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Winter stays near Carson while Ariana sticks to Alexei’s side. I take the lead while Damien brings up the rear as we walk into the warehouse.
Four groups wait for us, and when I see Ilia standing to the side of Yuri, my eyes narrow. Sergei’s right-hand man already chose a side.
So that’s why he couldn’t leave fast enough earlier.
“Aww… did we keep you waiting?” Alexei taunts them. “My apologies.”
“Glad to see you brought her,” Yuri mutters as he takes a step forward, not even looking at Ariana.
“Coward,” Ariana says, her tone icy. “We’re blood. I would’ve let you have everything.”
Yuri ignores her and keeps his eyes on Alexei. “This misunderstanding can be cleared out of the way, just hand her over.”
“What misunderstanding?” Alexei asks. “Ariana is the heir to everything Sergei owned. This is business, Yuri. I’ll help her take over everything for a fee. You have nothing to offer me.” Alexei lets out a threatening chuckle. “You’re just in the way of me becoming the head of the Bratva.”
A murmur spreads through the other men, and Andrei Nicollaj, the oldest member, takes a step forward. “What makes you think you’re the best option for the position? By right, if not an Ivanov, I should take over as head of the Bratva.”
“No one’s stopping you from trying, Andrei,” Alexei taunts him. “Let me give you a friendly warning, you either kneel or die. I’ll make it quick out of respect.”
Andrei’s face darkens with anger, but before he can say anything, Yuri orders, “Let’s settle the minor inconvenience of the girl, and then we can vote.”
Lifting my hand, I rub the barrel of my gun against my temple, then say, “The girl, Ariana, belongs to me. You have to come through me to get to her.”
Yuri’s eyes snap to me. “An arranged marriage?”
Slowly, I shake my head. “No, I don’t have to force her.”
“Love?” Yuri lets out a burst of amused laughter. “How the mighty has fallen.” He shrugs. “So be it.”
Ilia’s hand flies up, and in a split second, everything registers. Ariana moves in front of Alexei to cover him. I lunge to the side to shield them both with my body as I pull the trigger.
Gunfire erupts in the warehouse, and a line gets drawn in the sand on who’s taking which side. I take out Ilia with a shot to the head while pulling my other gun from behind my back. Taking aim at Yuri with my Heckler and Koch, I use my Glock to fire a shot at one of his men, and then as Yuri ducks to avoid a bullet, I pull the trigger, hitting him in the throat. I keep firing, emptying my clip on him as he sinks to the concrete floor.
I’m so focused on watching Yuri drown in his own blood that one of his men gets off two shots. I lunge in front of Alexei and Ariana and then stagger back from the bullets slamming into my chest and stomach. Ignoring the pain, I take out the man with a shot between the eyes.
As the life begins to seep from my body, I fight with every last bit of strength I have to take down the threats to Ariana and Alexei.
For a moment, there’s only chaos until Damien and Carson fire the last shots, and then there’s a hiss in the air, the scent of gunpowder hanging thick around us.
I manage to glance over the dead bodies of the fallen Bratva, making sure they stay down while a scorching pain begins to numb my body.
Semion Aulov and Lev Petrov stood with us. Together with Alexei, Damien, and Carson, a new era for the Bratva will be born.
Knowing the immediate threat has been dealt with, it feels like I’m moving in slow motion as I turn to check on Ariana and Alexei. My feet feel numb, my legs growing weaker as the adrenaline fades and the blood flows from my wounds.
I take in that the two people I love more than anything are unharmed, and then my eyes move to find Damien.
“Everyone okay?” Alexei asks as he glances at the group.
My eyes lock on my brother, and I see he’s not hurt.
Thank God. They’re all okay.
Damien instantly explodes into a run toward me, shouting, “No!”
Alexei’s head turns to me, and then he darts forward to catch me as I sink to my knees. “Demitri! Christ!”
When Alexei’s eyes lock on mine, I see fear on his face.
He’s never shown fear before.
He presses a hand over the bullet wound to my chest, “Hold on, brother.”
My eyes stay locked with his.
Two bullets. One for Alexei and one for Ariana. I did what I was always meant to do. I protected them with my life.
“Carson, take Ariana,” Alexei shouts, and as I cough and my vision blurs, Alexei wraps his arms around me, pulling me back to my feet. “Hold on. Please.” Hearing him beg makes me try.
