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“Get on with it,” I snapped, prepared to lay into the guy again despite what I had promised Aleksei.
The head Balakin laughed to himself and put his hands up in defense. “I see it’s past your bedtime, dog. So, I’ll just get into it. We don’t take kindly to others laying their hands on our family, especially not the head. After murdering two of ours and that aggressive stunt of yours, it seems you’re on thin ice. While we haven’t made any flashy moves yet, know that we haven’t forgotten.”
“That is what you wanted to say to Ivan? To tell him your memory is still working.” I retorted in disbelief. The man dared to call us into his territory just to waste our time.
Alphonse chuckled and shook his head, right before his humored expression fell, and his face hardened. “I’m saying that we have a new alliance your brother won’t take too kindly to, and if he were wise, he’d keep hisdogsin line. It was you who made the first move, on top of already claiming two of our men. If you wish to keep your heads and avoid the wrath of our new muscle, then tell Ivan I’d like to negotiate territory.”
“You wish to negotiate after making a threat to us, waving this new alliance over our heads? You must be some kind of stupid,” I snarled, an inch away from tearing into the man.
“Ivan won’t negotiate,” Aleksei added, still holding me back. “You have more than enough territory.”
“Not enough for our enterprises.” The Balakin glared, taking another step toward me.
“I don’t give a shit about your enterprises,” I returned, noticing the tension that entered his system. “Don’t push your luck.”
Aleksei glanced between us, pulling his arm away only to put a hand on my shoulder. “We will go to Ivan with your request. Until then, no moves will be made on our end.”
The Balakin released a sigh, and the corner of his lip turned upward. “I’d like to send him another message.”
Recognizing the pullback of his arm, I ducked before the Balakin swung, and pushed Aleksei out of the way. He stumbled but caught himself as the goon moved in, and in time with my fist colliding with the leader’s face, Aleksei gave up his resolve and lunged at his goon.
Aleksei wasn’t one to jump at the opportunity for a physical altercation, but when it was needed, he didn’t pull back.
Alphonse swung back from the force of my punch, but once he caught his bearings, he wiped a fist beneath his nose to gather the blood there, and he raised his hands to block another.
But the commotion caught the attention of two other goons, who both charged at me immediately. With a growl, I let them circle me, only to lay a punch into the jaw of one before I swung around and tackled the other.
Alphonse was able to slip out of the way, unnoticed, as me and Aleksei were preoccupied
My brother’s fist cracked into the other guard’s face and echoed sickly throughout the warehouse. Adrenaline rippled through my system.
Finally, my chance to take out all my frustration somewhere that counted.
One of the bodyguards charged me, wrapping his arms around my midsection, but his grasp released the moment I dropped both elbows against the back of his neck. We struggled for a moment, throwing fists at every chance we had. He managed to clip my face, and I pushed through the sting of it.
I managed to put a hand around his throat, using the other to punch his face again and again, feeling his recoil each time. Noticing that the other was charging me too, I grit my teeth and tried to come up with a plan.
But Aleksei’s backhanded swing landed a brutal sucker punch to the second goon, and he staggered before falling backward. Finished, I threw mine down to the ground, kicking his side once, eliciting a groan from him as he curled up and clutched his face in agony.
Panting, I looked up at Aleksei and noticed his first guy was knocked out, laying with the other two on the cement floor. He wiped his mouth and caught his breath with me. “Let’s get out of here.”
Nodding, I spat at the guy closest to me, done with it all. “Tell your boss to shove his negotiations.”
The Balakin men didn’t move as we stormed out of the warehouse, quick to reach the SUV before more could show up and ambush the two of us. Glancing through the rearview mirror, I grumbled about the split in my lip, inflamed and swollen enough to notice.
“Damn them,” I growled, starting the car, and pulling away.
Aleksei chuckled and smoothed back his hair, seemingly exhilarated from the conflict. “Need to look good for your bride, huh?”
“Shut up,” I muttered, eyes on the road to avoid his patronizing gaze.
It was almost like Aleksei forgot his own fate was sealed like my own. It would eventually be my turn to bother him about it.
After dropping Aleksei off, I hurried to the condo on the beach and made sure everything was put together before Kat and Mila moved in. The rooms were done up as I wanted them, and by the time two o’clock flashed on my phone screen, I collapsed on the sofa and caught some shut-eye.
By morning, there was a knock at the door. Reina showed up with Kat, and she said a quiet goodbye to the girl before leaving us be.
“Is this our home now?” Kat asked, taking my hand as I walked her through the condo.
