Page 35 of Fall into Savagery

“That’s also where I met Inessa.”

And I finally understood why he hated me.

“You loved her,” I said quietly.

He threw the bottle of Scotch against the wall near me. Some drops splashed down on my skin, stinging the cuts that hadn’t healed yet.

“You killed her. Your fucking greed, your revenge, your hunger for power got her killed.”

“She was set to marry Vladislav Sidorov.”

Vladislav Sidorov was the former enforcer for the Solntsevskaya Bratva. The man had met a cruel death when I finally got everything settled.

He nodded. “And I had a plan to take her and run. We could have made it.”

I shook my head. “A foot soldier for the Solntsevskaya Bratva, and you think you could have outrun them with the promised bride to their enforcer? You weren’t the man you are now.”

And I knew that was true. Age and experience contributed to my rise in power. It would be the same for Leo.

He shook his head. “We don’t know that, do we? Your thirst for vengeance blinded you to the fact that Inessa would be placed in the crossfire. She died because of your carelessness.”

He walked over and pulled me up by the torso.

I didn’t say anything.

He was right.

I had been—was still—arrogant.

I honestly believed I could have gotten Inessa out of there.

Her blood was on my hands.

He leaned down close to my face, our noses touching. “I don’t think you remember, but I was the foot soldier you asked to dispose of Luca’s body. He was still alive when I found him, but barely. I saved him for this. Foryou. I have been planning for this eventuality since Inessa was shot in that house. Every mark on your body is for her. I’m not going to kill you. Not now. I’m going to prolong this for as long as possible. I’m going to make you suffer. I’m going to let you experience the pain I went through every year since you took her away from me.”

He pulled back and hit me in the face.

Blood pooled from my nose, and I let out a small grunt as I fell to the ground.

He looked down at me in disgust before he walked away.

And I could only stare after him.

I should’ve hated Leo for betraying the brotherhood. I should’ve wanted him dead.

Yet, Inessa's big brown eyes haunted my memory, and I wondered, during the moments that she took her last breath, if she hated me too.

10

NIKOLAY

I satin the driver’s seat, looking at the restaurant’s front door with Mikhail beside me.

We didn’t talk as we waited for the bastard Luca to show up.

Francisco was already inside.

“You trust him?” I asked.

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