Page 3 of Marked By the Devil

So long as I stayed on their trail and kept following them through this dirty side of the city, I could handle this.

I will find you, you piece of shit.

And I will make you regret ever being a part of trying to hurt him, of having a role in this assassination attempt.

Rage coated my soul at the mere thought of my brother being killed. Our father was already currently dying from a stroke that happened in conjunction with a cancer diagnosis we hadn’t known about. My mother died when I was young. My grandparents had been killed when my uncle Gregori planted a bomb in an attempt to take the throne.

And now he’s back, bringing the force of his fucking shadow network to threaten us all.

The idea of Adrik being killed wasn’t something I needed on my radar.

We led dangerous lives. Enemies were aplenty. But we had protection. A whole legion of soldiers and guards kept our empire safe.

And right now, I would do my part in hunting down this person who thought they could take a shot at my brother.

Furious but patient, I pulled out my gun at the sound of sirens in the distance. As I continued stalking the person up ahead, waiting for a good sight on them, I dismissed the ruckus of what sounded like a domestic dispute up on a balcony near some shitty housing units.

You’re not getting away, you goddamn⁠—

Stepping under a streetlight, the woman came more into view for just a second.

Woman?

I was no stranger to strong women.

Carina had been a fierce Cartel member before she married Maksim.

Elena had a quiet strength often shown behind the screen, an asset to her husband, Adrik.

Mila was a warrior of a drug runner who’d only just married my cousin Lev.

Realizing that this lone woman I hunted down had the guts to try to take out my brother…

I narrowed my eyes, annoyed.

You won’t get away from me, Red.

Her auburn hair was what I’d noticed, and I would stay on her until I could get a handful of it and yank her back to face me, to answer to me why she dared to be a part of that sniper aiming at him.

Maksim: I will send backup to your location.

I’d forgotten to reply, too tense in this game of cat and mouse.

Viktor: Don’t bother.

Maksim: Did he get away? We’ll send out a crew to scan the area.

Viktor: SHE did not get away. I’m on her tail now.

I glowered in the direction of where she was rushing, still desperate to hide and escape.

Viktor: I think I can handle chasing one woman.

And when I caught her, she would learn the very grave and lethal lesson of what it meant to ever mess with me or one of my brothers.

I’m going to get you, Red.

I quickened my step and let my anger push me faster as she tried and failed to lose me in the alley.