Page 136 of Sinful Wrath

Pouring a double vodka, I take a seat behind my desk. But before I turn on my computer, I spot a small red jewelry box with gilded edges beside the photo frame of my family.

It’s the last photo of all of us before my parents died, and it’s something I cherish.

I reach for the small box and flick open the lid.

“Fucking hell.” I wrinkle my nose at the severed finger.

I toss the box back on my desk, causing the finger to roll, revealing not only a small cursive tattoo along the edge but a hand-written note beneath it.

I straighten as I read the Russian cursive.

It’s a distinctive tattoo, one I have no problem recognizing as belonging to one of my men who should be outside my front door right now.

But then I glance at the handwritten note beneath it, and my spine stiffens.

The Koslov BratvaWILL pay

“Fuck.”I slam the lid of the box shut.

My eyes flick to the photo on my desk, and an overwhelming sense of rage buildsinside me.

I have no doubt that this is a message from Igor.

I reach for my phone and dial Alexei.

“What is it, Mikhail?” My brother already sounds stressed.

“I received a little present. I suspect from Igor.”

“Do I even want to know?”

“Severed finger of one of the guards who is meant to be outside my townhouse right now.”

“He’s not going to fucking stop.” He huffs out a breath. “Do you both want to come back to Forest Hills?”

“Lucia wants to stay away for a while.”

“Understandable. Well, the offer always stands, or you could stay at the family penthouse.”

“I appreciate that,brat.”

I glance again at the photo and my chest tightens. If I have any chance of keeping my family safe, then it’s about time I come clean to Alexei about Maxim.

“There’s something else I was meaning to tell you.” I take a deep breath. “Anton and I were caught in an ambush at one of Igor’s shipment locations, but we managed to capture Maxim.”

“Igor’s son?”

“Yes.”

“Shit! Okay, where is he?”

“He had to be…taken care of.”

“Fucking hell, Mikhail. As if Igor doesn’t have enough reasons to come after us already.”

I bristle at my brother’s tone.

“Anton made a call, and it saved my fucking life, so I’d take Igor’s revenge plan over being dead any day.”

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