.

It was never going to be that simple. It was the Bratva's backyard and they were out to kill me. We are going to need more men. If my son was alive there was nothing that would keep me from finding him. I pulled out my phone and called Cole, an ex-militia man who Angel had secretly put me in contact with. I only rang for a moment before he answered.

"Cole here."

"I need all the men you have, we are going to Russia."

"That'll cost you a lot more than we discussed."

"I don't care just get as many as you can. I'll organise weapons and transport, just give me a number of heads and a price."

I ended the call and tossed the phone on the coffee table before snuggling into Nestor's side. I wondered what he thought about all this, whether he would stick around if Alex is alive and found.

"Would you still stay here if he is found?" I asked quietly with my face buried in his shoulder.

He pulled away and looked at me incredulously. I wasn't sure if he thought the question was stupid or he was offended.

"Would you want me here?" He asked.

"Of course, it would just be a big change and this is still so new. I don't even know how you feel about kids. Is it a deal breaker?"

"Lily, relax. I'm not going anywhere. I never thought I would have kids with my line of work. I'll be here as long as you will have me." He said as he pulled me onto his lap.

I took his face between my hands and smiled. "Good because I could never let you go. Te amo."

"Te amo Lily."