Page 63

CHAPTER 62

MIKHAIL

Song- Empire (Let Them Sing) Bring Me The Horizon.

As soon as I burst out of the house, I freeze.

Nikolai, Jax, and Alexei are all on their knees with two men behind them holding a gun to their heads.

Fuck.

“It seems I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. Not bad for an old man.” Ivan chuckles and turns towards me, his arms spread wide.

“If I eliminate your little group, I’ll own Vegas, and have that sweet little bitch as my own. I can raise my grandchild to be the heir you should have been.” His face mottles as he points at me. “Instead of the traitorous disgrace you all turned out to be!” His hand sweeps over Nikolai, Alexei, and Jax. “The only thing that would be sweeter in this moment is if that ungrateful brat of a daughter of mine was here as well.”

I can see Alexei’s hands tighten into fists behind his head.

The man behind him lowers the barrel of his pistol next to Alexei’s ear and fires into the dirt before he bends closer. “Don’t even think about it, pretty boy.”

My own clench by my thighs in frustration.

I can’t do a damn thing.

“You brought this all down on yourself. If you weren’t such a monster, people wouldn’t want to run from you,” I grit through my teeth.

This is a tough spot and I have no idea how to get out of this.

Ivan turns slowly, looking at the backs of my family and friends.

“I ran this the way it needed to be. You’re weak, Mikhail. You never should have been in charge. Look at them. They chose you to protect them, to guide them, and where did it leave them? Kneeling in the dirt like dogs. They’re going to die, because of you.”

He spins, pointing at Jax. “Shoot him first. It’s his father’s fault that my whore of a wife left to start with.”

“No!” The word barely escapes before the shot echoes across the parking lot.

Jax falls over, slumped in a pile.

Fear grips me.

He trusted me.

The man behind him steps away, then again, weaving drunkenly on his feet.

What the hell?

He turns toward Ivan, silently opening and closing his mouth until a spill of blood covers his chin and he drops his weapon into the dirt.

Then he crumples first to his knees, then lands face first onto the ground. His eyes are wide and unblinking.

“What the fuck?” Ivan twirls, peering at the trees.

His other guard aims his gun at the woods wildly, glancing at his fallen teammate. “Ivan, we need to go.”

“No!” Ivan bellows. “This ends now!”

When the next shot fires, I catch the flash of the barrel through the trees.

The second guard teeters, then collapses.

“Alexei, get Jax!” I yell, running forward to yank the gun from the falling man before he hits the ground.

Whipping around, I point it at my father.

Nikolai appears, grabbing his arms and pinning them behind his back.

Ivan sneers as Sven and Ben appear from the dense cover of the forest, both holding high powered sniper rifles on their shoulders.

“Of course it’s the Butcher’s men.” Ivan spits.

“Got him covered?” I ask Nikolai.

He nods as I run by. I need to make sure Jax is okay.

“Alexei?” I squat next to him. “Tell me.”

Alexei has his shirt pulled off and is holding it tightly against Jax’s shoulder. “He should be good. Might fuck up his right hook for a while.” He grins, showing his silver tooth. “Come on, Jax. I’ve seen you take a harder hit from Maeve.”

Jax groans and rolls onto his side. “Dude, that shit hurts.”

“We’ve all been shot, Jax.” I glance back at Ivan who’s defiantly staring down the twins. “Alexei, can you take him inside and make sure Ana is safe?”

“Sure thing, Miki.” Alexei winks at me, then lifts Jax to stand.

As they head towards the door, I turn my full attention back to Ivan.

Alexei reappears, and I motion him to join me.

Dropping the gun, I grab one of the big Bowie knives off the side of the fallen guard.

“Get his other arm.” I gesture to Alexei.

“Do you think this is the end? You fucked up letting Tatiana leave. She’s so much worse than I am.” Ivan struggles between Nikolai and Alexei, but they hold him firmly.

“I’ve dealt with her before.” I hold the tip of the blade beneath his chin. “It’s your rotten soul that I’ll be happy to purge from his earth.”

Dropping my arm, I sink the point deep into his gut.

“You fuck.” Ivan exhales heavily. “You’ll never win.”

With a visceral sawing motion, I work my hand up, splitting his abdomen with every thrust.

“You’re wrong, Dad. This is me, winning.” Another plunge, and I tilt my weapon until it’s driving up into his ribcage, piercing his black fucking heart.

The anger fades from his face as he falls limp between Nikolai and Alexei.

They let him slump to the ground.

“Nice job.” Ben smiles and pulls out a couple of cigars.

“Good shooting. Thank you.” I clap him on the shoulder, then hold out my bloody hand for Sven to shake. “You guys came at the right time.”

“Thank Drago. He had us on standby and told us to wait after they left.” Sven pushes his hair back, and takes one of the smokes from Ben.

The formidable twins high five each other, then turn back towards the forest.

I know I should go back to Ana.

But all I can do is stare down at the lifeless body of my father.

Nikolai does the same.

All the turmoil. So much loss, and pain.

Because of him.

Nikolai’s face darkens, and he pulls back one leg, launching a hard kick into Ivan’s ribs.

Then another.

He keeps swinging his boot until ribs break.

“I hate you so much!” He screams at the dead man.

My stoic statue of a brother, broken to screams by our father.

“Come here.” I tug on his arm, and he clutches me in a hard embrace. “We did it. We survived him. And now we’ll prove him wrong by being better men than he ever was.”

Nikolai pulls away, his jaw working with a nod. “Damn right,” he grunts. “Go get Ana. We need to get the hell out of here.”