Page 138 of Beguiled

“Stop. Don’t try and pretend like you give a shit about me.” Mikhail took several deep breaths.

“I do care about you. I’ve missed you very much. When you were sick, I would have burned down all of Moscow to make you better.”

“Stop.” He repointed the gun at Saige’s head, moving even closer to her.

My entire body was tense.

“You have no idea what’s coming. Soon, you’ll learn what it’s like to betray one of your own.” Mikhail’s laugh was as bitter as mine. He didn’t understand the meaning of betrayal.

“I didn’t betray you, Miska. Life did. it betrayed us both with the loss of our mother. There’s nothing you could do to me to take away that pain or the agony of losing you. You’re my brother. Nothing changes that for me.” Kazimir’s voice was strong, but I could tell how awful the moment was and knew the memory would linger for a long time.

“I don’t feel the same. In fact, the new leader of the Armenians is about to be elected. Did you know they elected the scum who would lead their pack of misfits? I have them under control and the first order of business will be to hunt down your men. Yours too, Dimitri. You’re no better than anyone else in this damn family.”

“Think about what you’re saying, Mikhail. They’ll always be your family.” Saige’s pleading voice was just another reminder of his strong hatred. I could feel it.

I took a step closer, but that only prompted him to come within two feet of her.

“If you want your whore to live, I suggest you stop moving.” His eyes bored into mine. My God, in seeing myself in him, I was reminded of how horribly I’d treated my mother.

Very slowly, I lowered my weapon.

“She’s not my whore, Mikhail. She’s the woman I hope to marry and begin a family with. Family. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. Now, I don’t know if after tonight she’ll want to have anything to do with me, but I’m not going to give up. Your father loved you. I can say that because I finally figured out that he had the capacity to love all his children. The love of my life taught me that. The same family you want nothing to do with. I feel sorry for you.”

In truth, I was speaking about myself as well. What a fool I’d been.

He laughed, the ugly sound pushing me to the point of no return, a place where the terrace would face a bloodbath.

“Oh, I care about my family. Let me tell you how,” he said finally. “I have everything I need. Tomorrow, the FBI will be at your door. Charges have been filed against you. Against all of you. Not only will I swoop in and claim what’s rightfully mine, including buying up all your stock after it goes public and after every one of you is imprisoned, I’ll also have the power to control this entire city, backed by a very wealthy Russian oligarch.”

“I hate to burst your bubble, Mikhail, but Anton won’t be doing business with you. Not since he’s aware you murdered his daughter. My best friend. A woman whose life was lost in trying to warn me against you.” Saige purposely inched closer.

He turned his head toward her, a calmness rolling through him.

“In addition,” I continued, “the news article was a fake, the FBI standing by for your arrest as the co-conspirator of a tightly woven blackmail scheme.”

“And,” Dimitri threw in, “the corporations on the list you found by accident are actually our very first stock owners, although we like to call them business partners.”

At that moment, he was distracted by the sounds of a news broadcast. Kazimir held up an iPad, the breaking news adding the icing on the cake.

“This just in. There’s been a gangland style shooting at a popular local Armenian eating establishment,”the reporter began while standing in front of several vehicles with flashing lights.“Vardan Zagarian, said to be the heir apparent to the Armenian Crime Syndicate has been murdered along with several others.”

There was no joy on Kazimir’s face, no expression of satisfaction. Just a blank look as the final pages in an ongoing thriller were about to be read.

“You’re finished, brother. For good,” Kazimir said softly. “The police are waiting just inside to take you into custody. That way you can experience prison as I did.”

Mikhail’s reaction was much quicker and more thought out than any of us had planned.

Before any of us could react, he grabbed Saige by the arm, yanking her in front of him, pressing the barrel of the weapon against her temple.

She didn’t scream, didn’t react, merely searching for me with her eyes.

Everyone advanced, but I threw out my arm. “You don’t want her, Mikhail. You want me. No matter what happens, my death will make you feel vindicated. I took your place. You took it back. You can die a full-fledged Chertov brother without my interference.”

His breathing remained labored and he wasn’t budging.

I lowered my weapon after shifting my hold, crouching down and placing it on the floor.

“You can only get one of us, Mikhail. You know that. Choose wisely. She’s not your enemy,” I continued, sweat rolling down the back of my neck. I was going to kill the motherfucker.