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“We undermine his authority. If he can’t protect his territory and his own child, how is he supposed to protect his allies? We go after his smallest alliances first, the weaker families who are eager to move up. Once we’ve proven the Antonov Bratva isn’t what it used to be, everyone else will come flocking to us.”
Roman snorts. “God, you’re fucking devious.”
I grin. “Tell me something I don’t know. Now, get the hell out of here and get to work. Redouble your efforts. Whatever you have to do to beat those sons of bitches back.”
Samuil nods. “What about poker night?”
“We have far more pressing issues at hand,” Leo mutters. “It’d be easier if you just give me your money.”
“Like hell,” my brother replies without any real heat.
I’m quick to follow them out, grabbing my coat from the back of my chair. Before I leave, I check on the video feeds one last time, observing my guest downstairs with an air of mild paranoia. Sandra has made no attempt to escape again and has been relatively cooperative the last few days—all causes for concern, if you ask me.
She’s curled up on the floor, knees tucked up to her chest. I think she’s asleep, but the lighting makes it difficult to tell.
A strange pang settles in my chest, bringing with it a memory I thought I’d long since forgotten. Seeing her like this reminds me of the days whenIwas the one sleeping on the floor. Back when our mother spent the last of our dwindling family fortune and abandoned us and our father after she discovered him in bed with his mistress. Father could barely keep a roof over our heads after the divorce was finalized, and in the end, he abandoned us too.
I couldn’t have been older than sixteen. Barely a man but shoved into adulthood by forces outside of my control. None of our extended family wanted us, and the system would have eaten my brothers and me alive, so I did what I had to in order to keep the remains of my family intact. Cheat. Steal. Kill.Anything to keep my brothers fed, alive, and well.
I see no point in being kind to others, because the world frankly won’t treat you any better. Even saints were burned on the pyre, so why the hell should I waste my life on trying to be a moral man?
That’s why I’m confused when I watch Sandra curl up a little smaller, visibly shivering from the cold. I can’t describe the strange sensation in the pit of my stomach. It’s not quite pity, but it’s certainly close. All I know is that it’s a dangerous feeling. I can’t afford to let this woman get under my skin. There’s too much on the line.
But…
“Go ahead,” I tell my brothers. “Keep me updated on any developments.”
“Where areyougoing?” Roman asks with a raise of his eyebrows. “Do you have a mystery girlfriend you’re hiding from us?”
I fight the urge to roll my eyes. “No, asshole. I’m checking on the prisoner.”
“I already double-checked the locks,” Damien pipes up, much to my annoyance. “It’s all secure, brother.”
“Then I’m checking again,” I snap and head down to the basement.
Autumn is just around the corner, so it’s honestly no wonder it’s so damn cold down here. The earth soaks up all the chill, transforming the basement into a walk-in freezer. The locks on the door are secure, just like Damien said they were, but that doesn’t stop me from peeking in through the tiny eye-level window cut out into the supply-room-turned-cell.
I’ll confess it’s jarring to see her so…small. I’ve grown strangely accustomed to her fiery spirit and fierce presence. So to see her curled up, shivering, and helpless makes my chest tighten. I’m a bad man, but I’m not a cruel man—though some might argue there’s really no difference. Just because I have no problem doing the wrong things for the right reasons doesn’t mean I find pleasure in hurting people without cause.
I open the door and step inside. The motion sensor near the frame detects my movements, causing the entryway lights to flicker on. Sandra’s eye opens to look at me, but she doesn’t so much as lift a finger.
“What do you want?” she grumbles bitterly.
It’s a good question, honestly. Now that I’m standing before her, I can’t for the life of me remember what compelled me to come down here in the first place. Was it out of concern that she’d escape? Or was it because I couldn’t stand to see her like this?
No, that can’t be it.
“Tell me something,” I say sternly. “Anything at all.”
“The hell are you talking about?”
“Give me information about the Antonov Bratva. How many men are under your family’s control? What would you say is the most profitable business operating under Antonov’s protection? Tell me more about your allies, your enemies.”
Sandra rolls over, facing away from me with a huff. “I’d rather die.”
I don’t know what I was expecting to hear. Sandra Antonova is loyal through and through. It’s noble, in a way, this unwavering determination of hers. But it’s also stupid.
“Change is coming,” I tell her. “The downfall of the Antonovs is inevitable. The only question is whether it will happen sooner or later.”
