Page 110 of Cruel Promise

“That was your old loan. Your new loan is due now.”

He slumps back against his chair. “But, Nikolai, I don’t have the money. But I can get it to you next week. All of it and more.”

The thing with being a Bratva boss is that if you give people a pass, they think they can keep getting passes. They start to think you’re their friend.

But I’m no one’s friend.

“Groban, pay up. Today. If you don’t …” The threat is clear. It’s always clear. These men know what they’re getting involved in when it comes to me. I clear away all their initial debts, but they owe me afterward. And if they can’t pay, then I don’t hesitate to take them out back and shoot them executioner style.

It’s what I just did to that fucker, Jason.

His scared, wimpy face fills my mind. The way he begged for his life. He got what he deserved for not leaving Ava alone.

I still haven’t told her about Jason. I probably never will. But if she asks me about it, I’m not sure I’ll be able to lie to her. Normally, I have no problem lying to people. I’ve been doing it most of my life.

But with Ava … she brings out something inside me thatwantsto do better.

The problem is, I’m not a good man, and bad men never get better.

I’m keeping Jason’s death a secret. I’m keeping the fact that her mother is alive from her. How much more will I keep secrets to make sure I can keep her?

“I can pay,” Groban says, shuffling through his papers. “Yes. Um, I should have some cash.” He wheels his chair over to a safe and opens it and grabs out a wad of cash. “Here.”

I count it right before him. The entire time he shakes. God, he’s always so jumpy, and right now, it’s pissing me off. “This is short, Groban. I need more. About five hundred more.”

“I, I, I can get you that. Just …” He palms his pants pockets and comes up empty. “Let me just …” He holds up a finger and leaves the office. I can hear him rifling through the cash register,and then I can hear him begging the bartender for some money. How pathetic.

Groban comes back with the four hundred dollars. “I can get you the rest next week. I promise.”

“But you still have to pay off your other loan next week. Groban, I’m starting to see this partnership isn’t working out anymore.”

He goes starkly pale. “Please. I just need a little more time.”

I sigh as I grab his shoulder. “They all say that.”

I shove him toward the back door. Groban doesn’t stop begging and begging, and it’s starting to give me a fucking headache.

The back alleyway is a filth pile of garbage. I almost gag from how bad it smells.

I push Groban to his knees, pull out my gun, and aim it at his head.

“Please,” he begs. “I have a daughter. A little girl. She needs me.”

“Does she really need a father who works for a dangerous man? The world you’re now in, Groban, will put her in danger. Honestly, doing this is the only way to save her.”

“Please! Just don’t. I’ll pay you back. I’ll pay every cent back.”

“Everyone single one of you promises that. I’ve been in this business for years, and it never ceases to amaze me. The false promises. None of you mean it. None of you ever pay me back. I don’t trust people, Groban. If I don’t even trust the people closest to me, then why the fuck would I trust you?”

“Please!”

My finger is on the trigger. Normally, I’d have pulled it by now. Normally, Groban would be dead by now.

But I hesitate.

I kill and kill and kill. It’s what I’m used to. But I can’t stop thinking about Ava and the vulnerable way she asked me to lookinto her mom’s disappearance. The fact that I’m lying to her is bothering me more than it should.

I shouldn’t fucking care if she’s happy or not.

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