Little Fury: Book 1 of The deadly Little Thing Trilogy
Little Fury: Chapter 29

I wake up with Marcus wrapped around me as I hear the door to the suite click. I grab my gun from the table beside me and get out of bed, careful not to make any noise. I’m just about to open the door to the bedroom when I hear Ben say, “We should order food. I’m hungry, and Ava is always hungry,” he says, with emphasis on always. I smile, slide the safety back on the gun and go into the bathroom. I get cleaned up and dressed quickly, throwing on a one-piece romper and making my way into the main room, leaving Marcus to sleep a bit longer.

“Gentleman,” I say as I close the bedroom door.

“Boss Lady,” Ben says, not looking up at me. Matt slaps the back of his head. “Ow, what the hell, man? Oh. Right. Hi Ava.”

“Ava,” Matt and Caden both grunt at me.

“I ordered breakfast,” Ben tells me.

“I know I heard you say that. It’s the only reason I didn’t shoot you guys.”

I hear Matt snort out a laugh. Caden looks at Ben, shaking his head. “The kid will learn some manners. It’s just going to take Matt and me a little time to drill them into him,” he informs me.

“I’m what?” Ben asks, only listening to half the conversation as he types away. “OK, so I have all the cameras at Mr. Rossi’s house linked to my system. No one will even know you’re there. I looked into the guy who he has working for him in the cyber area of his criminal empire, and he’s shit. So, we’re good.”

“Perfect. As long as he’s shit,” I repeat his words to him.

Food is delivered just as Marcus comes out of the bedroom, all sleep-tousled hair and grey sweats. “Guys, this is Marcus.”

Caden makes his way over and offers Marcus his hand, and both men shake. “Nice to finally meet you. Ava has mentioned you a lot. I’m Caden. The kid is Ben, and the grumpy fucker over there is Matt.”

Ben waves, not bothering to look up, and Matt nods at him from his spot at the table.

“Hungry?” I ask Marcus.

“I am,” he answers. A sleepy smile spreads over his face.

We all sit down and start to eat, and I make it 47 seconds before I turn the music on. “Space Oddity” by Bowie drowns out the eating noises. Marcus laughs at me, shaking his head and kisses me on the cheek.

“OK, so it will be perfect if we are in place and ready for 8 p.m. tonight. He will just be getting home from his dinner. The housekeeper and cook will both be gone home for the night.” Ben lets us know, obviously not having heard the conversation. Caden and Matt shake their heads at the kid and return to eating.

“The cook and Housekeeper won’t interfere or care even if they were there. They will probably want to come to work for us, Ava. They were my mom’s and stayed for her and me for all these years.” Marcus adds.

“Sounds good to me. You did promise me a cook,” I remind him

“I did,” he says, grinning at me.

After eating, we review everything again, ensuring everyone knows what they’re doing. Essentially, Ben will turn off the cameras and open the front gate for Marcus and me to walk through—or drive.

We arrive before 8 to watch the house. The cook and housekeeper leave for the night just as Ben predicted. Marcus and I sit in the truck quietly for the next hour or so, talking about nothing important. Caden and Matt are in Matt’s car, parked a few houses in the other direction. Ben chose the spot because he liked the reception of signals from the house.

A little before 8:30, we see Enzo’s car approaching the house. His driver punches in the gate code and heads up the driveway. Enzo and his bodyguard, Hank head into the house. We wait another half hour before we move.

According to Ben, Enzo and his bodyguard are the only ones in the house. Hanks’s room is on the first floor, and he will need to be dealt with quietly so we don’t alert the man of the house. Ben confirms that Enzo has retired to his area for the night. The entire left side of the second floor is his. His office, bedroom, bathroom and walk-in closet are all located there, making it easy for us to replace him even without Ben telling us he’s in the office.

I look over at Marcus. “Ready?”

“Yeah.”

We drive up to the gate and see it flash green and open. “That kid’s not bad,” Marcus says.

“Yeah, I like him. He’s smart, and Parker hand-picked him, so… ‘ We stop in front of the house and get out, not fully closing the car doors.

“The gate or sounds of the truck didn’t alert anyone,” Ben tells me over my earpiece.

“Great, now get the front door.”

“Yes, Boss.” Then I hear the deadbolt disengage. “Your wish is my command, Boss Lady.”

“Ben, if you keep calling me that, I will have to reconsider your employment with me.” I hear Marcus chuckle.

“Yeah, kid. Ava loves her name. Her parents named her after her great-grandmother,” Marcus tells Ben with a smile.

I look at Marcus, wait for his nod, and then open the door. The house is silent except for a grandfather clock in the entranceway.

That’s such a cliché. Of course, this asshole has a grandfather clock.

Marcus takes the lead; I follow along, staying out of his way. I’m only here because Marcus wants me here. He doesn’t need me here to do this. He could have done this all on his own.

We reach Hank’s door. I step to the side and put my hand on the doorknob. I wait for his nod again and open it. Marcus steps into the room, and Hank doesn’t even get a chance to make a noise before Marcus shoots him in the head. I cock my head to the side, looking at Hank. “Have I met him before?” I ask Marcus quietly.

“At the funeral.”

“Ah, yes. He looked good for his age.”

Marcus shakes his head at me and starts out of the room. I follow him again, and we head up the stairs this time. We pause once we’re in the hall at the top of the stairs. I step up behind him and put my hand in his, squeezing it to let him know I’m with him. He squeezes my hand back, lets it go, and starts towards his father’s office. “Still in his office,” Ben tells us through the earpieces.

We walk up to the door, and I move to the side, placing my hand on the knob and waiting for the nod from Marcus. He takes a breath and then nods at me. Turning the knob I open the door, letting it swing inside the room. Enzo sits behind his desk, looking at some papers. The sound of the door opening alerting him that someone entered his space. “What do you need Hank?” he says without even looking up.

“Dad.” Enzo’s head shoots up, locking eyes with his son.

“Marcus.”

I step into the room, moving to the side and leaning against the bookcase. I look at the two of them, waiting to see who’ll make the first move. It’s Enzo—his overinflated sense of worth kicks in. “You can’t kill me; people won’t stand for it.” He says with a smirk.

“Possibly? But I think it’s more likely no one is going to care that you’re dead. Besides, we aren’t here to kill you. There’s no need. You’re just going to sign it all over to me.”

“And why would I do that?” Enzo laughs.

“Because I’m a Rossi and a Sokolov and people don’t like you. Sign it all over, or Ava will put a bullet in your head.”

Enzo looks at me now, realizing I’m in the room with them.

“Hello, Mr. Rossi,” I say, smiling and offering him a little wave.

Manners at all times.

“Dad, just get up. Let’s go.”

“You think I’m going to make this easy for you?’

“You have two options, Dad. Get up and come with us. Show some class. Or two, I hit you in the head and then drag you out of your house.”

“I like number two personally,” I tell them.

He stares at me. “Who the fuck asked you?” he snarls.

“Wow, someone is a little testy.”

Marcus doesn’t turn to look at me, but I see his head shake a bit. I’m not sure if that’s frustration or laughter, but I will choose to believe the latter.

“Fine.”

Marcus steps up to his father, clocks him, and Enzo goes down.

“Matt, can you and Caden come help us carry something?” I ask over the comms in my most pleasant voice.

“We’re already coming up the stairs, Ava.”

“Wow, you guys are killing it on your first field trip.”

“Do you always talk like this?” Matt asks.

“Like what?” I ask, cocking my head to the side as they enter the room with us.

“Yes, she always talks like this when she’s working. Just wait until she starts humming the Muppets fucking theme song.” Marcus tells them.

Both men look at me. “Trying to decide if my level of crazy pays well enough?” I ask them.

“Something like that,” Matt smirks.

“It does,” I assure them.

A couple of hours later, we’re safely tucked away in one of Mr. Rossi’s buildings. We’re sitting around a table in the little kitchen. “Go fish,” I tell Matt.

He grumbles but takes one from the mess of cards in the middle of the table.

“Caden got any fours?” Ben asks him.

“Fuck kid, how!” Caden tosses his four at him.

“Do you have any kings?” Ben asks Marcus. Marcus says nothing; he just hands the king to him.

“Got any aces? Boss lady?”

“Go fish, asshole.” Ben looks at me like he doesn’t believe me.

The sound of a chair moving makes us all look to the door leading downstairs. Marcus looks at me, and we lay our hands down, standing up we head downstairs.

The room off to the left at the bottom of the stairs has one occupant. The man tied to the chair has hate rolling off of him, and it’s directed right at Marcus.

Moving behind Marcus, I go to the counter against the wall and hop up on it to sit.

“Fucking pathetic. Can’t you do anything without her holding your hand? Had I known how much of a pussy you were going to be, I would have just put a bullet in your head instead of wasting time and money sending you to Harry.”

Marcus doesn’t engage him. He waits quietly, letting the man spew his vitriol. Once the older man quiets again, Marcus talks to him. “Uncle Sergi told me a story.” I see the muscles in Mr. Rossi tense at the mention of Sergi’s name. “Do you know what he told me?” Marcus waits momentarily, letting his dad decide if he will answer.

“How the fuck would I know?” He spits out.

“Did you kill my mother?” Marcus asks bluntly.

That question shocks me. Marcus has never said Yuri, Alexi, or Sergi told him that. Enzo stares at his son, deciding what he wants to say, weighing his options, and determining if the truth or a lie will save him.

When he makes his choice, it’s the smile that fills his face that tells me he is choosing a painful death. “It was so amazing killing that fucking cunt.”

“She was your wife. She was my mother, the mother of your child.” Marcus tells his father.

And then Enzo laughs. He laughs at his son. He laughs at his son’s words.

“Fuck,” I mutter to myself. I see the look of pleasure on Enzo’s face. And I instantly connect the dots.

“You’re not even my fucking kid, you dumb cunt. Your whore of a mother was already pregnant when we got married. She tried to pass you off as my own. But blood types don’t lie.”

I look at Marcus, watching as both shock and relief pass over his face. I’m proud of him for being able to swallow it down and stay calm.

“Thank fucking God I’m not your son. You have always been a fucking piece of shit, and I was ashamed you were my father. Such a useless dumb cunt.” Enzo, unfortunately, is anything but dumb. He knows he’s going to die in this room now. So, he doubles down and makes sure to hurt Marcus as much as possible with his last bit of time on this earth.

Enzo glares at Marcus, and I see a glint of malice there. Malice and pleasure. “God dammit,” I say under my breath, knowing the asshole is about to drop another bombshell.

“She told me his name, you know.” I see Marcus stiffen. “At the end there, she was pretty beaten and broken. But she still had some venom in her. I loved breaking her. That Russian princess. Thinking she could make a fool out of me. Thinking she could make me look stupid to our world by trying to trick me into raising someone else’s bastard.

“She thought she was so fucking clever, so fucking untouchable,” Enzo says quietly. Marcus is standing there, barely breathing; he is so still. “But I fucking touched her. My guys fucking touched her for hours. One after another. They treated her good, treated her like the whore she was. And oh, how she begged for me to kill her at the end. It was so beautiful hearing her whimper; the pain in her cries is still music in my ears. She was in so much pain only speaking in Russian. The tears and the blood were a spectacular sight to behold.”

I know what he’s doing. He’s trying to push Marcus to get him so angry that he just kills him. But I won’t let that happen. I won’t allow him a fast and painless death after all the hurt he has caused my best friend his entire life.

I slide off the counter and walk towards Marcus. I grab his hand, but he doesn’t look at me. I force him to turn and look at me. Force him to break his line of sight with the man tied to the chair. “Marcus,” I say, but he doesn’t meet my eyes. “Marcus,” I touch his face, but he still doesn’t meet my eyes. I tilt my head up and brush my lips against his. I brush them across again, firmer this time. I replace the bottom of his shirt and slide my hand up underneath it, placing my hand on his abdomen. The muscles under my hand are so tense.

I move my hand up to his heart, feeling it beat under his skin. I deepen the kiss, sweeping my tongue over the seam of his lips and coaxing him to let me in. His mouth opens slightly, but it’s enough. I slide my tongue into his mouth, touching his. The slightest noise leaves him. I feel a hand grasp my waist. Marcus kisses me back then, pouring his pain and anger into the kiss and giving it to me. His hands slide down and grab my ass, lifting me.

I wrap my legs around his trim waist, bringing him closer. He walks us backwards until his boots hit the bottom of the counter, and he drops my ass on it, embedding himself between my legs. His kiss is hard and desperate. His hands still gripping my ass, he pulls me forward and grinds his hardening cock against the seam of my jeans, pushing the stiff material against my core.

I break the kiss, bringing my hands to his face and forcing him to look at me. He’s panting and staring at me. “Marcus,” his eyes focus on me finally.

“Let me do this for you,” I beg him. “He deserves to hurt just as much as he hurt you and her. Let me inflict that pain. Then when he’s broken, crying and bleeding, you can put a bullet in his head.” He’s staring at me intensely; I can’t read him. I think maybe he’s going to say no, that he will do it himself, but instead, he blinks and nods.

“Make it fucking hurt, Ava.”

“Baby, I will have him begging for you to kill him.”

He drops his forehead to mine and breathes for a moment. He kisses me quickly, grasps my waist, lifts me off the counter, and places me back on my feet. Then, without glancing at the man who was once his sorry excuse for a father, he leaves the room.

I watch his back as he leaves. I stare at the door until I hear him on the stairs waiting for the other door to open and close. I grab my phone and text Matt, asking him to bring me some things. I may as well kill two birds with one stone. I need to know for sure Matt can stomach this shit, and I want a bottle of water, my speaker and my bag of goodies. I hop back up on the counter while I wait for Matt to bring me what I need. I sit there looking at Enzo. I remember the day Marcus came to the ranch. I remember hearing Harry and Beth speak about him and how he had threatened to kill Marcus rather than raise him.

I hear Matt on the stairs about five minutes later. “Oh, thank god, he’s a mouth breather, it’s a real trigger for me.” I grab the bag, replace the speaker, and connect it to my phone. “What do you want to listen to, Mr. Rossi?” I ask the older man because I was raised with manners. I lean to my right to peer past Matt to see if Mr. Rossi has any requests.

“Fuck you, Ava.” Matt tenses at Enzo’s words. I’m starting to see Matt is not a fan of men who speak poorly to women. “You are just as fucking useless as every other woman. Your dripping cunts are the only things about you that have real worth.”

“Mr. Rossi,” I say as I lean back to my centre and start scrolling through my phone to replace a playlist that feels right. “You really shouldn’t insult the woman who is about to start hurting you.” I show Matt my playlist to see if he likes it. He raises one side of his mouth and shakes his head. “I think it’s in bad taste and stupid on your part,” I tell Enzo. Matt takes my phone and scrolls, replaceing something he likes because he smiles and nods his head.

I almost laugh out loud at his song choice. I look up at him with a smile I can’t fully contain. “You’re kind of funny for a grumpy asshole,” I tell him quietly as “Stuck in the Middle With You” by Stealers Wheel plays in the room. He doesn’t say anything. He just gives me a wink. “That wink probably drops a lot of panties for you, doesn’t it?”

“Panties and boxers. They all melt for it, and I don’t discriminate.”

“I bet they do. All right, Matt, will you be staying or going?” I ask him as I get off the counter.

“Is there a wrong answer for me to give?”

“No. I’m just wondering.”

“Wondering if I have it in me to watch or help you hurt a man who threatened to kill his seven-year-old son? Wondering if I have it in me to help or watch you hurt an asshole who had his wife raped repeatedly and then beaten to death?”

“Pretty much.”

He doesn’t say anything. He looks at me and nods. “I’ll be back. I need to get something from my car.” He then heads up the stairs. I turn to the man in the chair, and I cock my head to the side, letting the smallest of smiles cross my lips.

“So, Enzo, just us girls for right now. Are you excited? I don’t think we have ever really talked, you and me. I have a question for you. Would you indulge me while we wait for Matt to return?” He nods at me. “Great. Did you and Alexi really think two idiots would be enough to kill me? Eight. Eight would be a good number of men to have sent. Eight would have probably got you guys the desired outcome.” He glares at me.

“My son is too weak to do this himself, eh?”

I sigh audibly, needing him to hear how much he exhausts me. “1. Not your son, and you telling him he’s not your son directly led to you being here alone with me. 2. He’s not weak. He’s just man enough to understand that his hate for you will overpower his want to make it hurt. Bloodlust is a real thing, dude.” I nod at him, hoping he understands how sincere that statement is. “3. He loves me and knows I kinda enjoy this part of things. He knows I won’t lose control and break my promise to him.”

I nod at Matt as he enters the room. He puts a bag on the counter and starts to put on gloves.

“Enzo?” My voice is no longer playful as the older man looks at me. “I’m going to hurt you now. And when I’m done, you will be begging and crying for Marcus to kill you. Just like his mother begged you.”

“I know who his father is,” he blurts out. “I’ll tell you if you let me go.”

“Mr. Rossi, nothing will make me let you go. Nothing is going to save you from this. And besides, I know who his father is. It’s all in the eyes.”

He looks at me, and genuine fear blanches his face for the first time since we entered his office. I smell something, and I groan, “Fucking hell, did you just piss yourself?” And sure enough, a large wet spot has appeared between his khaki-clad legs. It runs off the seat of the wooden chair he’s tied to. “That’s fucking gross, man.” I sigh. “You need to get it together, Mr. Rossi. I haven’t even started yet.”

Would it be really horrible of me to place a wager with Matt on how long it’ll take Enzo to lose his bowels?