Savage King (The Caraksay Brotherhood Book 1) by Ashe Barker

Author:Ashe Barker [Barker, Ashe]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ashe Barker Books
Published: 2022-07-04T16:00:00+00:00

About half an hour later a horn sounds outside. Micky ambles over to the shutter to do the honours. Amid much cursing and swearing, a lone figure bursts into my warehouse.

Eric Manotov, criminal mastermind of this parish, or so he’d like me to believe, might have been ousted unceremoniously from his bed, but does the man need to look quite so ridiculous? He’s wearing a kimono-style gold-and-burgundy robe better suited to a brothel in Shanghai than a penthouse in Glasgow. His hair, overlong and dyed the colour of a ripe tangerine, hangs loose about his shoulders, and a pair of emerald-green spectacles balance upon his bulbous nose. He’s aged somewhere between forty and sixty, and his complexion suggests he’s fond of a drop of vodka. His breath confirms that theory. The man’s a joke. No wonder that imbecile Igor Olensky thought he could get one over on him.

About eight more of my men follow Manotov into the warehouse. These were the contingent despatched to bring my reluctant guest to this meeting. They did a good job.

I’m about to thank them when I notice that there is someone else with them. A girl, about fifteen I’d say at first glance. She cowers between Phil and Ali, two of my enforcers.

Like Manotov, she’s wearing nightclothes, but her outfit is a little less ostentatious. A plain blue wrap, cinched tight at the waist, her bare feet poking out beneath it. She’s pretty in a little girl sort of a way. Blonde curls, pale-blue eyes, and a mouth that attempts a winning smile. Her charms are lost on me.

“Who’s this?” I demand.

“She was there, in his bed when we arrived,” Ali informs me. “We thought it best not to let her go alerting half his crew the moment our backs were turned.”

“In his bed?” I regard her through narrowed eyes. “How old are you, sweetheart?” The ordeal described by Cristina is still fresh in my mind. Perhaps I need to revise my plans for this filthy old pervert.

“S-seventeen,” she squeaks.

I peer at her. It could be true, I suppose, which would make her legal, in this country at least. Just.

“What were you doing with him?” I ask. “Apart from the obvious?”

She’s trembling, possibly due to the chill in the air, but I suspect not. “I… I work for him. In one of his clubs. He said… he said…”

I raise my hand to stop her stumbling, pathetic attempt at an explanation, but she flinches away. I lower my hand and manage to conjure up a tight smile.

“I don’t mean to hurt you, love.” My quarrel is with Manotov, not this child-woman. I can guess what he said to get her into his bed, and I doubt she had any real choice in the matter anyway. She’s certainly not old enough to be working the clubs, in any capacity at all.

“Why aren’t you at college? Or doing an apprenticeship or something?” I’m no expert on youth employment, but surely a kid like her should be in education somewhere.

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