"Could be a trap," my captain mutters.
"It's not." I start walking toward the gate, my hand resting casually near the weapon holstered beneath my jacket. "He's given up."
We move through the open gate without resistance. The courtyard beyond is empty, the gravel paths neatly maintained but devoid of life. I count three vehicles parked near the main house, expensive sedans that probably belong to whatever captains are still loyal enough to stay.
Or stupid enough.
The front door of the mansion opens before we reach it. A man steps out, middle-aged with graying hair and the kind of face that's seen too much violence. His hands raise slightly in a gesture of surrender.
"Pakhan Andrey," he says, his voice steady despite the fear I can see in his eyes. "Bogdan is waiting for you."
I stop a few feet away, studying him. "Where are his men?"
"Gone. Most left last night when they realized you were coming." The man's jaw tightens. "The rest are inside, but they won't fight. Bogdan ordered them to stand down."
Smart. At least he's not getting his remaining people killed for nothing.
"Take me to him," I say flatly.
The man nods and turns, leading us through the entrance and into a foyer. We move through the house in silence, passing rooms where I catch glimpses of men standing with their hands visible, weapons set aside. They watch us pass with expressions ranging from resignation to relief. None of them make a move to interfere.
The man leads us to a set of double doors at the back of the house and pushes them open. Beyond is a study, smaller than mine but well-appointed. Bogdan sits behind a heavy wooden desk, a glass of vodka in his hand and a pistol resting on the surface in front of him.
He looks up when we enter, his dark eyes meeting mine without flinching. "Andrey."
"Bogdan." I move into the room, my enforcers spreading out behind me. "You know why I'm here."
"Of course." He takes a slow sip of vodka, his hand steady. "You've been dismantling my organization for weeks now. I'd be an idiot not to see this coming."
"Then you know you have two choices." I stop a few feet from the desk, my hands relaxed at my sides. "Join my family. Your men become mine, your operations fold into my network, and you live. Or refuse and die here."
Bogdan is quiet for a long moment, his gaze never leaving mine. Then he sets down the glass and stands, his movements deliberate and controlled. "You think I'd bend the knee to you? After everything?"
"I think you're smart enough to recognize when you've lost."
His laugh is bitter and sharp. "I lost the moment you decided I was your enemy. But that doesn't mean I'll crawl to you like a fucking dog."
I expected this. Part of me even respects it. Bogdan built his organization from nothing, clawed his way to power through violence and cunning. Men like that don't surrender easily.
"Then you choose death," I say quietly.
"I choose to go out on my own terms." Bogdan's hand moves toward the pistol on the desk.
My captain tenses beside me, his hand going to his weapon, but I raise my hand slightly to stop him. I want to see what Bogdan does, to know if he's brave enough to follow through.
Bogdan picks up the pistol, his movements slow and deliberate. For a heartbeat, I think he might try to shoot me. It would be stupid, suicidal even, but desperation makes men do foolish things.
Instead, he raises the weapon to his own temple.
"Tell my men they're free to join you or leave," he says, his voice steady. "But I won't be part of your empire."
Then he pulls the trigger.
The gunshot cracks through the study, loud and final. Bogdan's body drops, blood spraying across the expensive desk and the wall behind him. The sound echoes in the sudden silence, and for a moment, no one moves.
I stare at the body, feeling nothing. No satisfaction. No regret. Just the cold certainty that this was always how it would end.
"Clean this up," I say to my captain. "Gather his remaining men and give them the choice. Join us or leave the city. Anyone who stays answers to me now."
