AllFreeNovel
Share Us
22
Leon
The distinct smell of burning human flesh assaulted my nose as soon as I got closer to Volkov Manor. Tendrils of smoke rose over the woods surrounding the manor. Weak morning sunshine shone down on me, obliterating the horrors my brothers must’ve experienced the previous night.
I was glad Yakim got on our asses to check on the people who could prove to be our enemies. It was the only reason I got to know about the Morelli family’s plan to attack us.
Yakim was right about Callum Baldwin. He wasted neither time nor opportunity to gather forces to attack us the second he left. I couldn’t believe he even managed to bribe our guards into following his order.
My jaw tightened at the treachery of the men we trusted with the safety of our family. They all knew their masters were monsters and that deceiving us would cost them more than their lives.And yet, they dared to betray us, I thought, clutching onto the brakes hard.
Cutting off the bike’s engine, I looked toward the black stone manor. It was both our home and our fortress.
Those guards dared to betray us because they didn’t fear us anymore.It’s time to remind them who we are, I decided.
The Volkovs weren’t kind masters. We paid our guards handsome salaries and compensations in exchange for their loyalty, but we also punished betrayal with blood and pain.
Climbing off the bike, I hurried indoors.
A phone call from Mikhail around midnight had been enough to calm my rising anxiety about the attack being planned on Volkov Manor. We’d lost some of our men to the attack but both my family and Lucia were safe.
Even then, I was desperate to see them and make sure they weren’t injured in any way.
“Leon!” a familiar voice called out as soon as I entered through the manor’s doors.
Looking ahead, I saw Yakim hurrying toward me. Dressed in a neat white shirt paired with dark navy slacks, he looked absolutely fine. My gaze took note of his gait, making sure he wasn’t hurt in any way.
My eldest brother threw his arms around my neck and pulled me close for a hug. “I’m so glad to see you,” he said in a deep voice and nearly choked the life out of me.
I stayed in his choking embrace and smiled. Yakim was almost a father figure in our lives. He protected both me and Mikhail since the time we’d been thrown out into the streets for survival training.
Yakim always made sure Mikhail and I never went hungry. He stole for us and got hurt several times, but he never left us behind.
His thick scars made him look like a monster but amongst the three of us, he was the kindest. Would Lucia ever see beyond the ugly mask that was forced on him by Callum?
“You must be exhausted,” he said, releasing me. His ice-blue eyes roved all over me, looking for signs of injury. “Let’s go to the kitchen.”
I grabbed onto his arm before he could move away. “Food can wait,” I said in a grim tone. “Tell me whether we’ve found the men who betrayed us.”
“There are three of them,” said Yakim. “Mikhail’s already got them bound up in the underground chambers in the west wing.”
“That’s where I’ll go, then.”
Yakim held me back. “You just returned home. Interrogations can wait.”
I shook my head. “Every man working for us needs to learn a lesson,” I said. “We can’t afford someone else betraying us again. It was pure luck I was at Morelli Sr.’s office at the right time. We can’t always depend on luck when we’re dealing with a thug like Callum Baldwin. We’re the only ones who know the depth of his depravity. Our men need a reminder of the price they’ll be paying if they betray us.”
“You’re right,” Yakim agreed.
“Call Mikhail and tell him to spread the word,” I said. “Everyone here must know I’m down in the dungeons with the traitors.”
Yakim gave a nod. “We’ll meet you there.”
A part of me wanted to head upstairs and see Lucia but I curbed my desire. She was safe and for now, that was enough.
We needed to interrogate the men who were in contact with Callum and the Morellis. We had to find out what we could before it was too late.
I made my way toward the westward wing of the manor. The few men I came across in the hallways looked anxious and wary. Last night’s strike had been a good way to alert them of possible attacks.
