Page 137 of Gilded Cage (Kovalyov Bratva 1)

Whatever the case, the coffin descends slowly into the shadowy pit.

I glance at Artem. His expression hasn’t changed since I arrived.

“Are you okay?” I whisper to him.

He doesn’t bother responding to me. His eyes remain fixed on his father’s coffin.

Only once it’s lowered all the way down does he move forward to grab a fistful of dirt from the pile at his feet.

He extends his fist over the gaping hole and releases the red earth over the final resting place of the man who raised him.

It feels like an intensely private moment. Not meant for my eyes.

I look away, embarrassed to be caught watching.

And when I do, I spot a man in the distance.

Unlike everyone else at the funeral, he’s not well dressed.

And unlike everyone else, his eyes aren’t trained on the coffin.

They’re on Artem.

I start to mumble, “Who is—”

That’s when the first gunshot is fired.

37

Artem

What were his last words to me?

What were my last words to him?

I can’t for the life of me pull them from the depths of my memories.

All I remember is that when he had last called me, I’d been distracted and impatient, desperate to get off the phone so that I could obsess about the dark-haired temptress sleeping one door down from me.

My eyes flicker over to Esme, who’s standing next to me, mute but watchful.

I can’t bring myself to meet her eyes. To face this new reality.

Becoming don will change everything for me.

Which means it will change everything for her, too.

Before, Stanislav ran things. Now, I do.

That means the life he had will now be mine. It’s a life I know Esme wants no part of. She’s made that very fucking clear.

The question is… since when did I start caring what Esme wants?

You’re a cold bastard.

She deserves better than that.

Marisha deserved better, too.

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