Page 86 of Be My Vengeance

“You look good for a dead man.” Sergey glared at Gideon, who shrugged.

“Keeping it interesting is all.”

“I don’t understand. I gave you everything!” Vladimir was trying, to no avail, to get out of Toni’s grasp.

Sergey scoffed. “Is that what you call stripping me of my clothes, pouring water on me, and making me stand out in the snow for an hour just because I didn’t want to eat my broccoli, giving me everything? I mean pneumonia, maybe.”

“This was all going to be yours when I retired. I don’t understand.”

Sergey sneered. “No, you don’t, and it’s a waste of breath to try and explain it to you. Point is, I’m tired of waiting and watching you tear this empire down brick by brick with decisions you make with your ego.”

“I’ve made every decision for our family.”

Sergey guffawed. “No. See, you’re a narcissist. I’m pretty sure a psychopath, too. Your decisions lead to unnecessary conflict.”

“You’re wrong!”

“Am I?” Sergey yelled. “Look around. This here is because of you. None of this needs to be happening right now. Yes, the Popovs had broken their word. Fine, okay, they needed to be punished. But what you did, starting a war in the territory of a powerful boss? No, you’ll kill us all if I let you go on.”

“You ungrateful⁠—”

“That’s enough,” Gideon shouted. “I don’t give all the flying fucks about your family drama. This isn’t therapy. I want Danny and you want a dead dad, so let’s get to it.”

“Let’s.” Sergey grimaced.

The man next to him lifted his AK-47 and at that moment, I realized he was going to mow us all down. I didn’t think; I charged. I grabbed the man by the middle and crashed into him. He slammed to the ground, and the gun went off but not near anyone.

“You motherfucker,” I shouted.

I heard the chaos behind me, but I was focused on this douchebag. My hand landed on the machete. I pulled it off and grinned. “Perfect.” I rammed it right through his throat and held it there until he became still.

I grabbed his AK-47 and turned. Maksim was off to the side with Vladimir, who was still breathing. Well, not for long.

I stalked over to the two of them and held up the gun. “Gun or machete?” I asked him.

“There is no honor in killing an unarmed man.”

“You have no honor at all for what you did. You tore my world apart and made me untangle the shredded pieces of what was left. You should be grateful I don’t have time with you. I held Benito in that crate for six months.”

“Alex,” Maksim spoke.

“What?”

“I’m not like him or my brother. I want no part of their lives. Please don’t kill me.”

Vladimir looked at Maksim with disgust. “You’re pathetic. Begging for your life.”

“Machete it is.” I put the strap across my chest so the AK-47 could chill and gripped the machete. “I hope your hell is what you deserve.”

The machete whistled through the air as I brought it down on his neck. It didn’t decapitate him—that was rarely done in one go. So I hacked until his head rolled off his shoulders.

I didn’t wait for anything more. I moved toward the van and saw a man peering out the window. I aimed and shot, then ran for it and kicked the door in.

There, on a gurney bruised, battered, and beautiful was my Danny.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

Danny