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I nod. He’s right. I turn back to the second man. The hope drains from his eyes, replaced by abject terror.
“You heard him,” I say, my voice hard and unforgiving. “No mercy.”
As the second man’s screams fill the chamber, I feel a strange sense of satisfaction. We’ve avenged our fallen comrades and struck fear into the hearts of those who would betray us.
But we’re not done.
I slam the door shut with a resounding thud that echoes through the hallway. The man’s screams still linger in the air. But I feel no remorse for my actions.
It had to be done, plain and simple.
I can almost feel Erik’s rage as he continues his bloody work inside the chamber. Out of the three of us, he’s always been the most unhinged, the craziest of the bunch. But that’s why I trust him with my life. He’s a man
of few words when it comes to killing enemies. His actions speak for themselves.
As I stand outside the door, listening to the muffled sounds of the betrayer’s screams, I feel a sense of satisfaction. This is what happens when you cross us. When you betray the trust we’ve placed in you.
You pay with your life.
“Boss,” Maria, Yulia’s nanny, stands before me, her expression one of fear and concern as she takes in the blood on my shirt. Her face is as white as a ghost.
“Boss… Mr. Ivankov,” she stammers, her voice barely a whisper.
I turn to face her, my eyes narrowing. Maria may be Yulia’s nanny, but she’s also a woman in the wrong place at the wrong time. The fact that she’s seen me in this state, covered in blood and with a killer’s look in my eyes, is not something I take lightly.
But as I study her more closely, I see something else in her expression. Something that tells me she’s not just afraid of me, but also of the situation she’s found herself in. I know that look well. It’s the look of someone who’s stumbled into a world they never intended to be a part of but have been forced into due to circumstances.
I take a step toward her, my voice low and dangerous. “Maria,” I say, “how long have you been with us?”
She gulps, her eyes darting around nervously as she answers. “Only…only five months, Boss. Erik and Dimitri, they paid me well to come work for you. But, sir, I… I…” As Maria stammers out her response, I feel a twinge of annoyance. I had made it clear to everyone in my employ that I didn’t want to be disturbed during my business dealings. And yet, here she is, standing before me, looking like she’s about to faint from fright.
“Where is Yulia?” I demand, my voice harsh and commanding.
“She’s…she’s drawing in her room. She… I…,” Maria replies, her words tumbling out in a jumbled mess.
I regard her with a cool gaze, waiting for her to explain why she’s down here, in the depths of my empire. It’s not a place for someone like her, someone who does not belong among these shadows and secrets.
“So… Why are you down here?” I ask. It’s clear I’m impatient.
Maria starts to splutter as she speaks again, tears streaming down her face. “I…I can’t work anymore,” she whispers. “I can’t work with criminals. I can’t be a part of this…this violence.”
I feel a surge of anger rise up within me. Erik and Dimitri had been very clear with her about who we were, what we did. And yet, here she is, acting as if she’s been duped.
“You knew exactly who we were when you took this job,” I grind out. “You knew what you were getting into. Now you want to quit, just like that?”
Maria’s face crumples as she sobs harder. “I’m sorry,” she cries. “I didn’t know it would be like this. I can’t do it anymore.”
I feel my rage boil over as I take a step toward her. “You knew,” I repeat. “You knew what you were getting into. And now you want to quit because you can’t handle it? That’s not how this works, Maria.” I make a dismissive gesture. “Get out,” I say, my voice cold and hard.
I feel a surge of anger rising in my chest. This is the problem with people like her. They think they can just waltz in and out of our world whenever it suits them, without any consequences. But that’s not how it works.
Except I can’t kill the goddamn nanny just because she’s quitting.
Chapter 14
Sophia
“ONE MORE, please,” I gulp down the burning alcohol, the sharp sting offering a momentary reprieve from my torment. As I scan the room, I take in the dimly lit, seedy environment. Drunken men leer at the scantily clad dancers writhing on stage, their hands wandering over their own bodies, stroking their cocks in anticipation. Some lick their lips lasciviously, eyes filled with depravity as they fixate on the exposed flesh of the dancers. The room is suffocating, a den of lust and debauchery, and I hate that my best friend has to work in a place like this.
