Page 10

Lev

My head hurts, and I try to move, but I can’t. I move my legs and arms, and then I feel the plastic ties. I slowly open my eyes because the fucking light is bright. Then I close them when the fucking pain pierces my head. I open them halfway and look at Ivan through my lids. Ivan is standing in front of me, pointing his gun at me.

“Where’s my wife,” I hiss, pulling my arms, trying to get out of the plastic ties.

“Your suka and her cousin are in the corner of the room. They’re tied up and knocked out.”

“Why did you take them? You better pray that they’re okay. You have me. Release them,” I yell, curling my lip.

“Nyet! It’s going to be the last thought in your mind right before you take your last breath. I’m going enjoy fucking both of them!”

“Both? What the fuck are you talking about?”

“I took your bride and her cousin Mia. I’m going to make you regret choosing your Brats over me!”

“Why the fuck did you take Mia? It’s senseless!”

“Nyet. I’m also going to make Czar suffer. He loves Mia, and he’s the one that took my place. I’m the one that was always your confidant, your support, not that svoloch’!”

“What the fuck are you doing? Untie me!”

“I’m going to kill you!”

“Untie me mudak!”

“Nyet. I’m going to kill you! My Mama Maria was right! I’m the one that’s supposed to be Pakhan, not you! I have the same rights as you do! I have the same blood!”

I stare at his bloodshot eyes; he looks like he’s on drugs.

When did this happen?

I didn’t know that he was hating me.

“I can’t believe that you’re listening to your Mama, the one who left you when you were a baby!”

“Shut the fuck up! She’s my Mama,” Ivan growls, gathering his eyebrows and pointing his gun at me.

I glare at him, grinding my molars, hating the fact that he was planning my demise and who knows for how long.

“That doesn’t mean that you can betray me; what happened? You’re supposed to be my Brat and my right-hand man? We've gone through hell, so many good times together, and I never expected your betrayal! You will be punished, Ivan, and you know what it entails!”

“Don’t fuck with me, Lev! You know damn well that I deserve to be the Pakhan, just as my Mama says. You put me aside when you met Czar and Anatoly! After all of these years, I stood by your side, and yet you preferred those sukas, your Brats, to me! We have the same blood; what makes them better than me? You even gave them the key positions in the Bratva, your Two Spies, the Obshchak, and Sovietnik! You didn’t even consider me! I’m just your lap dog, doing your bidding.”

I stare at Ivan, forcing my heart to stop beating so damn fast. It’s a fucking broken heart, nyet it’s a crushed soul, but I’m Pakhan. I focus on my anger and hurt, forgetting who Ivan is and what he means to me. An emotional numbness, a disconnect, gives me the strength to do what I must do.

Kill him.

Then I see movement at the door. It’s my Brats, they stop at the door. Czar gestures, placing his finger to his lips, for me to be quiet. I need to distract Ivan, so I goad him.

“You’re going to kill me because absentee Mama put all this fucking mudak in your head! Your actions are a betrayal! It’s unforgivable. You took my wife, the woman that I love, for money and power? I’m not going to show you any mercy!”

“Ha! That’s rich since you’re fucking tied up, and I have the fucking gun! Nobody is going to save you! I made damn sure that they thought that you left on your own,” Ivan hisses, curving his upper lip.

Now I know that he’s insane.

My Brat Czar knocks him out, and Ivan falls onto his face.

Smash!

Damn, I heard his nose cracked. It doesn’t fucking matter, he’s a dead man.

“Untie me!”

“Da,” Czar and Anatoly rush over to me, pulling out their knives. Then, Czar pulls out the plastic ties from Ivan’s suit jacket and ties him up.

“Pakhan, he must die,” Anatoly says, resting his hands on his waist.

Czar pushes off his knees, his face is red, and he’s pissed. He spits at Ivan and kicks him.

“Svoloch’”

I throw back my arm and strike Ivan’s face with my fist, wearing my custom-made silver knuckles that I always carry in my suit jacket. It’s my preferred method of causing injury. And right now, I want to cause lots of pain.

That’s what I want, to inflict pain on Ivan, pain to match the pain I feel for his betrayal.

The pain of taking Valentina.

The svoloch’ has been trying to fuel ill feelings towards my Brats, and now I know why. Ivan had it all planned and wanted me to be at his mercy.

Nyet!

Not happening.

“Pakhan, let me kill him,” Czar hisses, holding his Glock.

“Nyet! I’m going to kill him!”

I take his Glock and shoot Ivan between the eyes and through his black traitorous heart.

I hand Czar his Glock and run over to untie Valentina and Mia.

“Give me your knife,” I yell, looking over my shoulder at my Brats.

“Da,” Anatoly says, handing me his knife.

Czar cuts off Mia’s ties, and then he pulls her into his arms.

“I’m taking her to the SUV,” Czar says, walking out of the warehouse.

“Anatoly, take care of Ivan. Get rid of him.”

“Da, no worries, I take care of clean up,” Anatoly says, looking around the warehouse.

“Thanks. How did you get her so quickly?”

“Brat, I’m a brilliant IT and hacker. The cameras at Conti, then the street, and we got here just on time.”

“Da. Thank you.”

“All good. Take care of your bride.”

“Da.”

I pull Valentina into my arms, walk out of the warehouse, and get into the SUV. We get back to my apartment, and it feels good; it feels safe. I put Valentina on the bed and checked her out.

I call the Bratva Doctor, undress her, and pull on one of her nightgowns. Yes, she has them, but I always take them off her so she stops wearing them.