Page 103 of Dark Truths

Ford snorts. “Xiao’s dead because he was a stupid man controlled by some cunt’s pussy. Good riddance if you ask me. He was a wild card from the start.” He tips his head back and finishes his drink in one swallow. “Alright then. Let’s finish up here and—”

“And the DiAngelos?” Sergei interrupts. “I want them dead.”

“All in good time, my friend,” Ford says.

“I lost my brother,” Sergei repeats.

“Yes, as you’ve already said, and I’ll remind you again, his death was his own fault.” Ford twists to place his glass down. As he does, Sergei draws his gun and points it at Ford.

The director turns back around and freezes. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“You were right,” Sergei answers. “You should never trust criminals.”

And then he fires. Ford drops to the ground, with a smoking hole in the center of his forehead.

Jacob groans, when the piercing sound of the gunshot pulls him awake. “Wha-what? What's going on?”

Sergei turns to us. His dark eyes sweep over Jacob before landing on me. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t the rat trapped in a cage.”

“Sergei,” I greet him.

“I have to say, you’ve looked better.”

“Well, being chased down and ran off a bridge will do that to a guy.” I need to keep him talking. Throughout his argument withFord, I discreetly focused on loosening the ropes that bound my arms together behind the chair. I’m nearly free. Just a little bit more.

“I hate to admit this, but that bastard was right. You’ve been the best second I’ve ever had. Never once did I think you were a rat. You’ve tortured and killed so easily, but maybe that should have been a sign,” he’s rambling, which is fine by me.

"So, Alexei doesn't know about your little side business then?"

Sergei snorts. "I can't trust the little shit. And now I have no choice but to promote that shit head Alexei and marry him to Sofia right away to prove his fucking loyalty.”

I'm relieved Alexei didn't know.

“But the question is, how do I spin your death? So many men are loyal to you. Even now, with the fucking truth out there, they’ll still mourn you.”

That’s good for Alexei, at least.The men loyal to me will shift their loyalty to Alexei.

The last inch of the knot eases and my hand slips free.

“Oh well, I’m sure I’ll come up with something.” Sergei shrugs before he steps back and raises his gun.

Before he can even blink, I’m up and dodging the bullet he fires. I grab the back of the chair and slam it into him, knocking him backwards. His gun falls from his grip and slides under the couch, useless to us both. Sergei climbs to his feet and launches himself at me.He crashes into me and the momentum pushes me back into the wall. He lands a few punches to my stomach before I knee him and then kick him away. Sergei stumbles, his eyes scanning the ground for his gun. When he doesn’t find it, he pulls a knife free, holding it in front of him like a shield. Too bad it won’t help him.

I rush at him and fake a move to the right, which draws his attack that way, as I go to the left instead. My fist connects with his face with a satisfying crunch, and I watch blood explode fromhis nose. He swings out with the knife, catching my side, but the cut is shallow. I dodge his knife when he swings again, while searching for an opportunity to strike back.

It comes on the tail end of a swing, and I grab his wrist. Twisting hard, I bend his arm backwards, in an unnatural angle. The force drives him to drop the knife and I kick it away. I don’t need a knife to kill this bastard.

I don’t stop twisting until I hear his bones pop and feel them crack beneath my hold. Sergei shouts in pain before he lashes out and punches me in the jaw. Pain explodes in my face, and on instinct, I release him.

“You motherfucker,” Sergei pants, wiping blood from his face with his good arm. “Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why did you work so hard to become my second? You could have gotten your proof somehow.”

It’s only fair to give a dead man the truth. A truth I’ll also carry to my grave. “Because I was good at it.”

Sergei lunges for me, and I sidestep him. He crashes into the bar cart, knocking it over. Liquor bottles and glass crash on the floor, liquid spilling everywhere. Some reach the fireplace heater, short circuiting the device, and making sparks. Sparks that land on the spilled alcohol and set them ablaze.All too quickly, fire engulfs the living room, smoke filling the space and making it difficult to breathe, let alone see.

---