Page 187 of Fall into Savagery

The Bratva was getting big.

We ruled most of the United States, especially the East Coast, with an iron fist.

But we had done so quietly, and the stupid fucker thought he could take us on.

I shook my head and ran into the middle of battle, joining in on the bloodshed.

Damien, Nikolay, and I stayed close and watched each other’s backs.

And though it was a bloody victory, it was a short one.

I didn’t expect there to be any trouble taking everyone out, and there wasn’t.

Any member who wasn’t in the warehouse when this went down would soon realize the gang had been destroyed, and if they were smart, they would leave New York for good.

I watched my brothers for any sign of injuries, and though Nikolay was covered in blood, I was almost positive it wasn’t his.

He grinned at me, his green eyes standing out against the redness on his skin, looking every bit like the boogeyman so many had accused him of being.

“Feeling better?” I asked, clutching his shoulder.

“Almost. Now, I’m gonna go home and fuck our little princess. You can fucking watch if you want, but I swear, if you keep her away from me one more time, I’m gonna fucking tieyouup and shove you in the closet.”

I laughed. “Fine, whatever. Let’s go.”

* * *

It wasn’tuntil we showered and changed out of our clothes that we made our way home.

Though we looked clean, our skin still smelled of death.

I looked down at my scarred hands on the drive back to the big house we shared with Catalina.

The boys were no longer living with us, but in a high-rise with security in place as they enjoyed their first year at Columbia.

Like their father, they were smart as hell, and keeping up with them was becoming almost a full-time job, but I knew everyone was content with where they were heading. And soon, should they wish it, they would take over Bratva for us.

We could hide away with Catalina to a little island somewhere.

Fuck, I really was getting too old for this shit, because that sounded fucking nice.

The car barely came to a stop when Nikolay climbed out of it, excitement strumming on his skin. Damien and I got out at a much slower pace.

I looked at my brothers and smiled, opened my mouth to speak when my phone rang.

I took out my phone. Ricci’s name flashed on the screen, and I felt a small frown forming.

“Go see Catalina first. I’ll meet you guys there,” I said.

Nikolay didn’t wait for me to tell him twice.

Damien looked back at me, questions in his eyes. I shook my head.

I didn’t know why Ricci was calling, but I would tell them everything after.

Bracing myself, I answered the call when I was alone. “Ricci. To what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?”

“Mikhail,” he answered smoothly. I could hear some background noise through the phone. Wherever he was, it was loud. “I’ve—” he started to say, then paused. I could tell he covered the receiver to talk to someone because his voice became muffled.

---