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I said yes in less than a second. He asked for some time to get his affairs in order. Cutting ties with the bratva is next to impossible, so I told him to take all the time he needed just to make sure he didn’t get killed for his efforts in the process. I have to wonder what it cost him to be here killing in the name of the Sons of Savages and not back home under my father’s crushing thumb.
A conversation I can’t wait to have.
We move swiftly, hang low and let the rolling black cloud of burning oil mask us. Rage and I both hit the side of the fortress at the same time. Behind us the new Savage patches work to keep us from catching a bullet in the back of the head.
We slip inside. Ghost and Riot bring up the rear. Devil is close by.
“Clear, Prez,” he shouts out and I give the signal to move.
We wind through the extensive hallways and make our way up the back staircases to the front of the mansion where I know Oizys is waiting for me. He’ll want front-row seats to all the action and watch as the chaos descends around him. It’s his playground so I know he won’t be able to resist.
I signal for Rage and the other two to break off and secure the rest of the location. Rage fights my decision with a stone-cold look but ultimately peels off and heads to the top flooring.
I continue toward the front of the house. I pass the library. No one is inside. An office. Also empty. The sound of a fight going on the grounds carries through the thick walls comes through muffled as if in the distance. I have to trust my men can handle themselves.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Ivan. He’s standing in the center of a large ballroom, eyes cast downward. His back is hunched and if I didn’t know any better I’d say the man looks defeated in the low light.
Half-drawn curtains shield him from most of the light. Only a sliver slants through the opening. It’s enough. He’s slightly turned from me but I can see well enough to notice blood smearing down the front of his suit and shirt.
I step closer. Hair hangs over bloodshot eyes. I don’t have the time or luxury to draw this out. I need him out of my way. But first I need answers.
“Where is your brother?” I keep my voice low as if speaking to a spooked animal.
Devil comes up beside me. He keeps his eyes trained on Ivan while he speaks to me. “I can’t find her. She’s not in the basement at all. And all the women are gone.”
I feared as much. They moved faster than I expected. “Where are the other girls?”
“Gone.”
I step toward Ivan, gun drawn. “Where the fuck is she?” I snarl, losing my barely controlled temper.
Tilting his head, eyes filled with death swing around to me and I feel the chill of them from across the room.
“Dead.” He gives a tight grin. There’s something off about the man. Shadows cover half his body. There’s a form at his feet and I can only guess it’s from my brother’s handy work.
“He’s dead,” he says again in our native language. “Dead and all because of your brother.”
The next five seconds slow. In the absence of light, I fail to see the gun Ivan has at his side. My finger is already on the trigger. I pull at the same time he does.
Dual muzzle flashes and the scent of blood hit my senses simultaneously.
Devil lunges, the bullet meant for me sinking into his back.
Ivan falls face-first over his brother’s cold body.
“Fuck, God damn you,” I roar, catching Devil before he can fall to the floor. I ease him down and settle his bleeding form over my lap.
“Why the fuck did you do that?” I want to pound my fist into him, beat the shit out of him for stealing my death from me.
Blood drips from the side of his mouth. He grins, red smeared over his teeth.
“It’s not your time, man. Find her, prez. Keep her safe and give her a parting kiss for me, yeah.”
“Fuck you, Devil. Damn it!” I want to roar my wrath until the building around us lays in ruin.
“Don’t forget about me.”
My friend’s chest shutters and death steals him away. “You died a death too early, my friend. It will not be in vain. I’ll see you soon.” I reach over and close his eyes one last time. The pain gripping my soul is nothing compared to the pain I will unleash on my brother.
