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In front of the blue house, Marek put his hand out to stop me from unbuckling my seat belt. “No. Stay here. Keep the car running.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I said, knowing full well how his mother would react to his presence, especially if she was already in a foul mood because of the fight with Axel.
“Misha.” Hollowness rang in his voice. It haunted his gaze and each sluggish movement, weighed down by grief.
Not wanting to cause him any more pain, I nodded. “I’ll wait here.”
Marek slipped out of the car and hurried up the snow-covered sidewalk. He didn’t bother knocking before letting himself inside.
I called Valery while I waited. “Get everyone,” I said as soon as he answered. “The whole brigade. Now.”
“Should I warn Sergei?”
“No. This doesn’t concern him.”
“Where should we meet you?”
“The Romano warehouse. Bringeverythingyou have and as many men as you can. Have Maxim do the same. I’ll be there when I can.”
“Yes, boss.”
I disconnected and slipped my phone back into my pocket. Shouting inside the house drew my attention, followed by a loud crash.
As soon as I registered what the sound was, I threw open the car door. Sprinting across the road, I bolted up the rickety stairs.
Just as I reached for the handle, the front door flew inward. Bri and Ezra ran outside, tears streaming down their cheeks and backpacks stuffed to the brim, trailing clothes as they ran.
“Get in the car,” I said, darting around them and inside the house.
I came into the living room in time to see Marek throw his mother backward. She crashed into an end table with a shriek. The lamp behind her wobbled and she grabbed it, hurling it at her son.
Marek turned his shoulder toward the incoming object and shielded his face. The lamp slammed into him and fell to the ground, thankfully not shattering.
Crystal grabbed the whole goddamn table next. Before she could heave it at Marek, I seized one of the legs and yanked it out of her hands, flinging it to the other side of the room and well away from her.
Whirling on me, she screamed like a wild animal and launched herself at me, swinging for my face with a closed fist. I jerked back in time to miss it and surged forward again, grabbing her in a headlock.
“Marek, go,” I said tossing my head toward the door.
For once, he did as he was told and ran to the door, leaping over the broken table and disappearing out into the night.
“Let go of me you fucking piece of shit!” Crystal screeched, clawing at my sleeve and thrashing.
I squeezed harder. “Mothers are supposed to love their children.”
“Fuck you!” she said between gagging, trying to suck in more oxygen.
“You hadonejob as a mother and you failed.”
She gurgled and sputtered, smacking my forearm and trying to reach my face with her nails.
I gripped the back of her head in my left hand and seized her jaw in my right, twisting violently. Her neck snapped under the pressure with a satisfying crunch.
I let go, watching as she slipped out of my arms and crumpled to the floor.
Closing my eyes, I exhaled before pulling my phone out and sending off a quick text to have Valery deal with this new situation while I got Marek and the kids to safety.
Smoothing the front of my suit, I walked out the front door and climbed into the Range Rover as nonchalantly as I could.
