Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 90084 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90084 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Those psychotic motherfuckers just threw a grenade.
Fire’s burning in the hallway where the explosion went off. There are shouts from nearby, probably the kitchen staff freaking out. I get to my hands and knees and have to lean against a table to stay upright. I’m dizzy and weak, but when I check myself, I’m basically intact.
I got lucky.
Fortunately, my men are all alive too. We regroup, but before we can storm the room, four Armenian thugs come storming out, guns blazing.
They pin us down. I’m forced behind a table as bullets spray all through the room. I’m glad Karine convinced me to evacuate the civilians—otherwise, some of them would be dead right about now. One of my soldiers takes a bullet to the head and his skull snaps back, killing him instantly, while the rest of us return fire.
The Armenians get mown down, but winning this fight wasn’t their goal. Behind them, other men are running into the hall and making for the back door.
It was a distraction.
Aram used his guards to buy time.
I roar with anger and pain as I come charging out from behind my table. The last of the Armenian guards goes down in a heap, and I put a bullet in his head to make sure he’s not getting back up. Black smoke rolls in heavy waves and the heat is almost unbearable, but I leap through it and feel the flames licking at my ankles as I land on the other side and roll up against the wall.
I cough and shove myself to my feet. Two of my men follow, both of them landing awkwardly. I drag them up and we’re out together, rushing the back door after the Armenian leadership.
The cold night air hits me as I slam my way out into an alley. I’m breathing hard and I go low, dropping to a knee and raising my gun in case anyone’s waiting to ambush us. Instead, I find a huddle of older men holding guns, some glaring straight ahead, others looking back where me and my men trap them.
Anton’s on the far end of the alley with five more soldiers.
“You’re finished, Aram,” I call toward the group. There are six of them in all, and Aram’s at their head. He shoves back toward me, glaring death and rage. Arsen’s to his left, expression stoic as he slowly and carefully moves over toward the wall.
Getting out of the way of a bloodbath. Smart kid.
“You fucking Russian dog,” Aram spits at me. “We will slaughter you where you stand for this. How dare you come to my home? How dare you threaten me?”
I step forward, gun raised and aimed at Aram’s chest. The men around him bristle.
“Lower your weapons,” I tell them calmly. “This is about him.”
“Nobody fucking move,” Aram snaps at them.
The tension ratchets up. I notice several of his top lieutenants looking at each other for guidance, but nobody moves. If this turns into a shootout, there really will be a bloodbath, and chances are good that I’ll end up dead.
But I’m tired of this war. I’m tired of this fight. This is my moment and I’m not going to let Aram get away.
“You murdered my father,” I say quietly and Aram flinches back from me as I approach.
“Kill him,” Aram says wildly.
Nobody moves.
I keep advancing until my gun is pressed to his head.
“My father deserved what you did to him. I won’t deny it. But he was still my father, and you will pay for what you did.”
Aram’s jaw ticks, and for the first time, there’s fear in his eyes.
He should be afraid. I’m done with the Armenians, done with Aram, done with all the baggage and history of my family dragging me down.
I want to be like Karine. Free from all that shit.
“Wait.” It’s the one voice that might make me pause. I look over as Arsen pushes through the crowd toward me. The men murmur, but none of them get in his way. “Don’t.”
“Get the fuck back, boy,” Aram snaps at his son. “You foolish idiot.”
“This isn’t how it should go,” Arsen says, ignoring his father. “For once, we should end things the right way.”
“How’s that?” I ask him, genuinely curious.
He stands at my side. There’s a moment of stunned silence among the gathered men. I press the barrel of my gun tighter to Aram’s head, a vicious smile breaking across my face.
Half the lieutenants lower their guns immediately.
Like they never planned on using them from the start.
Aram’s face turns red with rage as he stares at his son standing at my side. “That’s how they fucking found us,” he snarls. “You sold me out. You, my own fucking son. You traitor. You worthless prick.”
“All my life, you treated me like I was nothing more than flesh. I was flesh for you to beat, flesh for you to carve, flesh for you to mold in your own likeness. Remember the burnings? Remember the beatings? I remember them all, Father.”