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“You could have called.”
“You wouldn’t have answered.” Feliks points out and again he smiles easily as if we’re having a polite conversation.
“True, I’m more of a texting man myself.”
Easy Killian.
“I know why you are here,” Feliks begins and his piercing eyes never once waver from me. I meet his challenge easily.
“Do you?”
“Yes. You suspect I had a hand in the death of Callahan Ryan, correct?” He quirks a brow at me.
“Why would I think that?”
“Please. It’s set up beautifully, I do admit. Such a messy attempt on your life set up to look like revenge for my brother’s demise.” Feliks clicks his tongue and finally looks away from me with a shake of his head. His eyes land on Archer who glares back with enough hatred that I’m almost proud.
“Family protects family, I understand that,” I reply, “killing my father-in-law though? Bit harsh.” There it is. My words are a subtle reminder of the bond between Irish and Italian. A cloaked threat of the wave threatening to crush the Russians into oblivion.
“Indeed, but that bomb wasn’t me,” Feliks replies and he tilts his head slightly. The man holding Archer releases him and he sags forward with a grunt, placing a hand over his wound to try and stem the blood flow.
Fuck, I hope it’s not deep.
“You won’t believe me but those who did it seemingly think blaming it on someone aslowas me is their answer. You were the target. You have alwaysbeenthe target, Killian. The Pakhan and his…backwardsfollowers don’t know when to let something go, like starved dogs with their teeth in blood-soaked leather.” Feliks’ gaze returns to me. “I hated my brother,loathedhim in fact. A hatred that grows every day I look in the mirror.” He lifts a hand, tattoos swirling over his knuckles, and indicates the scar on his face.
“Your family dynamic doesn’t concern me,” I state flatly, fighting every urge to look at Archer and make sure he’s okay. I can’t afford to give this bastard an inch.
“Fair.” Feliks shrugs in a way that is so relaxed, so calm.
Does he not see me as a threat? Does he hold no respect or is he juststupid?
“My brother was cut from a different time, an older time. So are the other Brigadiers and the Pakhan, well...” Feliks scoffs, and my gut clenches. Such open disrespect to his leader? Such a thing in our family would result in death.
“I’d prefer you get to the point before my friend bleeds to death,” I mutter and this time I fail to resist the urge. I glance at Archer and he meets my gaze with a tired but strong look. His shoulder is all but crimson now, blood staining his neck and yet the fire in his eyes comforts me about his condition.
“Of course. I’m sorry about that though,” Feliks says and my attention snaps back to him.
He’s sorry?
“It’s not how I wished us to meet. I wanted you here so we could talk without bloodshed,” he continued. “I find that we are at a crossroads. Our family will not survive this war, everyone can see it. I can see it, all the underlings can see it. The current rate of death and destruction you are bringing down on us is not something that we can match. We’re on the brink of extinction.”
“Is the dramatics supposed to make me feel sorry for you?” I snap and heat rises, pulsing up my throat and lacing my words with flame. “Am I supposed topitythe pain you deserve after all the shit you and your kind have brought on myfamily?”
Threatening Cara, killing my men, killing Callahan, almost killingme; the list is exhaustive.
“No!” Feliks snaps and his relaxed demeanor cracks. “I’m not asking for forgiveness. Do underlings taken along for the ride deserve to die for things they have no hand in? How long have you suffered the sins of your father? It’s not as black and white as this, I understand but I come to you, olive in hand.Wewant peace. We want a truce, a chance to coexist before there are none of us left to even bury the dead.”
“A truce?” The suggestion is so absurd that laughter, humorless and dry, darts up my throat. “You have nothing to offer us, least of all any position to make such requests. You’re a grunt, a nobody. Your words carry no weight.”
Feliks gaze slips to his own guards and he slowly licks his lips as if an internal debate rages within. Then he clasps his hands together.
“I have much to offer. I am in the middle of overthrowing the Pakhan.”
My heart stills as if I’ve just been dunked into an ice bath.
“What?”
“We won’t survive this war, none of us will,” Feliks replies and his words are so open and honest that I can’t believe my ears. “We’ve been dragged into a war based on the Pakhan’s archaic ideals. So I decided something has to change. I found people like me, loyal to Russia but desperate for change, for a chance to live and not just survive which is why I’m coming to you. I have a plan in motion but I don’t want to walk away from one war and into another. I want peace. My men want peace.”
