Page 130 of Emperor of Havoc

“Takeshi?” he murmurs, his voice soft and uncertain, the recognition dawning in his wild eyes unable to erase the madness.

“Yes, it’s me,Akira,” I grit, forcing myself to stand. My head swims, my vision blurs, but I hold my ground. “You don’t want to do this.”

His body sags for a moment, but then his grip tightens on the hilt of the katana and his gaze swings back to Katarina. “She betrayed me,” he whispers, his voice breaking. “I loved her first, Tak! She wasmine! And then she married my fucking brother! She bore his child?—”

“That isn’t Marianna!” I roar brutally. “That’s Katarina.My wife!”

Jin shakes his head, his face twisting in denial. “You don’t understand,” he mutters. “She… She brings the madness to me. I have to end it. I have to endher.”

“No!” I bellow, stumbling forward as he starts crawling to Katarina. She struggles against the ropes, her face horrified.

“Akira, stop!” My voice cracks as desperation claws at me. “I love her. Do you hear me? I fucking love her. I love you too, like a brother—but I swear to God, I’ll run you through before I let you hurt her.”

He pauses for a moment, then shakes his head again. “You don’t understand,” he mutters quietly, resuming his slow crawl. “This has to end.”

I stagger after him, my vision tunneling as my loss of blood takes its toll. My legs feel like lead, but I force them to move. “Akira, stop!” I shout hoarsely. “Don’t make me do this.”

He doesn’t listen.

I manage to reach him, planting a boot on his back and shoving him down. “Stop. Moving,” I growl raggedly. He writhes beneath me, his hands scrabbling at the ground. I stomp on them, drawing a cry of pain from his lips before I reach down and yank the katana away.

“Takeshi,” he groans. “We’re brothers. You wouldn’t?—”

“Stop. Moving,” I repeat, touching the tip of the katana to the back of his neck.

My hands tremble, my chest heaving. For all he’s done, threatening and hurting Katarina, I don’t want to kill him.

…But I will.

“Akira—”

He stiffens. Slowly, his hand drifts down to his waistband. I see the butt of a gun sticking out of it, see his hand moving toward it. My jaw grits.

“Don’t make me kill my brother, Akira.”

His hand keeps drifting toward the gun.

My own hand tightens on the katana, preparing to jam it through the back of his neck, not wanting to do it despite everything.

A shot rings out, sharp and final. Jin’s body jerks and slumps to the ground, motionless.

I whirl, my heart hammering. Kolya stands a few yards away, his gun still raised, his face grim and resolute. “Yes, he was your friend,” Kolya says quietly, his voice low. “But he wasmybrother. That’s my burden to carry forever.”

“Papa!!”

Katarina’s voice shatters the silence. Kolya’s face snaps to hers, his eyes widening in shock.

“Kat…?”

He rushes forward, holstering his gun and pulling a knife from his belt to cut her free. They cling to each other, Katarina sobbing into his chest as he holds her, tears streaming down his face.

Then she pulls away, her eyes locking on mine. Wordlessly, she scrambles to her feet and rushes toward me. I stagger, the world tilting as the adrenaline starts to fade.

“Kat,” I choke out, my knees buckling as she reaches me. “Kat, I?—”

“Takeshi,” she sobs, her arms wrapping around me as she crashes into me. I hold her close, sagging in her embrace as my pulse thrums weakly.

She looks up at me, her eyes shimmering with tears as she cradles my face in her hands,.

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