He rolled his eyes. “Not your family. Not all. Mila was to marry Russian, that was the rules, the agreement! She fought it, said no. What was I supposed to do? So, when that man approached us, we saw an opportunity.”
A bullet whizzed past me and I ducked. “I’ll fucking kill you.”
“Maybe.” He shrugged. “But what is left behind is all your fault.”
All my fault? He’d said a man approached them, and suddenly I knew exactly who it was.
I sneered. “Benito paid you to do this.”
He laughed loudly. “No, he didn’t have to. The agreement was broken the moment Mila said I do to that fuck Alex. Mikhail wanted to let it go, but Benito went to the pakhan. I don’t know how he found out about the agreement my father made with them, but when the pakhan found out, he ordered the hit. He wanted it to be a grand display, a message to those who ever thought to betray him. It just so happened to be exactly what Benito wanted as well.”
I saw red. “You’re willing to let your family die?”
“I am Bratva!” he shouted. “That is my family. Father left but Mikhail, Ivan, and me stayed. He knew this. He let her marryhim anyway. Benito wanted you to lose everything he lost, feel his anger, and we had a debt to carry out…bird. Stone.”
He smirked. Everything he lost…my kids, Penn. “Fuck you, Lev.” I didn’t hesitate; I shot him in the chest and rushed over to the bar where Penn had been. I didn’t see him, but there was blood everywhere.
Fucking hell!I had to find my family.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Penn
What the absolute fuck!Dean and I were able to duck behind the bar as soon as the shooting started. The bartender saw us and was about to put one in Dean’s head when I saw a KA-Bar strapped to his leg, grabbed it, and jabbed it into his thigh. As he crouched in pain, I punched him in the head, ripped the gun from him, and shot him pretty much across his body. I wasn’t well versed in shooting a gun.
“Holy shit,” Dean gasped. His eyes were wide with fear.
“Breathe, Dean. We have to find the kids.”
“And Rita.”
“I’m sure they’re all running from her. She’s terrifying.”
I didn’t mean to joke, but I processed moments like this differently than others. Was I angry? Yes. But fear and worry didn’t hold space in my head, and that often helped me see rationally in situations such as these.
Dean reached across me and yanked the knife out of the man’s leg. “Okay, the kids. Where’d you see them last?”
“Owen and Matteo were eating. Olivia went with Jennifer to get ready, so they may be near the orchestra or a different room.”
He peeked over the bar quickly and ducked back down. “It’s a nightmare out there.”
“Yeah, I kinda figured. Stay low, right? Turn every table that isn’t already flipped. Use them as protection and look for Owen and Matteo. I’m going to go search for Olivia.” I thrust the rifle at Dean. “Switch with me.”
“What!”
“I’m sure you can shoot this better than me. I’ll take the knife.”
His brow scrunched but he didn’t argue. “Be safe,” he said before crawling out to the nearest table, flipping it like I instructed.
There was a set of doors behind the bar which would be the easiest way to get out. The orchestra was on the opposite side of the room, and going across the dance floor would surely get me killed. I’d have to go out the door and through the hallway to the other set. Hopefully there wasn’t a massacre out there too.
Three of Gideon’s guys were by the exit I needed, so I ran toward them and got behind Raff.
“I gotta find Olivia.”
He nodded. “Corridor is clear, I’ll go with you.”
“No. Find Gideon, keep him safe. Look out for Matteo and Owen.”
