Page 106 of Ruthless Reign

I nod.

I’ve never felt so helpless in my life.

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

ROMAN

“This place makes our office look like Buckingham Palace,” I mutter as we drive by the Zhukov Bratva headquarters—an abandoned storefront on the outskirts of St. Petersburg.

Viktor’s men have been watching the building for hours. All their top lieutenants are inside right now, despite the early hour.

Pavel smirks. “Maybe that’s the point.”

From the backseat, Savin hands us Kevlar vests and comms. A quick glance in the side view mirror confirms our men are in a van behind us, waiting for my signal to move. We're going in armed to the teeth and prepared to engage unless we get some answers. One way or another, the truth is coming out tonight.

Viktor briefly glances up from his computer. “You’re clear to enter the building through the side door. Judging by the thermal signatures, only a handful of guards are patrolling the perimeter. Most seem to be in the basement.”

“And both brothers are there?” I ask, sliding bullets into the magazine of my gun.

Viktor nods. “Sergey has been here for hours, and Nikolai arrived not long ago.”

I check my phone again.

Pavel frowns at me. “What’s wrong?”

I shake my head and slip the earpiece into place. “I thought I’d hear from Feliks by now.”

Pavel’s mouth tightens. “Give him a little more time. He probably has his hands full with Sofiya.”

I shake off the anxious feeling pulling at my gut. Pavel is probably right.

I send Liza a quick message to let her know I’m okay, not that I expect to hear back. It’s the ass-crack of dawn, so I’m sure she’s sleeping.

“You boys ready to do this?” I ask my men. There's no point in waiting. It's time to go in before the Zhukovs get wind of us.

With a final gesture, we file out into the early morning darkness.

The building is quiet as we slip through the side entrance, each man peeling off to his position with practiced silence.

I’m the first one down the stairs when a Zhukov guard steps into my path. He curses, his eyes going wide, but he doesn’t have time to raise his gun before Pavel steps from behind me and delivers two bullets between his eyes. Savin drags the dead man’s body out of the way, and we continue our descent.

The air grows colder, thick with the musty smell of old basement and the faint tang of decay. It looks like this was some sort of underground social club at some time. We weave our way around cluttered tables and chairs, carefully navigating forward.

I stop in place when the sharp, heated exchange of angry voices pulls my attention. I signal to my men to flatten against the wall, and listen as the argument escalates and voices ricochet off the basement walls.

“…never should have involved us in that filth!” one roars. “I would never have agreed to this shit, and you know that. You went behind my back.”

"Power at any cost, Nikolai. You taught me that!”

My fingers tighten around my weapon, the metal suddenly feeling colder and heavier. A glance towards Pavel confirms that he's equally surprised.

The Zhukovs are not a happy little family.

“Remember who you're talking to, Sergey. I don’t care if you’re my brother. I’ll do what needs to be done. I lead this bratva; I make the deals, not you. If you've got a problem with that, I suggest you rethink your position, or you’ll find yourself on the wrong side of my mercy.”

“Really, brother? You’d threaten me? After everything I did for you and the brotherhood when you were in jail? I put the Zhukov Bratva on the map. Now you stroll in here and think you can take over, that you know better.” Sergey scoffs, his voice dropping low and dangerous. “Why don't you see which of our men are still loyal to you? I have a feeling you'll be disappointed, Pakhan.”

“Do you dare threaten your older brother?" Nikolai’s voice is menacing. “I went to jail for you and our men. Because of me, others kept their freedom. How convenient that you forget.”

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