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His loyal Chernov followers approached, cutting my tied wrists, and leaving me to sag on the chair. Nikolai was stirring, pushing himself up to stand. We stared at each other across the dark space.
Seven years had come to this.
I counted the men in the room, besides Viktor. There were only four. No doubt the most loyal and those with nothing to lose. We could take four. I tried to communicate that to Nikolai with my stare, just as he pitched himself forward and went for me.
We landed hard on the cold floor, grappling. He was hurt, but he didn’t want to die, and he fought like a man possessed. I blocked his punches as best I could, and we rolled on the ground, each trying to get a grip on the other. I had an advantage in that Nikolai was still wearing a shirt, easy to grip and haul around, while I was bare chested, with only my blood-slicked tattooed skin for his hands to slide off.
I lost track of how long we grappled. There were no movements out of bounds for a fight to the death, and we both knew it. I narrowly missed my eyes being gouged out, and losing teeth, while I nearly cracked Nikolai’s head on the hard ground in a way he wouldn’t get up from.
As my strength began to fail me, I found myself in the perfect position. Straddling Nikolai, pinning down his limbs with my legs, I had him. He was too weak to push me off. His breath rushed in and out, and his eyes were pained, staring into mine with silent words. I remembered the first time I’d met this half-brother and how we’d been lost and lonely teens together for a while until the lessons our father had taught us had broken us in different ways. The difference between us was that I’d had Molly to think about. A shining light in the dark. Nikolai had had no-one. His darkness was complete, and he’d lived inside the black hole within him ever since.
A slow clap sounded in the suddenly quiet room.
“Bravo,Kirill. It is you, then,” Viktor said. He threw something to me, and it landed with a hard, metallic clatter near my leg. A knife. “Finish him and claim your victory.”
“I kill Nikolai, and what—I’m boss? Planning on retiring?”
“Maybe. Maybe I’ll go home. I’ve not seen the snow on Zhivopisny bridge in a decade,” Viktor murmured.
No.Something protested deeply inside me.This man didn’t get to live. Not when he’d made monsters of us all.
Viktor’s look darkened as he watched me, and he tutted. “Still trying to kill me, son? You should know when you’re outclassed. I’m always one step ahead. Pick up the knife, and become the winner first, and then we’ll talk.”
I looked down at Nikolai, grabbing the knife off the floor. He was too weak to fight back now, and I was fading, too. There was nothing like a fight to the death after a serious car accident and beating to make you aware of your limits.
I brought the knife to his throat and time seemed to stop. I stared into his eyes. He didn’t fight me as I pressed it to his jugular.
If you survive tonight, and one day have sons, you’ll see. My legacy lives on in you.
Viktor’s ominous words pressed down on my tattered heart. I had vowed to kill Viktorandhis legacy. It had started with Nikolai and me, and it would end with us. Molly’s face passed through my mind. What would a man who was worthy of her do?
One day, if I walked out of here, I’d be a father.
Viktor’s legacy of pain ended here—with us.
The knife dropped to the floor with a clatter. Nikolai’s eyes widened, and he gave a nearly imperceptible nod. I shifted to the side as Viktor brought his fist smashing into his metal desk.
“Finish him Kirill! Stop being weak!” His roar echoed around the warehouse.
I shook my head as I pushed myself up slowly. “I’m not weak and neither is Nikolai. You are, Viktor. You’ve been afraid of your sons for so long; you don’t know any other way.”
“You’re a fool. You’ll both die here if you don’t do it.”
“No, I don’t think we will—you still need an heir,” I pointed out.
Viktor stared at me with true hatred and pointed to the floor. “Pick up that knife now and finish this, or I’ll make you. You think you don’t hate him enough to kill him? Let me tell you how I agreed to meet you tonight.” He smiled, and it was utterly terrifying.
He lifted his arm and made a beckoning motion. Footsteps in heels sounded through the echoing space and the world stopped spinning.
She walked past me with her head held high, a man tugging her by the arm. Even though she had to be terrified, she walked like a queen.
Molly. My Molly.
“What do you think now? Still don’t want to kill your brother?” Viktor taunted as he pulled Molly to him.
Her hands were tied behind her back, and her long hair was disheveled, but otherwise, she looked unharmed. Viktor turned her to face me, and the blood drained from my face as my heart stuttered in my chest.
I heard Nikolai getting to his feet beside me.“Maybe you should have killed me when you had the chance,” he grunted, swaying beside me.
