I want to murder him for you.
Her words take me by surprise even though they shouldn’t. If there’s anything I’ve learned about Rai after staying with her this long, it’s that she has a strong sense of justice and she doesn’t back down when she decides to protect someone.
Maybe back then, if Mum had someone like her by her side, she wouldn’t have died the way she did.
Maybe then, Rai and I could have met under different circumstances. Me, as the Irish’s heir, and she a Russian mafia princess. Maybe then, I wouldn’t have been the shadow who sometimes doesn’t know whether I want to be seen or simply disappear.
A fiery gleam sparkles in her eyes as she speaks with conviction. “I can do it.”
“Do what?”
“Kill Rolan for you.”
“I could’ve done it myself a long time ago, could’ve sniped him down while he was walking the streets, but I didn’t. Because death is a way out for that scum.”
“So what’s your plan exactly?”
“Make him suffer first. Toy with him first. Only then will he be granted death.”
“That means you’ll keep using the brotherhood, and I won’t allow you to hurt anyone in my organization.”
“You’re awfully loyal to people who keep trying to chase you out.”
“So what? That doesn’t mean I didn’t snatch my rightful place. I may not be a”—she makes quotation marks—“‘brother’, a fact they won’t stop reminding me of. I might hate Mikhail’s sexist ass and despise Kirill’s slippery nature. I might distrust Damien’s recklessness, Adrian’s mysteriousness, and Igor’s secretiveness, but my loyalty lies with what those men stand for. I will not allow you to destroy them.”
“And how do you intend to stop me?”
“With my life. Kill me first, then you can do whatever you want.”
“Fuck, Rai. You’d put your own life on the line?”
“If it’s the only thing that would stop you, I wouldn’t hesitate to use it.”
Touché, Princess.
Maybe she really knows me more than I thought possible. At this moment, the only thing that’s able to stop me is her. I even came back here, risking being shot to death by that fucker Vladimir if it meant seeing her one last time.
Godfather and all the fuckers from The Pit—especially Flame—would be so unimpressed with the way I chose to die. By a Russian. For a woman.
I would laugh if I could. They would tell their children tales about how pathetic I’ve become, how the mighty have fallen.
And yet, I’d still come back here in a heartbeat.
“Instead…” Rai trails off. “I will take revenge against Rolan on your behalf.”
I raise a brow. “You will?”
“You have my word.”
“What to do? My revenge might start with Rolan, but it doesn’t end with him.”
“Then how does it end?”
“There was a Russian there that night—the one who betrayed my mother. Unless he dies, my revenge won’t end.”
“Is he one of us?”
“I believe so, but I’m not sure if he’s one of the existing ones or if he went back to Russia.”
“So you decided to attack us without concrete evidence.”
“Russian Bratva in New York was all the evidence I needed.”
“Are you serious? You would’ve destroyed an entire organization for one person?”
“I would’ve done more. I told you, I was raised for the sole purpose of destruction. I’m a killing machine and all I know is how to kill.”
“That’s not true.”
“Not true? You called my hands filthy, remember?”
“That’s because you hurt me, you jerk. I bite back as hard as I’m bitten.”
“Isn’t that the fucking truth,” I sigh, lips twitching.
“Let me ask you something.”
“Anything.” I wrap my hands around the small of her back, because touching her feels critical right now. Like if I stop touching her, I will stop breathing.
“What took you so long to start your revenge? Surely you could’ve done it in your twenties or somewhere during that time.”
“It took me a long time to track things down. I always knew my parents were killed and the scene was vivid in my head, but I lost lots of details during The Pit. I lost sense of time and space and didn’t know if it happened in Ireland or in England or in the States.”
“When did you remember clearly?”
“It didn’t happen in one go. I recalled Rolan’s involvement after I joined Nikolai when I was in my mid-twenties. That came to me as clear as crystal the first time I saw the fucker, Rolan, at one of your grandfather’s parties. I thought, ‘hey, being kicked out from Godfather’s side wasn’t so bad, after all’.”
She smiles a little. “Troublemaker.”
“Always have been, Princess.”
“You’re not supposed to be proud of that.”
“You like that about me.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Yes, you do, but I digress—slightly.”
“Then?” She uses another cotton ball to wipe at my brows.
“Then what?”
“You said your memories didn’t come in one go. When did you recall one of the Bratva’s involvement?”
“Before I came back, I had a job in Northern Ireland, and maybe it was being there and hearing people talk in Mum’s accent is what had triggered a memory from that night. At the time, my mother was carrying me in her arms while she was talking on the phone. I remember hearing the Russian accent from the other end, and he ordered some people in the background while he was talking to her, which means he had some rank in the Bratva.
“Before that, I spent most of my time investigating Rolan’s background and boring Irish internal affairs. He’s not easy to track down, but that was expected since he didn’t only kill his own brother and sister-in-law then sell his nephew. He also beheaded his own wife and buried his son alive when he learned he was not his biological child.”
“Wow. So the rumors about him are true.”
“They’re probably worse than you’ve heard. He’s a heartless fucker who never gets enough. That’s why he’s after your territories.”
“I thought you instigated this.”
“I did, but there’s no smoke without fire. Rolan always had eyes for your territories, but Nikolai was too strong for him. He thinks he can win now that Sergei is the Pakhan. Igor believes Rolan has an ally from the inner circle.”
“Igor? Your fake father?”
I smile, then wince when my cut lip burns. “How did you know?”
“I ran a DNA test.”
“Smart, though I thought you wouldn’t be able to get Igor’s sample.”
“It wasn’t easy.”
“I’m sure. That was still smart.”
“And you’re cunning to use Igor.”
“Yeah, well, I had to get access somehow.”
“Why did you choose Igor?”
“We chose each other. I thought he was the Russian from that time and mentioned my mother’s name in front of him to gauge his reaction. Surprisingly, he didn’t act like he didn’t know her and told me she was a famous prostitute in one of Brooklyn’s notorious clubs. Not going to lie, it was no fun to learn my mum was a prostitute.”
She grimaces. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. It made sense why Dad always looked down on her and often called her a whore. Anyhow, Igor also mentioned that she was ‘acquainted’ with most of the brothers at the time, so the person I’m looking for could, in fact, have returned to Russia throughout the years.”
“And he decided to help you just like that?”
“Not just like that. It was an exchange. I bring the traitor he suspects down and he gives me an in to avenge my mother’s death.”
“Traitor?”
“Yeah, Igor believes there’s one among you.”
“What made him think there’s even a traitor? Does he have evidence?”
“I don’t think so. He’s following his instincts on this one, and he strongly suspects someone.”
“Who?”
“I guess it doesn’t matter if you know. Igor doubts Damien.”
She laughs, the sound throaty. “Not Kirill or Adrian, but Damien?”
I narrow my eyes. “What’s so funny about Damien?”
“That man thinks with his fists and would never be sophisticated enough to plot betrayal. Besides, he’s so Russian and hotheaded that it’s exhausting sometimes. He would never, and I mean never, choose another clan over us. He might be reckless, but he’s no traitor.”
My hold tightens on her waist. “Are you done defending the fucker in front of me?”
She swallows, her lips parting. “I’m just stating facts.”
“Too many facts.”
“Just enough to prove that Igor is wasting your time and his. Damien isn’t the traitor—that is if there is one in the first place.”
“Are you going to stop saying his name or should I fuck it out of you?”
“Stop saying things like that.” She tries to fight the blush creeping up her cheeks and fails.
“Not until you stop talking about other men in my presence. I don’t like it and it’s the best way to send me on a murder spree.”
“You’re crazy.”
“You just figured that out?”
“I guess I keep forgetting about it.”
“I’m happy to remind you.”
“I’m sure you are.” She gives me a dirty look. “Anyway, just tell Igor he’s wasting his time.”
“But you do have a traitor.”
“What’s your proof?”
“When you approved V Corp’s recent finances, didn’t you notice something off?”
“Adrian asking for them?”
“Why do you think he’s purposefully putting his hands into your business?”
“Because he’s a control freak?”
“Because he suspects you.”
“Suspects me of what?”
“Theft.”
“Theft? Ha, he should corner Mikhail about that, not me.”
“He’s cornering everyone in his own way. Sergei and Adrian are the only two who know someone is stealing from the brotherhood. Igor must be in the know, too, and that’s why he’s trying to weed the traitor out.”
“Wait…but the numbers I have from the financial team match. I would’ve figured it out if there was a theft.”
“Adrian must’ve ordered them to submit fake numbers to gauge your reaction. If you caused a ruckus, he’d have caught you, for you wouldn’t have known the numbers were fake unless you were the one who had been strategically stealing.”
“That motherfucker.”
“Do you expect anything less from him?”
“No, but the fact that he has insiders in my damn company makes me livid. I’m going to weed them all out.”
“Good choice, but remember that V Corp is the brotherhood’s company. Not only has Adrian been around longer than you, he also outranks you, so his roots run deeper.”
“Are you worried about him?” she snaps.
“I’m worried about you, Princess. He’s not someone you should make an enemy out of. If you’re going to hit him, be discreet about it.”
“I know that.”
“And if you want to reduce his power, strike where it would hurt him the most.”
“Adrian doesn’t have a weakness.”
“Yes, he does. I’m actually surprised you didn’t figure it out.”
“What is it?”
“The question is who, not what.”
“It’s a person? Wait, if you mean his son, I’ll strangle you. Do you think I’d use a child to gain power?”
I chuckle. She’d sure as hell strangle me if she got the chance. “No, not his son.”
“Then who?”
“His wife.”
“Lia? Have you seen them together? He doesn’t care about her and is only keeping her around because she’s the mother of his son.”
“Or that’s what he likes you and everyone else to think. Didn’t you see the way he almost lost it when she was shot at? Even you thought that was uncharacteristic of him.”
She remains silent, probably turning the information over in that smart head of hers. I shouldn’t have revealed the weakness I’m supposed to be using against Adrian, but if it keeps Rai in the position she loves so much, I’ll sacrifice all the information I have.
Taking advantage of her moment of absentmindedness, I pull her closer. “So?”
“So what?”
“How are you going to reward me for all the information I gave you?”
“I already did by cleaning your wounds.” She reaches to the side and closes the first aid box. “You only have to apply the ointment about three times a day.”
“Or you can do it.”
“Fine,” she says distracted, focused on the box.
“Does that mean you’re my nurse now? Kinky.”
She stares up at me with wild eyes before she hits my shoulder. “Do you always have to come up with some porn scenario?”
“When it comes to you, I sure as fuck do. Now, answer my question. Are you going to be my nurse?”
“Does this mean you’re intent on staying?”
“Till death does us part.”
Her inquisitive eyes meet mine. “Promise there will be no more secrets between us.”
“Depends on whether or not you’ll take that fucker Vladimir’s side over mine again.”
“Vlad has the brotherhood’s best interests in mind.”
I scoff. “I’m sure the fucker does.”
“Stop being jealous, you idiot.” She leans over and brushes her lips to mine, softly, carefully, away from my cut. “None of them is my husband.”
None of them is her husband.
Those words stab me straight in the bones. When she attempts to pull away, I grab her by the throat and deepen the kiss.
Time to fuck her on the counter as I originally planned.
