Page 125 of Wicked Arrangement

I see the cogs turning in his mind, considering how to respond, if he should pretend he isn’t.

Sensing his best course of action, he drops his gun to the floor. “You’re right. Are you going to shoot me unarmed like a coward? Or will you fight me one-on-one like a man?”

With the challenge laid down, there’s no way I won’t accept it. I’m not scared of him. I know in a fight I will win.

“Alright, let’s do this,” I say, dropping my weapon.

Bogdan knows full well I’m the better fighter, I’ve got years of experience on him. He’s still wet around the ears, barely in his twenties. A daddy’s boy who bit off more than he could chew. I doubt the kid’s ever even been in a fight other than training. I might almost feel sorry for him if I didn’t know what acruel and ambitious little prick he is. Besides, if you want to run with the big wolves, you’ve got to accept the consequences.

I’m unsurprised that he chooses flight over fight. He turns on his heel and runs. I could pick up my gun and shoot the stupid motherfucker, but I decide to give chase. It’s more fun to win fair and square. I easily close the gap and grab a hold of him.

“Please!” he cries pathetically.

“For fucks sake kid, fight like a man, your old man would be disgusted,” I snap back.

I’m not about to kill a man who’s surrendering and refusing to fight, as much as I might want to be rid of Bogdan Sharkozi, I have honor and morals. I drag him outside to where the remaining bulk of his men are still fighting.

With him in front of me as a shield, I call out. “Stop! This ends now. I have Sharkozi. The coward challenged me to a fight and then ran. Innokentiy is nowhere to be found. These are the men you foolishly chose to follow. Surrender now or die with them.”

A murmur goes around the men. No one is quite sure how to react.

“He’s a liar!” Bogdan shouts, finally finding his bravado now in front of his men. “I’ll fight him right here!”

I know I’m safe to let him go. The men leading might be dishonorable cowards, but the others won’t disrespect a direct one-on-one challenge by interfering. He falls to the ground and scrambles to get up, dusting himself off and holding up his fists ready to fight.

“Finally,” I say with a grin.

Sharkozi is playing right into my hands. To kill him publicly and win like this will reassert my dominance. If he’d fought me back when we were alone, I’d have still done so and won. But then people would always question how it went down. Now, there will be no doubt. The sounds of men jeering and shouting encouragement egg us on. For a moment, the gunfire ends and it’s just the two of us.

I let Bogdan come at me, easily dodging his right hook and returning it with one of my own. The blow lands and stuns him. I rapidly release a series of jabs many of which land. Bogdan continues to try to fight back but I easily dodge and block most of his counterattack. In a flurry of fists, I make contact with his face with a sickening crunch, and he falls to the floor.

I give him a moment to compose himself and get back up, wanting this to be a fair fight. As he gets up and advances on me, I realize too late that he’s clutching something in his fist. The blade of a knife glints as he swings at me. I block it just in time, but it slices through my arm. The crowd watching let out sounds of shock and anger at his playing dirty. Some of them crow, not caring he’s fighting dishonorably. I’ll remember those men.

I’m bored of dancing around now. It’s time to end this.

We dance around each other, me avoiding the sharp thrusts of his knife. I kick out, making contact and winding him. It buys me precious seconds to close the gap and grab the wrist the knife is in. With the knife now in my hand, I don’t waste time. Quick as a flash, I draw it across his throat. Bogdan seems confused for a moment, not realizing what just happened. Then, his hands go to his throat and his eyes go wide. I stare him in theeyes as the life flows out of them. Mine is the last face Bogdan Sharkozi will ever see.

The crowd falls silent, stunned at what they’ve witnessed. I can sense Sharkozi’s men growing anxious, realizing they’ve lost.

“Look who I found, Pakhan,” I hear Andrey call out from behind me.

Turning, I see him with Innokentiy by the entrance of the house. Andrey’s gun is pointed at the back of his head and Innokentiy’s eyes are wide with fear. I stride over toward them. Seeing his fallen ally lying dead, Innokentiy senses things have gone very badly for him.

“Nephew, this is all just a big misunderstanding…” Innokentiy starts to stutter.

“Enough,” I say, taking the gun from Andrey and pointing it at Innokentiy’s temple. “Every man here knows and values the bond of family. One which you broke. First when you killed my parents, then you tried to kill me by blowing up my car, and then you dared try to cross and torture me, to take over as head of the Volkov Family. You’re not worthy,” I sneer. As per the Volkov code, your punishment is immediate execution. Do you have any last words?”

Innokentiy seems genuinely shocked that I’m not going to let him live. “You can’t… kill me and you’re declaring war against the Petrovs!” he declares, his Hail Mary.

“The Petrovs would kill you themselves once they find out about your mistress, Helena Sharkozi.”

Innokentiy’s eyes widen in horror, and he opens his mouth to speak again, but I’m done with his excuses, with hearing him try to weasel his way out of his punishment.

“We’re done here,” I say as I pull the trigger.

Innokentiy drops down dead at my feet.

I speak to the crowd. “For those of you still standing, you can surrender or die. For those who betrayed me, you’ll pay with your lives.”

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