Page 176 of Bossy Hero

The grief lancing across his face nearly chokes me, its icy hands surrounding my windpipe. “I tried to get out, and it cost me everything.”

He covers his mouth with his hand and turns away from me. His eyes pinch closed as if he’s forcibly holding back the tears.

Yuri notices his friend struggling and pats him twice on the leg before facing me. “When they tried to leave bratva with Savin and Katia, Lenkov killed my sister. Executed her. He sliced her open right down the middle.” He angles his head toward his friend. “Did this in front of him. Forced him to watch as his true love and mother of his children—my sister—bleed out on dirty concrete. Like she was animal to be butchered.”

The oxygen gets stuck in my lungs.

I’ve seen evil before. In battle, you see some truly vile things. War exposes the worst in us.

But this wasn’t in a war.

Lenkov did this on our own soil.

No fucking wonder Yuri hates the bratva as much as he does.

After a weighted pause, Bigsby meets my eyes. I don’t even need to look beyond the surface to see his wounds. No matter how long ago this happened, he’s still a broken man because of it.

Knowing how close I was to losing Lettie before I even knew she was mine makes this all the more agonizing to hear. And far easier to visualize.

Periodically, my mind fills with flashes of the night Madeline was shot. How she looked bleeding on the sidewalk as she slipped into a blackout from the overwhelming fear.

And Lettie on the night she was rescued. Dirty, bleeding, and battered. In ragged clothes. Catatonic from the trauma.

And this is why we fight.

“After Lenkov killed my sweet Anya, he must have known I would flee with my children. So he took them from me too. Savin was only three, and Katia was still a baby. They didn’t even remember me or their mother. Had no idea how loved they were and how much I grieved their loss.”

His chin quivers, and his eyes remain unfocused as he stares off into the distance. Likely envisioning the moment his children were taken from him.

I’d like to ask about Yev, but it’s not the time.

Enough horrific memories for now.

Yuri clamps his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “We will get them back, comrade.”

Attempting to put an end to this tragic retelling, I say, “So Lenkov didn’t kill your children, but I imagine the threat of him doing so is what kept you compliant.”

Despite it not being a question, the chief gives me a solemn nod as an answer.

As I ruminate on everything he shared about how he ended up in this position, some questions linger. However, I think I’ll let them sit for now in favor of advancing our plan to take Lenkov down.

I press my fists against the top of my thighs and push to my feet. The dusty air fills my lungs with my deep inhale as I skim my line of sight over the three of them.

When I forcefully expel the oxygen from my body, I release with it all lingering doubts about the loyalty of these men.

With a voice as hard as steel, I ask one last question. “Are you with me?”

One by one, they dip their chins in nods of agreement.

“Good. Now let’s talk about what we need to do to make the fucker pay.”

Chapter31

Tongue lashing

Maddie

Itoss the dishcloth onto the break room counter for the umpteenth time to check my phone.

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