Page 13 of Till Death Saves Me

Fuck. I shouldn't be looking at her like this. She's nothing but a political pawn, a necessary evil for the good of the Bratva. But my body doesn't seem to care about politics or alliances.

My body wants my fucking wife, and it is hard to ignore all the damn blood running to my dick. I always knew she was easy on the eyes but in the last couple of years her figure has gotten curvy, and damn, 21 looks good on her.

The sharp trill of my phone cuts through my thoughts. Lev's name flashes on the screen.

"What?" I bark into the receiver, tearing my gaze away from Virginia.

"We've got a situation," Lev's voice is tight. "The Red Serpents are making moves in Brooklyn. They hit one of our warehouses last night."

My entire body tenses, mind immediately shifting gears. "Casualties?"

"Two of our guys. Three more in the hospital."

"Fuck," I spit out. "I'll be right there."

I end the call, already moving towards my closet. As I change into a suit, my mind races through potential strategies. The Red Serpents have been pushing their luck lately, but this is a bold move. Too bold.

I grab my gun, sliding it into its holster. One last glance out the window shows Virginia still lounging, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing around us.

"I'm heading out," I tell Matteo, one of the guys I keep on rotation here at the house, as I stride past her in the hallway. "Keep an eye on Virginia. Don't let her leave the property."

Matteo nods, understanding the gravity in my tone. As I climb into my car, I push all thoughts of bikinis and soft skin from my mind. There's blood to be spilled, and I intend to be the one spilling it.

I stand rigid in Nikolai's office, my body thrumming with anticipation. The air is thick with tension as our Pakhan outlines the plan to deal with the Red Serpents' incursion.

"Lev," Nikolai's voice is cold steel, "you'll lead a team to push these fuckers back where they came from. Make it messy. I want them pissing their pants at the thought of stepping on our turf again."

Lev nods, an excited look crossing his face. "With pleasure, brother." He's violent, but I can't talk. They both know what's brewing under my skin.

Nikolai turns to me, his icy blue eyes boring into mine. "Ivan, I need you to do what you do best. Get me information. Find out who's calling the shots, where they're hiding, and what the fuck they think they're playing at."

I feel a familiar rush of adrenaline. This is what I live for. The thrill of the hunt. Because we all know what information "Consider it done, Pakhan."

"Good," Nikolai leans back in his chair. "I want this wrapped up quickly and quietly. We can't afford to show any weakness, not with the other families watching our every move."

Outside Nikolai's office, Lev claps me on the shoulder. "Ready to spill some blood?"

"Always," I reply, a cold smile tugging at my lips. "Just try not to have too much fun without me."

Lev chuckles darkly. "No promises. You get to have some fun with your shit. Leave some action for the rest of us, yeah?"

I roll my eyes, but there's no heat in it. Lev and I have always worked well together, our strengths complementing each other perfectly. While he brings the brute force, I'm great at being a bit more stealthy. But I do love the bloodshed, just like everyone else in the Bratva.

As we part ways, my mind is already racing, plotting out my next moves. We'll have to see if any of their guys are willing to part with some intel. And if that doesn't work... Well, I have other methods of extracting information.

The thought sends a rush of adrenaline through me. It's been too long since I've had a real challenge. The Red Serpents won't know what hit them.

It doesn't take long to find my target. They are stupid enough to use a fucking drug runner to pass off messages — and they aren't very discreet about it. The fucker will know what I need.

As I climb into my car, my mind is already piecing together my plans for capturing the Red Serpent messenger. But something tugs at the back of my mind, an unfamiliar sensation that takes me a moment to identify.

Concern.

For Virginia.

I hesitate, my hand hovering over the ignition. Fuck. Why am I even thinking about her right now? I left two of my most trusted guards at the house. She should be fine.

But every made man knows that hitting a rival can have repercussions. And if I'm out here taking out one of their guys…

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