Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 94024 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94024 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Serena snorted out a laugh at that.
It was crazy to me that they even knew how to still laugh.
Mine was fucking broken as hell.
Why him?
No offense to my other cousins, but I would have preferred any of them die over this. Breaker was just too… happy.
The rest of us had darkness.
We had pain.
When death came calling, we yelled right back, flipped it off, and then pulled out a gun. He made jokes, then zig-zagged in the opposite direction in hopes of finding a girl he could make-out with.
I leaned back, tipping the last bits of gin down my throat as Phoenix grabbed a knife and handed it to Andrei.
“Something’s up.” I eyed them suspiciously. “And that’s not the alcohol talking.”
“They’ve been literally suiting up for the past half hour,” Serena agreed.
“Guys, that’s just them.” Junior stood and then grabbed the flask from me. “I’m going to go refill this.”
“Okay, elf.” Serena teased. “I’m coming with. You’re not even walking in a straight line.”
“This is straight.” He was literally walking a diagonal path toward the kitchen.
“Sure.” She patted him on the back and then shoved him in a more straight line toward the bar while I continued to watch Andrei and Phoenix act like we were about to go kill some people.
Maksim plopped down next to me. “Dad’s acting weird.”
“Weirder than normal,” I agreed.
“He was counting bullets,” Maksim said under his breath. “And then he asked me to come sit by you and hold you down just in case.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“I think he was kidding? Maybe?” Maksim frowned. “Sometimes I don’t get his humor, though. It’s very…”
The door opened.
“Russian,” I finished for him and stood, ready for trouble, only to get knocked down the minute I set my eyes on the “Russian” and my sister.
And then all hell fucking broke loose.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Deadman walking had a new meaning as their love twisted into hate and descended upon me as I accepted my fate. —Valerian Petrov
Valerian
When I was little, I imagined this moment. I tried running away a dozen times, convinced that if I could just get back to Seattle, back to my old house, that Mom would be there waiting.
And then I would come back with the force of a hundred years of Russian prosperity and men at my side and prove that I had left as a prince and returned as a king.
Funny how in your ten-year-old head, things were wrapped up into perfect packages with neat tiny bows, whereas now all I saw was blood.
All I felt was betrayal trickle through the air.
And when I locked eyes with King first, he just shook his head like I should have figured out a way to do better.
He had found me that last night I ran.
And that was when I told him who I was.
We became brothers that night.
We became enemies this morning.
Because I did what I had sworn to him, I would never do—abandon him.
I wanted to reach for Violet’s hand.
Instead, I stood, head high, eyes sharp as both Phoenix and Andrei moved to stand in front of me, fully armed, offering their protection.
Violet went stock-still next to me.
“What. The. Fuck.” Tex ground out, his eyes on me, then back to Phoenix, over to Andrei, and one by one, the bosses and made men faced us.
Dante Alfero.
Nixon Abandonato.
Dom Abandonato.
Tex Campisi.
Chase Abandonato.
They faced us down like a bad western, each of them with weapons pulled, and then Junior grabbed a lunging Serena shoving her behind him, then literally tackling her to the floor and sitting on her while she screamed for my blood.
Literally, screamed for it.
The wives who were present gave no more than cold expressions. My adopted mom, however, Mo rushed to my side and pulled me in for a hug.
“You’re alive, you’re alive, you’re alive.” Kisses rained down on my face as I hugged her back.
And it killed my soul to have to whisper, “Breaker’s dead.”
How many times would I have to utter those words?
How many times would it take for it to finally not hurt?
Slowly she pulled away from me, leaving her scent clinging to me. She always smelled like vanilla and cinnamon. Her blue eyes filled with tears as she shook her head and then turned her rage toward Phoenix.
He was prepared for the knife.
And the kick as he caught her by the ankle and shoved her toward my adopted dad.
Our Capo.
“You dare go against me?” He sneered at Phoenix and then rolled his eyes at Andrei. “I expect this of him, not of you.”
“We’re kind of a package deal now,” Phoenix said it like it annoyed him while Andrei grinned like it was the best day of his life. I half expected him to burst out laughing and go. “Gotcha!”
“Move.” He took a step toward Phoenix. “Now.”
“I can’t.” Phoenix had his Glock in one hand and a knife in the other. He would protect me to his death.