Page 58 of Bratva Baby

Suddenly, footsteps resound behind us. I spin, raising my pistol, but I’m too late. Men converge from doorways on either side with their weapons aimed. One barks a command: “Drop them!”

Seraphina gasps, and her father steps out from behind a tall bookcase with a nasty smirk twisting his features. “And here I was wondering if you’d show up at all.”

I clench my jaw. “Where’s Cecily?”

He gestures lazily with his hand. “Safe enough. For now.”

Seraphina looks at him, and desperation mingles with anger on her face. “Where is she? I want to see her!”

Her father offers a low chuckle. “Impatient, aren’t we? Don’t worry, she’s just behind that door.” He nods toward a closed door at the far end of the room. “But you won’t get to her that easily.”

I glare at the men around us, each armed with guns or knives, outnumbering us by a wide margin. My phone buzzes in my pocket. Probably Dmitri or one of my brothers, but I can’t reach it now. I curse under my breath, realizing we arrived too soon.

We should’ve waited for them to get here before coming inside.

“Drop your weapon,” Evan orders, taking a step closer. His eyes shift to Seraphina’s gun. “Both of you.”

I cast a quick glance at Seraphina, then, reluctantly, I ease my pistol to the floor. She follows suit, letting her smaller handgun clatter beside mine. One of the men rushes in to kickthe weapons away. Two of them seize my arms, and another grabs Seraphina’s wrists.

“Get your hands off her,” I growl, struggling, but they’re well-coordinated, and they force my arms behind my back. A fist connects with my stomach, knocking the breath out of me.

“I’ve waited a long time for this, Barkov,” Evan comments. “You walked into my home, thinking you’d save the day. How does it feel to be on the losing side?”

Seraphina strains against the guard holding her. “He’s done nothing to you. Let Cecily go!”

He ignores her plea, focusing on me. “You took everything from me, do you realize that? The respect I once had in the Bratva, the deals I tried to secure. I was overshadowed, ridiculed, and left with scraps while you and your brothers grew more powerful. And when I tried to push back, your allies shut me out entirely.”

The corner of my mouth curls despite the pain in my gut. “So you’re blaming me for your failures? You could’ve worked with us, but you chose to cross us.”

“Work with you?” he asks through a laugh. “You never saw me as an equal partner. None of your family did. I was your convenient pawn at best, left behind whenever it suited your purpose. Now, I have the upper hand.”

Seraphina’s voice shakes as she interjects, “That’s not true. If you’d just talked to Grigor, or to Aleksei—some kind of arrangement—”

“Arrangement?” he scoffs. “I tried. I spent years navigating that wretched circle, offering deals, and forging alliances, only to be humiliated time and again. I realized the only way to beat the Barkovs was by hitting them where it hurt.”

A surge of rage boils inside. “So you used your daughter. You threatened her sister. That’s your idea of beating us?”

He shrugs. “It worked, didn’t it?”

Before I can retort, one of his men smashes the butt of a gun against my temple. My vision swims, and I collapse to my knees with pain shooting through my skull. I catch Seraphina’s cry of alarm. Another blow lands on my ribs, stealing my breath. I try to defend myself, but my arms are pinned. They rain hits on me, again and again, until black spots dance in my field of vision.

“Stop!” Seraphina screams. “You’ll kill him!”

Her father motions for them to halt. I’m left gasping on all fours, blood dripping from a cut above my eye. The men yank me upright, forcing me to stand. Dizziness threatens to topple me. I taste blood on my lips.

Seraphina’s father exhales and places himself between us. “I’m not done with him yet. Not until I teach him the lesson he’s so long avoided.”

“You’re insane,” Seraphina screeches. “Let Cecily go, or I swear—”

He turns on her. “You swear what? You’ve already betrayed me once, Seraphina. I gave you a life. I provided you a chance to lead this family to victory, but you chose this monster’s side. You gave him a child. You destroyed our family name.”

Her tears flow freely. “You’re the one who destroyed everything! You forced me to marry him, and then you lied about everything. This was never about anything but your grudge, your pride. There probably wasn’t even a threat from the Irish, was there? You fabricated it all!”

He nods slowly, like he’s confirming her words. “You finally see it, daughter. The so-called threat was my invention.But it got you to comply, didn’t it? That is, until you decided to bend over for the Barkovs!”

“I sided with them because you threatened Cecily!” she shoots back.

“And look how well that worked,” he says with a hollow grin. “You waltzed right in, and Barkov here came along like a fool.” He signals to his men again. “Teach him more respect.”

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