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“What is it?” I take the phone and squint at the screen.
But the way my gut twists when I look into my brother’s fiery green eyes warns me against hearing the answer to my question. And before I can read past the headline, he delivers the news.
“Irina Malikov is dead. She and her son Danil were gunned down the other night outside a family wedding.”
Uncle Isai grunts from his spot in the corner. “Oh yeah? You think they’re not coming for us now?”
I swallow hard, the gun clenched in my shaking hand. Daniela’s soft breaths heat my skin while fear and panic ice my insides.
Tato insisted on teaching me how to fire a gun a long time ago. He hated the possibility that his defenseless daughter could become a pawn for one of his enemies because she couldn’t defend herself. So I went through the motions to make him feel better. But other than that, I’d always resisted getting involved with the family business, much preferring piano to mob politics.
My heart stutters as a sleeping Daniela shifts in my arms.
This time, I don’t have that choice.
Chapter5
Danil
“Give me the address. I already told you I’m fucking fine. This is my war to fight.” A deadly cocktail of rage and adrenaline mixes in my blood as my brothers exchange a doubtful look between them. Alek Severinov, the head of the Red Ladro syndicate, just called Luka with the address of an Airbnb not too far off Biscayne Boulevard in Bal Harbour. His genius team of hackers was able to track down the cell phone signals of Hadeon and Petro Moroz, confirming that they’re still here in Miami.
It turns out their sister, Larysa, is a YouTube piano sensation who was performing in a concert tonight. And unfortunately for her, the justice I’m about to serve up will be drawn-out and excruciatingly painful.
Stupid fucks. I don’t know why the hell the Moroz family would stick around our territory after what they did. It’s been three days since the wedding attack. Are they vacationing now that they’ve successfully shattered my family? Too stupid to realize a retaliatory attack was imminent?
They should have gotten on a plane back to Ukraine that night, and even then, I’d still find them and torture them within an inch of their lives.
“You need backup,” Taras says. “With that bum arm, you’ll be good for shit. How the hell do you expect to fight off her brothers and her uncle?”
“I’ve fought blindfolded with one hand tied behind my back. A little cut can’t stop me or slow me down.”
“It’s not a cut. It’s a bullet wound, for fuck’s sake. I’m coming with you.” Luka grabs his phone from his desk and stuffs it into his pocket.
“Fuck that. Those bastards are in our city. They hit us at home, Luka. At Tori’s wedding. They got Mom.” I grit my teeth, pushing my face right into his. “I’m going to blow that girl’s beautiful brains out of her fucking head. An eye for an eye.”
“She won’t be alone. You shouldn’t go by yourself.”
I glare at Zak and slam my good fist into the wall of Luka’s office. “You don’t get to make that call, Z.”
“Neither do you,” Luka says with a lift of his brow. “Last time I checked, I make the goddamn rules and plans.”
“Two-and-a-half years ago, I screwed over our whole family and didn’t even realize it until it was too late. And three nights ago, a bullet meant to punish me killed Mom. I’m not gonna stand around waving my dick in the air for another second. This ends tonight. Those assholes won’t hurt anyone else in our family once I’m done with them.”
“There will be plenty of security at that house,” Nik warns.
“Good.” I cast a collective glare at my brothers. “I’m going. If any of you have a problem with that, too bad. I don’t give a damn. We’re not burying Mom until the bastards who killed her are dead, too.”
With a swift turn of my back, I storm out of the office.
“Sounds like that meeting went well.” Natasha, my sister-in-law, lets out a sigh as she places plates of cookies all over the kitchen table. “Want a cookie for the road?”
I grab one of the double chocolate chip cookies on my way past the table and take a large bite.
She wraps her fingers around my good wrist, her aqua eyes filled with sadness mixed with anger. “We’ve lost so much, Danil. Make it right. Give those assholes exactly what they deserve.”
I nod, stuffing the rest of the cookie into my mouth before I give her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Justice and death to all.”
My hatred is the spark, my unrelenting need for revenge the gasoline.
