Page 31 of Brutal Bratva Boss

“Fyodor,” Igor grinds out.

Igor is a badly aged, stubby little man. He stands a head shorter than most other men, which would explain why he feels the need to make his presence known whenever he walks into a room. He reminds me of a chihuahua, small and loud with bulgy eyes. What little hair has not made the smart decision to desert his oddly shaped head is various shades of grey. I still can’t fathom how he rose to the top. However, with what he trades in, I can understand why he has a steady client base. He and Alexandr run in some of the same circles.

“Thank you for meeting me.” Not that I gave him much choice if I am being honest. I made sure to keep the details as vague as possible.

A red hue washes over his face as it scrunches, and he glares at me. “Where is my daughter?” he demands.

“You mean my wife? She’s safe and sound at home, where she will stay.”

And there goes my plan to handle it with tact. Why I felt the need to clarify that Kat is my wife is beyond me, although it was a treat to watch Igor’s face fall in a matter of seconds.

“What did you say?”

I give a slow nod. “You heard correctly. Kat and I are married. Legally. We had a wedding and everything. Your invitation must have gotten lost in the mail.”

Apparently, I can’t help poking the bear. I should really be watching what I say. This is not the way I wanted to start this conversation, but the condescending way Igor had asked for Kat rubbed me the wrong way. Ergo, I decided to be a dick about it. Diplomacy never was my strong suit. That was always Kiril’s department.

His eyes go wide before crossing, and he balls his fists at his side, his shoulders vibrating with the effort. His mouth opens and closes a few times, but no sound comes out. All in all, it looks like he is close to having an aneurysm.

Just when I think he is done processing and ready to have a serious conversation about it, his hand slips inside his jacket and he pulls out a pistol, holding it up to my face.

Igor smiles as he cocks the pistol, and I hear the bullet move into the chamber.

A feral thought enters my mind as I stare down the barrel of the gun. It’s a thought that has never crossed my mind in the many years that I have walked the earth.

I do not want to die.

The realization knocks the breath from my lungs, crushing my chest under its weight. I have never been affected by the notion that it could be my last day. Yes, it is not a thought anyone would ever want to have, but it has also never held enough weight for me to give it another thought.

Until now, that is.

Now, I have something to lose. Or rather, someone. One and a half someone’s if we are being specific. And those one and a half someone would in turn lose me. If I were to draw my last breath here tonight, Kat would be alone in a world she is not yet truly a part of. And my child would grow up without a father. Or worse, Kat would remarry, and someone else would raise my child. That thought is worse than any of the others that have popped up, and not something I have any plans on letting happen.

I hold up a hand to my men, signaling them not to take any action for now. I school my expression and cock my head to the side, giving Igor the most unimpressed look I can manage. “What is it you think you’re doing?”

Igor blinks a few times, and his brows pull down like my cool reaction has caught him off guard. “What do you mean?”

I wave my hand around slowly. “My men have this place surrounded. They have already taken out the men you had hidden in the nearby buildings. All it would take is one word from me for them to put a bullet in your head.”

I am bluffing, of course. I am sure Igor has men posted nearby too; he would be stupid not to. But I have had no confirmation of this or that my men have taken them out. Right now, I am just going on instinct. But my instincts are very seldom wrong, which is why no one ever calls my bluff.

Igor’s eyes dart from me to two of the surrounding buildings and back again. Without him being able to check in with his men, there is no way for him to confirm if this is true or not, which is exactly what I was counting on.

He seems to think better of taking his attention off me for long enough to check in with his men, which is good news for me. He lowers his gun, glaring at me as it hangs at his side.

“Good choice,” I say. “After all, we are family now.”

“We will never be family,” he spits. He points a chunky finger at me. “You will return my daughter, and we will have this marriage annulled.”

“We will do no such thing,” I say stiffly.

If this creatin thinks he is taking Kat away from me, he has another thing coming. I would move heaven and earth to keep Kat, something I am only realizing tonight.

“That was not a request.” His voice rises an octave, not quite a shout, but it seems like one is steadily approaching.

I fold my arms over my chest, lifting my chin as I stare him down. “I think you forget who you’re talking to, Igor. Need I remind you of the consequences you would face if you decide to take a stand against me? And that is exactly what you would be doing if you decide to pursue any notions of coming after me or Kat.”

“Kat?” Disdain drips from his voice. “Since when does she go by that name?”

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