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Balalaika expected a lot in this city of din and viciousness and greed.
Or almost anything. You’d be hard pressed not to find the most bizarre of nightmares in this city.
This city was the dumping ground for nightmares.
Still, it somehow arrived as a shock to her, when Benny of the Lagoon Company, appeared at the doorway of Hotel Moscow, armed with a gun, ready to shoot.
Balalaika at first assumed that this was over Benny’s paramour, Jane.
But when Benny asked the question, “What do you want with her?” Balalaika knew what Benny was here for.
Now, Balalaika and Benny had never really interacted before now. And why would they have? Balalaika mainly cared about business with Dutch and only cared about…………personal matters with Revy. But Balalaika knew that Benny cared about Revy. And Revy cared about Benny.
It was also a surprise that Benny had been able to sneak a gun into Hotel Moscow, without Balalaika’s men detecting the firearm.
Apparently, Benny had smuggled the small revolver in his right-hand sock.
And when he stood before Balalaika, after Balalaika told Boris and the other men that they could leave her to speak with Dutch’s computer man, Balalaika genuinely thought, after Benny had pulled out a gun, that this was about Jane.
Then the blonde man had asked the question, and Balalaika knew that this was about Revy.
The question, “What do you want from her?” was accurate enough of a question.
This was no different, Balalaika realized, as she lifted herself up from her desk, from a brother trying to protect his younger sister.
Balalaika decided, regardless of the distrust in Benny’s eyes and despite the barrel of the revolver aimed on her person, that she would be nothing but honest with Benny.
It was best if Balalaika was honest with Revy’s family, she decided.
And the Lagoon Company was indeed Revy’s family, though Balalaika knew that Revy would never outright say that.
“I need you to be a bit clearer, Benny,” Balalaika remarked as she took a puff from her cigar.
Benny glowered at her as he snapped, “You know what I’m talking about. Revy. What are you going to do with her, after you’ve had your fun?”
Balalaika’s right eyebrow lifted, though she understood the accusation, wrapped up in a question.
Benny assumed that after Balalaika had gotten the fun she wanted from Revy, she would discard the gunslinger, or even kill her.
Balalaika wasn’t offended by the accusation.
She had been accused of things like that in the past. And rightly so.
Sure, she had killed those close to her before. Traitors. People that would kill other people she cared for. People she had to kill because they had defected.
But she would never hurt Revy. But then, perhaps Benny was thinking about the bruises that sometimes showed up on Revy’s wrists, after she had spent the night at Hotel Moscow.
It was true, sometimes Balalaika had to restrain Revy, to keep Revy from hurting herself, whenever Revy woke up from a nightmare and was looking around, ready to attack someone, thinking that it was an enemy before her.
It was true also that Balalaika often spanked Revy, but Revy needless to say, enjoyed that.
Though those last details, were not to be shared with Benny.
“I have no intention of discarding her, Benny,” Balalaika answered, not towering over Benny, keeping her distance, for now.
She saw it in how Benny was shaking, he had no resolve to shoot her.
However, a frightened person, afraid of pulling the trigger and who shook, was just as likely to pull the trigger by accident, as a person focused on shooting a bullet.
So, for that reason, she needed to be cautious.
She added, “I will not hurt Revy, Benny. And it would be a good idea for you to lower that weapon.”
Benny stared at Balalaika, shuddering. He said, “Revy isn’t a toy, Balalaika. And she’s…………she’s fragile.”
“I know,” Balalaika confessed.
“If you hurt her,” Benny whispered, “If you throw her away like trash.”
He aimed the gun at Balalaika’s chest, but the Russian knew that Benny would not fire.
He stared at her, and she stared at him. Balalaika knew that only after Rock, Benny was the least experienced in physical combat in this city, but she respected Benny in that moment, if only because he wished to protect a comrade of his.
Benny lowered his gun, shoved into his sock again, and bolted from the room.
Balalaika sighed.
Boris and Polanski peered in at her, concerned. She shook her head at them. It was fine. They had no need to worry.
Balalaika had known that the chance of Benny actually shooting her had been slim to none.
She knew that she was going to have to mention this to Revy.
She knew that it would cause trouble, because Revy would want to crack Benny’s jaw, but it didn’t change that Revy should probably know that Benny had tried to look out for her.
Balalaika smiled wryly.
She had known that Dutch would be protective of Revy, but she hadn’t expected Benny.
Well, if nothing else, Benny had won some of Balalaika’s respect.