Page 129 of Beautiful Deception

“You’re making peace.” Finn huffs. “Figures. Of course you’d pussy out.”

“I’m not doing that. I’m just trying to make things safer for Julia.”

“Always for a woman. You men and your women. What is it about them?”

Erik steps forward. “If you’re trying to stop this-,”

“Maybe I am.”

“Finn,” I growl. “Go.”

He turns to me. “We made a deal, Viktor. We made a deal to take these fuckers down. To take my own brother down. And now you’re backing out. I can’t stand for that.”

“This is your chance for peace too, dumbass,” Dante says. “If you agree to peace, you can live.”

“I don’t know about that,” Erik mutters.

Finn huffs and saunters around the room. “Still salty over that nerd’s death? What was his name again?”

“Ivan,” Erik grits out.

He snaps his fingers. “That’s right. Ivan. Hated him. Glad he’s dead.”

“That’s your sister-in-law’s father you murdered.”

“So? Never agreed with my brother marrying that bitch in the first place.” He spins around to face me again. “Do not go back on your word. We can take both Erik and Dante down right now. Right this second.”

“I wouldn’t be too hasty,” Erik says, whipping out his gun. Finn does the same exact thing. Neither man stands down.

“Fuck,” Dante mutters.

I raise my hands in surrender. “Don’t be an idiot, Finn. If you shoot Erik, he’ll only shoot you back.”

“You promised me a war, Viktor. A war! And now you’re trying to make fucking peace with Erik and Dante? Fuck that. I want them dead.”

“Then shoot,” Erik taunts. “And see what happens.”

“If you do this, Finn,” I warn, “then we’re done. You and me. We’re done.”

“You don’t want peace, Viktor. You don’t really trust them. I know you don’t. You’re only doing this because Inessa broke your heart. Otherwise, you’d still want revenge.”

“Maybe.” Fuck him. He’s not wrong. I’m still pissed at Erik and Dante. But I have to make things safe for Julia. I have to try.

And inviting Finn into my home was not the thing to keep her safe.

“You know I’m right,” Finn says.

“Just put the gun down,” Dante advises. “There’s no going back from this. If you kill Erik, he’ll shoot you, and you’ll never get the revenge you want on Aiden. You’ll never make amends with him either.”

“Fuck my brother. He fucked me over. He chose a girl over me. I’ll never forgive that.”

I can hear the front door open and footsteps running towards my office. The door bangs open and Julia runs inside and only stops when she sees Finn and Erik.

Finn reacts on instinct. He swings his gun in Julia’s direction and fires.

Julia screams and dives behind the door.

All I see is red.

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