Page 74 of Sapphire Tears

“That may be, but it’s not your primary concern. At least, it shouldn’t be. Not when we have other problems to deal with.Sir.”

Her tone is careful, but she’s got her stubborn expression on. Which means I’m going to have to hear her out, whether I like it or not.

My wounded side is sending shooting pain up and down my spine now. But I can’t afford to focus on it. Not when my entire fucking life feels like it’s blowing up.

Why couldn’t he just stay dead?

“Kolya, we can’t let the narrative shift. You treated Adrian like a thorn in your side because he lacked the credibility to command a Bratva. But now? If he succeeds in earning the respect of the men, then he’s going to become a real threat. He’s going to take Ravil’s place and come for yours.”

If this conversation had happened months ago, I would have dismissed it outright. The idea that my own brother would challenge me for the Uvarov Bratva, when he’d wanted to break from it most of his life, would have seemed ridiculous to me.

But now…

I’ve stopped seeing him as the scared, uncertain little boy he used to be. I’ve stopped making excuses for him, too.

I’ve started making plans.

“He’s not getting the Bratva,” I say firmly. “He’s not getting anything. I’m going to rip him apart limb from limb, and when I do, I’m going to make sure June knows who he really is.”

Her eyes bulge with frustration. “Forget June!” she cries out. “What about your own men? Their support is what’s keeping you in power right now! If they decide they’d rather fight for a don who’s willing to let them do as they see fit—”

“What are you suggesting, Milana?” I cut her off ruthlessly. “You want me to start up my own prostitution ring just to appease my men? You want me to start trading in innocent women? Selling off their virginity for top fucking dollar?”

“That’s not what I said and you know it.”

“Then say what you’re trying to say straight up. Stop dancing around things.”

She turns away and crosses her arms. “We’ll talk later.” Her eyes veer down to my side. “You really need to get those wounds treated.”

“First, I need to see June.”

She looks at me impatiently, but she doesn’t argue. “I’ll call Knox now and get their location. Sara will be able to treat you.”

“Fine. In the meantime, I want you to go back into the field,” I say sharply. “Get back in touch with your contact and extract whatever other information she has on Sapphire and her relationship with Adrian.”

“You really want me to follow through with this?”

“Yes. This woman might be a weakness for him. And if that’s the case, knowledge is power.”

She lingers at the threshold for a moment, weighing just how far to push me. In the end, she turns and heads out of the room wordlessly.

I stay put, the last one standing among the heaps of dead bodies, finally able to feel the pain ricocheting through me. I’ve been shot before. But this time feels different.

It feels like I have something to lose.

“Boss?” Mikhail says, appearing at the threshold. “We’ve got a car waiting for you downstairs. Knox and Pavel are with Ms. June and the doctor at the Westmont Inn, a few miles down the road.”

“Get me a fresh shirt,” I tell him. “I’ll need to look halfway presentable before I walk in there.” I limp past the bodies towards the door. “What’s the final count?”

“Twenty-six bodies in total,” he says. “But we have reason to believe that a number of men retreated when they saw us arrive. At least twelve are unaccounted for.”

“Fucking cowards,” I mutter under my breath.

But the number gives me pause. The thought of what might have happened does, too.

“How many lost on our side?”

“Seventeen,” Mikhail says. The sorrow in his voice drips like rain.

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