Page 141 of Claim

“I know.” As tempting as it is to say something negative about Zoya, I know Galena isn’t the person to say it to.

When another shot goes off, my stomach turns.

Please, Mikhail, be safe.

CHAPTER 62

MIKHAIL

Song- Empire (Let Them Sing) Bring Me The Horizon.

As soon asI burst out of the house, I freeze.

Nikolai, Jax, and Alexei are all on their knees with two men behind them holding a gun to their heads.

Fuck.

“It seems I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. Not bad for an old man.” Ivan chuckles and turns towards me, his arms spread wide.

“If I eliminate your little group, I’ll own Vegas,andhave that sweet little bitch as my own. I can raise my grandchild to be the heir youshouldhave been.” His face mottles as he points at me. “Instead of the traitorous disgrace you all turned out to be!” His hand sweeps over Nikolai, Alexei, and Jax. “The only thing that would be sweeter in this moment is if that ungrateful brat of a daughter of mine was here as well.”

I can see Alexei’s hands tighten into fists behind his head.

The man behind him lowers the barrel of his pistol next to Alexei’s ear and fires into the dirt before he bends closer. “Don’t even think about it, pretty boy.”

My own clench by my thighs in frustration.

I can’t do a damn thing.

“You brought this all down on yourself. If you weren’t such a monster, people wouldn’t want to run from you,” I grit through my teeth.

This is a tough spot and I have no idea how to get out of this.

Ivan turns slowly, looking at the backs of my family and friends.

“I ran this the way it needed to be. You’re weak, Mikhail. You never should have been in charge. Look at them. They chose you to protect them, to guide them, and where did it leave them? Kneeling in the dirt like dogs. They’re going to die, because ofyou.”

He spins, pointing at Jax. “Shoot him first. It’s his father’s fault that my whore of a wife left to start with.”

“No!” The word barely escapes before the shot echoes across the parking lot.

Jax falls over, slumped in a pile.

Fear grips me.

He trusted me.

The man behind him steps away, then again, weaving drunkenly on his feet.

What the hell?

He turns toward Ivan, silently opening and closing his mouth until a spill of blood covers his chin and he drops his weapon into the dirt.

Then he crumples first to his knees, then lands face first onto the ground. His eyes are wide and unblinking.

“What the fuck?” Ivan twirls, peering at the trees.

His other guard aims his gun at the woods wildly, glancing at his fallen teammate. “Ivan, we need to go.”

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