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“What are you doing,cousin?” I emphasize the word, reminding him what he’s compromising here. Family ties. Blood.
“What I should have done long ago,cousin,” he sneers back. “Taking over this thing. The Bratva deserves a leader who doesn’t think with his cock. You let yourself get so blinded…” He laughs and shakes his head. “Fuck, it was almost too easy.”
I set my jaw, resisting the urge to snap back. He’s right; I let my guard down. But that doesn’t mean I’m a sitting duck.
“So, Aurora…” I say, then trail off, waiting for him to fill in the gaps. I know he will – his type can never resist the urge to blow their own horns.
“She was just a pawn in this game, you goddamn fool,” he responds, as expected. “No one of importance. Just a piece of ass we knew you’d fall for.” He walks around me, and the men ready their guns, prepared to fire if I make any sudden moves. Even now, I sense their fear of me.
And they fucking should be afraid.
But again, I feel annoyance at myself. I’d known I was being betrayed, but I hadn’t considered Ludis. Why didn’t I see the signs earlier? Maybe because I hadn’t considered anything aside from the fact that Aurora was the one I should be focusing on… and I’d set too much stock in Ludis’s being a blood tie.
I glance around and notice some of the men are among those who were supposedly with Ludis on an assignment the night of the first attack.
“I’d half hoped you would be smarter than this, Lev. But then again, your stupidity suited me. Aurora’s role was to distract you,” he drags the words out, as if speaking to an idiot. He’s going to fucking pay for that. “We wanted you watching her,” he goes on. “That was why I implicated her in the first attack. We wanted your attention divided, and you fucking fell for it,” he chuckles “You left for Miami for days, giving me enough time to get the men I needed on my side. I gotta tell you,Boss,” the word lacks the respect it deserves, “they didn’t take much convincing. Fucking pussywhipped!”
My fists bunch at his words, but I know I have to bide my time. I run an eye around the warehouse, taking note of access points and potential high ground.
Petrov, you better move your fucking ass, dammit.
Then something in what Ludis said flips a switch.
“We? Who else is in this with you?”
It doesn’t take long to get the answer I’m looking for. As if on cue, the door flies open, and with a wicked grin on his face, Fernando De Luca enters the warehouse. He’s surrounded by even more men – faces I don’t recognize. These are his own soldiers.
Motherfucker.
It all makes sense, after all. Ludis has teamed with De Luca to take me out. Russians and Italians working together to take out their leader.
“Surprised?” De Luca drawls before my cousin can continue his monologue, and I get an inkling of who’s really running the show. Of course, it’s fucking De Luca. “Oh, Ivanov,” he says. “You’re just as gullible as your father ever was.”
My father?
I’d launch myself at the bastard if his men weren’t cocking their fucking guns at me.
“Keep my father’s name out of your fucking mouth,” I snarl.
“What are you going to do if I don’t?” he smirks. “I had dealings with him. Fucking pussy. Believed he was above us because he wouldn’t touch trafficking.” He snorts. “I thought I’d seen the last of him when the Mexicans got rid of him for me.”
“You—!” I bark, feeling my anger rise. I take a step toward him but again, the metallic grating of weapons being cocked has me stopping in my tracks.
“Get over yourself, Ivanov. Everyone loses people in this game. But you took it so hard. Weak. I always knew it. Though I must admit, your little Mexican killing spree was quite impressive. Too bad you never got to the man who actually gave the order for their deaths. Namely, yours truly.”
My breath is coming in short spurts, my nails cutting into my palms as I stare at him. The need to rip his fucking heart out of his chest is riding me so hard it’s taking everything in me to hold myself back.
My family.
This fucker killed my family!
But there’ll be no revenge if I lose my shit before backup arrives. I force myself to tap into my self-discipline and fix him with an icy stare. He wants me to lose control, and I don’t. I know it rankles because he almost takes a step toward me before reconsidering. Even surrounded by all his firepower, the fucker is still afraid of me.
“Of course, your vengeance cost me more than expected.” His face grows ugly. “Which is why I had to get rid of you. Although now…” he starts to chuckle. “It is amusing to see you this helpless. I wonder what people would think if they saw the Devil at my feet.”
I growl beneath my breath. If the idiot thinks I’m going to bow to him, he’s got another thing coming. But then again, I doubt De Luca would leave a loose end like me around to do anything.
“All this just to get rid of the last Ivanov?” My teeth are gritted as I say it. Jesus, when I get my hands on him – and Iwillget my hands on him – he’s going to be begging for death.
