Page 32 of Gilded Cage (Kovalyov Bratva 1)

The only thing that will make me feel better isblood.

Father would be pissed if I cracked heads just for the sake of it, though. So I hold back all the same.

“This is your first and only warning,” I announce. “The next time you deal on our turf again, I will take a limb or a life. Your choice. Understood?”

They nod in trembling fear.Message received,their terrified eyes tell me.

I turn my back on them and start walking away.

Cillian doesn’t say a word until we’re back in the car. He throws the suitcase into the back seat and looks at me.

“You didn’t throw a punch,” he says incredulously.

“I didn’t have to.”

“Since when have you ever needed a reason to beat some bastard’s head in?” Cillian asks.

I think about the fucking son of a bitch who tried to force himself on the girl from The Siren.

I could have killed him. I would have done exactly that, if I hadn’t needed to check to make sure she was okay.

But I’d thrown him out of that bathroom with a broken arm and a permanently scarred face.

That gave me at least a little bit of satisfaction.

“I’ll fuck up the men that deserve it,” I tell him. “Those fuckers out there are nothing but ambitious fools. If they try this shit again, I’ll make them rue the moment they chose to disregard my warning. But for now, we have five hundred grand of heroin to resell and didn’t even break a sweat.”

Cillian shakes his head as though he’s trying to figure me out. “Something’s different about you, Artem.”

I smirk as we pull out onto the road. “You need a woman. Maybe then you wouldn’t be so obsessed with me.”

Cillian laughs. “You might be right. I haven’t gotten laid in almost a week. My balls are full to bursting.”

I laugh and shake my head. “Sounds like a personal problem. Drop me off at the mansion before you take care of that, though.”

9

Artem

It’s a short ride to my father’s mansion.

As we drive through the security booth behind the iron gates, I can see the lights of the mansion in the distance.

I can just make out the glowing window of Stanislav’s study. I wonder if he ever sleeps anymore.

“Any more news about Stanislav?” Cillian asks, pulling to a stop in the circular drive way.

“Fuck if I know. He doesn’t tell me anything. I’ll catch up with you later.”

I give Cillian a parting nod and get out of the car.

Heading inside, I go straight up to Stanislav’s study. The door is closed, but I’m not in the mood to knock today. Instead, I push my way in.

I’m expecting to find Budimir in there with my father. But my uncle is nowhere to be found.

I see only a man in a long white doctor’s coat standing over Stanislav.

“Father,” I say in greeting.

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