Page 142 of Emerald Malice

He buckles, following the momentum of my blow all the way to the tile floor where blood puddles around his head.

Satisfying as the punch was, it’s not nearly enough to satiate me. There’ll be time for that later, I console myself before turning to Natalia. She comes first.

Natalia is trembling on the floor, an arm thrown over her stomach, the other wrapped around Misha. He is holding her up, but he’s also shaking, speaking so quickly I almost can’t catch the words.

“—my fault. I’m so sorry. If Remi was with you, then—” He chokes in a breath. “Remi should have been with you. He’s your dog.”

It’s a testament to the love that Natalia feels for Misha that she fights through her own fear to reassure him. She grabs his face. “No, Misha. None of this is your fault.”

The boy is sobbing now, tears flowing like rivers down both cheeks. “But if Remi had been with you?—”

“Stop.” Her voice is weak, but the command comes through loud and clear. She raises a trembling hand to cup Misha’s face. “This is not your fault.”

Her eyes flicker to Viktor’s limp body, but I squat down between them, blocking my brother from view. Misha flinches back as though he’s waiting for me to disagree with Natalia and blame him.

“Natalia’s right, Misha.” My voice is thick with anger, but it’s not directed at the boy. “This is not on you. This is on him.”

I turn to Natalia and take her hand. Her beautiful green eyes are cloudy, fighting to rise above the shock of her assault. “Did he hurt you?”

“H-he tried… Misha came just in time.” Her eyes veer back to him and she makes a brave attempt at a smile. “You saved me, Misha.”

The boy doesn’t look convinced.

“What the hell?!”

I turn around to find Mila and Leonty standing in the doorway. Leonty’s gaze is focused on me, but Mila only has eyes for the unconscious bastard on the floor.

“What did he do?” she breathes.

I can’t tell them. If I do, I’ll kill him here and now. Instead, I gently pull Natalia to her feet and pass her to Misha. “Take her to the pool house,” I tell him. I nod at Mila. “You go with them.”

Mila and Misha help Natalia out of the room, leaving Leonty and me with Viktor’s unconscious body.

“He didn’t,” Leonty growls, shaking his head. “Even he isn’t that stupid.”

But he is.

“Round up the men,” I instruct. “I want him moved to the gym.”

Leonty doesn’t bother asking further questions. He knows what’s coming. It’s not a tradition that’s typical for members of the pakhan’s family, but Viktor has just forfeited his right to immunity.

He’ll suffer like he’s nobody to me.

I’m carving my way across the house, more than ready to have this done, when I notice Yelena skulking in the archway. “What happened?” she asks.

I’m not in the mood for explanations, but she cared for Viktor since he was a boy, too. She has always been a kind of mother to him.

“Viktor thought he’d get back at me by cornering Natalia.”

She gasps. “Did he…?”

“No. I got there before he could.”

She nods once, pivots on her heel, and walks towards the pool house faster than I knew she was capable of.

I let her go.

I have a brother to torture.

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