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“Volkov has a lead,” he says. My blood runs cold. Volkov isn’t a man to fuck with. And if he has a lead on me and Nikolai, that means he’s not far from finding us.
But what kind of lead could he be talking about? My mind instinctively snaps to the flame-haired woman who’s turning my world upside down.
Could she be…?
No. That makes absolutely no sense. The threat would come from within the organization, I have no doubt of it. And Scarlett shows no signs that she has any involvement, despite her unorthodox “skills.” I turn my attention back to Ivan.
“Lead?” I demand. “Did you—?”
“I’ve done nothing,priyatel,” he says. “You have my loyalty, you know this.” Of course, I fucking know this. I saved the man’s ass more than once. “But there are others who… Well, you know you made enemies, Anton.”
Again, that’s no surprise to me.
“So they’re coming,” I sigh, though I’d expected it to happen, sooner or later.
“Revenge is like this,” Ivan confirms, his voice tense. “You were their best. You took out their enemies and made them powerful. But when you left, you took away their special weapon. They don’t take betrayal lightly, you know this.”
“Blyad,” I curse under my breath. I knew this day would come, but I’d hoped for more time. Time to figure out how to protect Nikolai from the dark world I left behind.
“Be careful, old friend,” Ivan warns, genuine concern in his voice. “Watch your back.”
“Spasibo,” I reply, my voice strained. Ivan and I may have been friends once, but trust doesn’t come easy in our line of work.
“Goodbye,” he says. “I pray we will speak again.”
“I don’t,” I mutter, not liking the fact that he got in touch in the first place. I end the call without another word.
I’m left with a heavy feeling in my chest. So, they’re coming.
The fuckers.
I always knew this day would come after I abandoned them, but I was hoping for more time. All I wanted was something better for my family, especially after learning what Volkov and the Bratva were getting into. It’s not like they were innocent to begin with and I wasn’t exactly an angel either. After all, I was their right-hand man, taking out their enemies for them. I’ve done bad things and spilled more blood than I can remember. But when I learned that they expected me to delve into their sick world of trafficking…
There are some things a man should never do.
I just didn’t know it would threaten my son and cost me my wife. And now, they’re on their way to me. The ghosts of my past are once again coming to haunt me.
I rub my temples, trying to push away the memories that threaten to consume me. I glance around my living room, the place where I’ve tried to build a new life.
“Enough,” I tell myself, gritting my teeth. I can’t afford to wallow in my regrets now. There’s too much at stake. I have Nikolai to think about. And then, there’s Scarlett…
Bullshit.
She’s not my concern.
I shake my head, trying to clear it of thoughts of her fiery red hair and those haunting brown eyes. Now is not the time for such thoughts. I must be prepared for whatever Volkov and the Bratva might throw my way.
My mind races as I consider my options. I could run yet again, but that would only be delaying the inevitable. Volkov isn’t going to stop. They’ll find me eventually, and they won’t hesitate to use those I care about to get to me.
No.
It’s time to face this head-on.
“Stay the path,” I remind myself. “You survived them once. You can do it again.”
I sink into a nearby chair, prop my chin on my steepled fingers, and ponder on this development.
I made up my mind.
