Page 71 of Savage Beauty

“This is a fucking joke!” he yells. “Oleg. I’ve known you for years. Surely, you can see this is a frame.”

A couple of the otherkomissiyamembers are perusing the file now. Oleg steps to Igor’s side, draws his gun, and presses it to Igor’s temple.

“Sit down and shut up,” he says. “Damn right, I can see it’s a frame, but you’re not the wronged party.”

Josie joins me, slipping her hand into mine. “Igor wanted to use Sasha to control the Kislev bratva,” she says, “but it was about vengeance, not power. He believes Sasha is responsible for his son’s death.”

Oleg’s eyebrows shoot up toward his hairline, and he addresses Igor. “You have a son?”

“Ihada son!” Igor has lost all semblance of control, his eyes bulging as he rants. “Sasha lured him to the location, and Sergey shot him.” His voice is almost a shriek. “Somebody has to pay!”

Vlad speaks up. “Our father is dead too, Igor. He died horribly, and no one gave a shit. You didn’t have to be the one to issue a punishment; he got exactly what he deserved. No more, no less.” He puts a hand on my shoulder. “Sasha loved Rocco like a brother. How different things could have been if you’d chosen another path.”

Arman holsters his gun, and the guests follow suit. Relief floods the room, and Josie buries her face in my chest, breathing heavily.

“Oh my God,” she says. “I thought we were done for. Oh, Sasha. Can I breathe again? Will we be alright?”

I kiss her tenderly, hardly daring to believe this is real. My wife is safely in my arms, where she belongs. “Yes,moya zhena. Better than alright.”

A couple of the bratva’s respected enforcers are keeping a close watch over Igor, who sways unsteadily in his chair as though he, too, can’t grasp what’s happening. Thekomissiyamembers seem satisfied with the evidence; now, all that remains is to decide his fate.

Igor looks up, his expression burning with loathing. He fixes his searing gaze on Josie.

“You’re still a dirty whore,” he says.

47

Josie

Igor’s words are meaningless.

There was a time when I would have wanted to curl up and die because I thought it might be true. But whatever I once was, whatever I had to be—it’s behind me now. I’m no longer someone to use, abuse, pay for, or disrespect. I’m Josephine Kisleva, and I’m proud of it.

Sasha’s head whips around to look at Igor, and he grits his teeth. “Oleg, I want to kill him myself,” he says, addressing thekomissiya’sleader-in-waiting. “I know it’s not protocol. But this piece of shit murdered Sal Tosca and kept my wife prisoner, threatening her with rape and death if she didn’t comply. That’s on top of the plotting, blackmail, and betrayal that tarnishes our great institution.”

Oleg nods. “There’s someone else who has a voice in this matter. Someone go and fetch Claudia.”

A minute later, Claudia appears from whatever part of the house she was sequestered. She’s been crying.

“Miss Tosca,” Oleg begins. “Sasha wants to kill Igor. It was your father who was murdered, so if you have an opinion, now’s the time to—”

“Let Sasha kill him.” Claudia’s voice is steady and true. “Igor deserves to die for what he’s done.” She looks at me and Sasha. “I’m so sorry. Idoneed help, but I’m not crazy. Get me into rehab, please?”

Sasha smiles. “You’re a mafia princess through and through, aren’t you? Didn’t even think twice. It was just, ‘yeah, kill the fucker.’”

Claudia shrugs. “I’m sick of being pushed around by men. I’m not property. I’m a human being, even if I am a mess.” She slides her anxious eyes to me. “Can you forgive me, Josie? I’m just a stupid kid. I wanna get clean and grow up.”

“Of course,” I say. “I understand how you feel. And Sashaishard to get out of your head once he’s in there.”

She has the grace to look embarrassed. “Honestly, he was the first to be genuinely kind to me, and I think I took it to heart too much. I feel so dumb.”

“We’ve all been idiots over a crush. You were just…committed.”

She laughs. “I have beencommitted!”

Igor pipes up, incensed that we’re laughing as we discuss executing him. “Fuck you too, you little slut! No one will want you. And your precious Papa’s assets will be picked over like vultures at a carcass!”

Sasha lets go of my hand and, moving fast, punches Igor square in the face. His nose explodes, and he gives a low animal grunt, slumping in the chair.

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