Page 81 of A Pawn in the Game
Thirty.
Finally, the thought registers in my brain.
“Everybody out!” I roar, grab the collar of Leon’s shirt, and drag him out of the room.
I reach for the door handle of the front entrance just when the bomb goes off. My hands wrap around my head in a reflexive attempt to protect it, but my ears ring with the explosion. The blast was obviously on the top floor, otherwise wewouldn’t be standing, but the ceiling will collapse any second now. I grab the door handle hard enough to break the glass, barely feeling the scrapes of glass shards as we leave the place. We get to our cars, far enough to be at a safe distance, and watch the fire swallow the place, its roof collapsing on itself.
We walked into a fucking trap.
Leon still rages, kicking the rim of his wheel hard enough to break his foot.
“Calm the fuck down,” I grit out, popping a cigarette out of my pocket and lighting it.
He turns around, glaring at me with disdain. “You know who I’m really mad at?” The question is hypothetical, so I don’t answer. “Not the Russians, whose literal job is to make our lives hell.” I don’t think I ever saw my perfect brother as disheveled as this. His hair is a mess, and if there is such a thing as crazy eyes, he’s got them right now. “No, I’m mad at my fucking brother for putting a piece of pussy before us, his family.”
I stop the cigarette mid-air. The burning tip of it is nothing compared to the fire raging in my stomach.
Oblivious to it, Leon continues his tirade. “For once, I thought you could be responsible. For once, I thought I could count on you, as much as we both leaned on Father.”
My voice is unrecognizably cold as I say, “And you think you can’t?”
“Pftt,” he scoffs. “It’s pretty damn obvious I can’t. I’ve been drowning, trying to keep the business afloat, and all the while, you’ve fucking around. With a bitch we should have killed.”
He can say whatever he wants about me. He can call me irresponsible, an idiot, a traitor. I don’t fucking care. But calling Sophie a bitch? My forearm lifts to his neck out of its own accord, the force of my anger slamming him into the car. I lean into his neck, enough to make his breath short. “I suggest you stop right the fuck now. You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
There’s no fear in his eyes. Only hate. “Enlighten me, then.Tell me, is she more important than your family?” His voice is hoarse but unrelenting.
The other guys have built a close circle around us. Thankfully, they’re smart enough to stay out of it.
“Is the pussy good enough to betray us?” he taunts, pushing just the right button to make me break.
His mouth parts as my forearm presses into his throat hard enough to cut off any oxygen supply. “Don’t. Fucking. Talk. About. Her. That. Way.”
His eyes turn red, so I retreat. He’s angry, I know. But if I can stop myself from killing him on the spot, he can damn well stop himself from insulting or degrading her. He gasps, catching a breath, but his eyes are still stuck to me.
“This isn’t just sex, isn’t it?” He sounds on the verge of laughing. “You feel something for her.” I sneak a glance at Ivan, and Leon lets out a dark chuckle. “You went ahead and fell in love with the girl whose father killed ours.”
“He’s not the one who pulled the trigger.”
Leon claps his hands theatrically. “Oh, you’re defending him now. How nice.”
I shake my head, tired of this conversation. “I’m simply stating the facts.”
“And is one of those facts that you’re in love with her?”
Yes.But I’ll be damned if I tell my brother and colleagues before I tell her. “I’m sorry you feel like I haven’t contributed much, but I’ve been busting my ass day in-day out trying to keep our business afloat. I know that you don’t fully understand what happened, but I need you to get with the program. I need you to drink a bottle of rakia, smash some things, and come out of it smarter. Because right now, you’re acting like the irresponsible one.” His mouth parts to say something but I add, “What happened here, tonight, had nothing to do with me.” I turn to Ivan. “Can I have your keys?”
He throws me his car keys, no questions asked. I catch themand enter the car, peeling off without a second thought. I don’t bother checking if they’re following me.
It’s late. And I’m tired. Pissed off by Leon and the fucking Russians. And I need to see her. I need to see that she’s still okay. That she’s still mine. Then I need to get her out of there, family business be damned.
CHAPTER 40
Sophie
Sleep evades me as my brain battles dark thoughts. You’d think that after a lifetime of practicing, it would be more successful, but no, the darkness still manages to consume me. My new watch shows 11 pm. Still, I doubt I’ll be able to fall asleep before knowing Luka is safe.
A loud noise jolts me toward the door. Any hope that it’s Luka is quickly squished as the barrel of a gun points to Marko in the armchair and fires.
