We got up and headed for the breakfast room, even though it was lunchtime. The room was less formal than the dining room. As we entered, I felt my stomach turning. I suddenly felt sick and nauseated. I couldn’t be sure if it was something I ate or drank, but I knew I had to get to the bathroom.
Maybe I caught something on our trip. Touching Zhenya’s arm, I stopped her. She turned and smiled at me. “Sorry,” I mumbled, holding my stomach.
“You feeling okay?” she asked, stepping closer. “You look a little pale.”
“Not sure. I think I need to lie down for a bit. Please excuse me,” I replied.
“So sorry, can we help with anything?” Zhenya asked. I could hear some concern in her tone.
“No, no,” I reassured her. “It could be something I ate, or a bug in the air. I’m sure I’ll be back to myself in a bit.”
“Yeah, you never know when visiting other countries,” Misha said.
Elisse also came closer as she spoke. “The air, the food, it’s always a gamble if you ask me.”
“We’ll be fine, you go lie down,” Zhenya added, squeezing my hand.
“Thank you,” I huffed before turning and heading to my room.
Chapter 19 - Iosif
I was tired of these lowlifes hanging around. These drifters are invading my turf. It was time something was done. They had to learn their lesson, and today was the day. I have decided to clear them out once and for all before something else happens.
But more than that, I wanted to show them they couldn’t mess with my family. Startled, I was pulled from my thoughts as Avgust suddenly stopped. Looking to the side, I saw we were parked in front of an abandoned warehouse. We were close to the edge of the city, as I saw the harbor ahead of us.
This was the location we had for the new crew that had moved into our territory. They were said to be small but deadly. We got out as the Vasiliev brothers arrived. Between them and our men, I was positive we could put a stop to this tonight.
We gathered quickly to confirm the planned strategy. All the Vasiliev brothers, as well as the men that the Dubow family had sent, were gathered outside the premises. Lifting my hand and making a fist, I indicated to the men to follow me as I moved in. I knew everyone was ready to take down the enemy.
Pushing open the door, we stormed inside, guns raised. To my surprise, the place was empty. As we moved further into the dwelling. A loud cracking noise drew my attention as a shot was fired. I froze and glanced back at my men. They were either crouched or hiding behind furniture.
As a second shot ran through the air, we could see the light cast off of the gun, and we started firing back. The enemy suddenly stopped shooting, and we moved forward. Before we could get through the door, an explosion went off.
Rubble, bricks, and furniture came raining down around us. Getting up, I shook my head to clear the ringing sound. Glancing around, I ensured my men were all still alive. Hearing the sound of more men arriving, I screamed at my men to retreat.
I felt it was a better option to pull out, as we had no idea of how many more bombs there could be. The crew was also bigger than we had anticipated. Piling back into the cars, we pulled away and regrouped about six blocks away.
We managed to escape successfully, with no man down. As we pulled over, I was relieved to see no casualties on our side. There were, however, a couple of men with injuries that would require medical attention.
We did a full assessment of all men present. Four of my men and two of the Dubow men would need to call it quits for tonight. Even though they were out for the fight, they would recover fully.
I called Alexandr Dubow and arranged treatment for the men. I asked the rest of the men left to reconvene at our warehouse. Upon arrival there, I was met by Anton Dubow. We discussed the events of the evening and decided more information was needed.
After sending all our men home, I did the same. As I returned home, I tried my best to stay as quiet as possible. I snuck inside, not wanting to wake up Clara. I entered the front door with no issues. However, as I started ascending the stairs, the lights came on, and I froze.
Glancing up, I saw Clara standing at the top of the staircase. Her hands were on her hips, and her look was disapproving. She glared at me, her eyes narrowing as she shook her head in disapproval. Without a word, she came stormingdown. Clara grabbed me by the arm and dragged me to the lounge.
Clara pulled me towards one of the couches and forced me to sit down. She studied me for a moment, then turned and walked out. I sat waiting, confused, as I didn’t know what she was up to. It wasn’t long before she returned, carrying a medical kit in her left hand.
In her right hand, she held a bowl of water and some towels. Watching her prepare everything to treat me, I was flooded with a mixture of emotions. Clara started by wetting a towel and wiping away all the ash marks from my face and arms.
Once most of the dirt was wiped away, she proceeded to wipe most of the blood surrounding my wounds. She used a cotton ball soaked in disinfectant to wipe the abrasions and cuts.
Clara then carefully applied antiseptic cream to my wounds. There was a light sting, but it didn’t compare to the guilt I felt. After gently rubbing in the cream, she covered my wounds with bandages.
Clara placed a warm hand on my arm as she spoke. “Please take better care of yourself.”
I had never intended for her to see me in such a light, and I swallowed hard before replying. “I am so very sorry.” I was stunned at her concern and saw her differently suddenly.
