Page 139 of Lies He Told Me (Bratva Crime Syndicate 1)

I sidestep out of his reach and bring an elbow crashing down on the back of his head. He bellows in shock and pain, but I’m not done yet, though I wish I could be.

I swing a boot into his ribs. Something cracks. I do it again. I pummel him until he crumples into a ball, with no thought outside of protecting himself from my fists, my kicks, my slamming elbows. Only when Osip is a whimpering heap on the ground do I stop.

I put my foot on his neck. “Surrender.”

It takes a few seconds for me to realize that the crackling coming out of Osip is laughing. “You don’t know me, brother.”

I dig my boot in harder. “Do it.”

The other Skull Kings are already backing away, shocked by this unexpected twist. Gangs have never respected weakness. And it’s not like Osip has a long history with this one. He hasn’t had enough time to build up true loyalty.

“Surrender, Osip!” I yell.

He just laughs. More motorcycles pull up—my guys this time.

“I just called 911,” Joy says. “They should be here soon.”

For Ludmil, of course. I haven’t forgotten about my brother-in-arms.

“Brother,” Osip gasps. “Brother!”

I don’t look down at him. I don’t listen. For me, Osip died on the night he was exiled. The man underneath my boot is a ghost, a monster from a bad nightmare. Whatever love we once shared is long gone now.

He means nothing to me.

I ought to kill him. I could do it—finish what I started the night of his trial. But then I look down at him for what I know is the last time, and I understand that death is the better of his two options right now.

“The police are going to come,” I tell him coldly. “You’re going to spend the rest of your life in jail. And you will deserve it. Goodbye, brother.”

I cock back my foot as he pleads desperately, “Wait, wait, Gav—!” but his words die when I kick him across the face. He is out cold.

I sigh, a lifetime’s worth of anguish tied up in it. Then I turn my back on my brother’s limp body. He is no longer my problem.

My gaze goes to Joy, gauging her. Her earlier reaction could’ve been from adrenaline. But her pained grimace now is as real as it gets.

“I did a lot of dumb stuff,” she blurts out.

“What a coincidence,” I say. “Me too.”

One side of her mouth quirks.

“What?” I ask.

“I was just thinking—I never got my question today.”

I take her hands. “You can have a late one. Just this once.”

“Alright.” Her hazel eyes search mine. “Do you still want to be with me after everything I’ve done?”

“Is that even a question?”

“You’re going to answer my question with a question?”

We look at each other, laughing. My lips sweep to hers. We peel away a few moments later, as the cops pull up.

“There,” I say. “Convinced?”

She just smiles that smile that gets my cock hard from the sight alone. “I think I’ll need more convincing tonight.”

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