Page 84 of Brooklyn Bratva

I cleared my throat, shifting to the edge of the back seat with an awkward wiggle.

“Cuffs, Max. Remember?”

His smile hitched up and he reached into his pocket for a set of keys that looked suspiciously like they would tackle any lock in the known universe. “Oh, right. Turn around then. Let’s get them off you.”

Ivan

I whirled around on the spot at the sound of a crash in the front of the cafe and lunged back out of the door. My pupils widened as I dived into the dark corridor and contracted painfully as I barrelled into the streaming sunshine coming through the windows of the shop front. My radio burbled as I called for backup to deal with the goons I’d left Mama with and I nearly tripped on the crime scene tape, cordoning off Mehmet’s murder site from the rest of the room.

His blood was still all over the floor.

My eyes focused just in time to see the glass door clatter in the frame, and I jumped over the counter, sliding across it on one hip.

Ruslan wasn’t getting away from me this time.

He legged it down the street, barreling straight down the middle of the crowded sidewalk and I took chase.

In a blur of car horns and screeching brakes I crossed over, aiming to cut ahead of him. Running down the center of the street, I had good enough aim to take him out. For forcing Becca to work against me and intimidating Mama, it was more than he deserved. Moscow had men who could make his death stretch out for days. But out here I was wearing my badge, and I had to do a proper take down.

The cop in me was doing this, whether I liked it or not.

He turned to me, pulling out his own gun, waving it in my direction, popping off a shot without proper aim.

It whistled clean past me, and I dove back to the sidewalk for the cover the parked cars gave me, still running him down. I was unstoppable. The rage pumping through me made me that way.

When turned off by the underpass, dodging columns and haring it up the steps to the subway, I was twenty paces behind him.

If he got on a train, I’d lose him. But I wasn’t going to let that happen

Finding an extra burst of energy, I sprinted up the steps two at a time, hauling my way up with the iron handrail. I couldn’t let him disappear. This ended today.

I burst through the entrance hall in time to see him jump the ticket gates, and I was right behind him.

“Police! Clear the station. Go. Now!”

There was only a small crowd on the platform and my eyes flashed to the board.

The next train was due in three minutes and he had nowhere left to run, except onto it.

I couldn’t let that happen.

“This ends here, Ruslan!” My voice echoed out across the station.

Another shot pinged in my direction, and I ducked behind a column, taking cover.

When the train pulled in, the platform would be flooded with people. I’d lose any chance I had to get him. And he had to go down today.

“Back off Kovalenko!”

“It’s over Ruslan. No more chances. You’re under arrest”

“I don’t think so, Mussor.”

All bets went off the window when Ruslan stepped out from behind the column he’d been hiding behind. The kid he had in front of him couldn’t have been more than thirteen and the little girl was clearly petrified.

She screamed, and Ruslan grabbed the little girl’s pony tail, yanking her head down as he rammed the butt of his gun against her temple. “Shut up.”

I saw red.

Behind me, I heard the clatter of feet racing up the steps, and the burble of my police radio. The cavalry was here, right on time.

I held my hand up, striding into the middle of the platform, gun still pointed towards Ruslan.

“Back off boys. Hostage situation.”

This was between me and him. I didn’t want my team wading in. He was mine, and I was getting my revenge one way or the other.

I had a shot, if I dared take it. The little girl was shorter than him by a long way and his head was a little bobble sticking out above his protection.

“You think you can do this in my precinct? You think I’m going to allow that?”

Ruslan laughed. “You don’t got the balls to do anything about it! I’m getting on that train. ”

“You give me the kid, right now.”

“No way Your friend was right. You’ve been away from Moscow too long, you’ve turned soft. You’re just a mediocre cop now.”

My gaze held, zoned in on the center of Ruslan’s forehead. I couldn’t miss. I wasn’t going to. He didn’t know a thing about who I was, or what I was capable of. But I was going to show him.

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