Page 41 of Born in Depravity

DAMIEN

Two days later,we were heading to Alyosha Petrov’s house, ourobshchak, bookmaker, a man with a silver tongue who proved to be useful at forming connections and bribing government officials.

We also suspected him of betraying the brotherhood and we were going to get the proof of it ourselves.

Nikolay had a firm hold on Catalina as he directed her out of the car once we pulled up to the large mansion that sat on the border between Arizona and New Mexico.

Catalina was back in her old clothes, though they looked worse for wear. I didn’t like them on her. I’d much prefer she wore something that belonged to one of us.

She tried to fight off his touch until he leaned down and whispered something in her ear. I could only imagine what.

It might have to do with the punishment she received not too long ago. I bet her bottom wasn’t feeling too comfortable after the three-hour long car ride and, sure enough, when she moved forward, I caught her wincing a bit.

Fuck, but the thought of her ass was making my cock twitch in the confines of my pants.

I smiled a little and caught Mikhail’s eyes.

Though he wasn’t an easy man to read, he was easy in the sense that he was straightforward in his thought and action—at least, to me. And I knew he wanted her.

He wanted to keep her.

I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to feel.

Catalina Agnello was meant to be nothing more than a pawn. To be used. Someone insignificant.

Someone to be discarded.

Only now, I wasn’t sure that would be happening anymore.

Not with Mikhail’s desire and Nikolay’s obsession.

Not when I hadn’t thought my dead heart would beat for anyone but for my brother, yet I had felt a hint of a flutter looking into those deep brown eyes of hers.

The front door opened and Petrov came out.

He was a small and lanky man. With brown hair short of balding, and beady little eyes that reminded me of a bug. The only thing big about him was his belly—and his fucking greed.

I didn’t look down on greed. It was usually a great motivator for the soldiers working under us. But greed on this fucker looked too ugly. There had always been something crooked about him from the start.

He worked as an accountant for the brotherhood first before clawing his way up. His getting as high as he’d gotten was my mistake.

I didn’t make many mistakes.

Mistakes in my world usually led to one thing: death.

And I was going to rectify this one little mistake very, very soon.

“Damien,” he greeted me, his eyes shifting from left to right. “Mikhail and…” He took a step back and Nikolay smiled when he noticed, baring his teeth. “Nikolay. I didn’t know myPakhanwas visiting. I would have prepared something much more… elaborate.”

I waved my hand at his words. The more we could surprise him, the more it would work to our advantage.

“We’re just stopping by after picking up our prize,” I said, nodding my head toward Catalina, who at this point looked like a deer in the headlights. “Hope there is room for us.”

He swiped the back of his hand over his forehead. “Of course. And who might this be?”

I smirked. “Don’t you recognize her? Why, this is Angelo Agnello’s greatest treasure.”

His eyes widened. “You got his daughter? How did you manage that?”

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