Page 144 of Emerald Vices

The moment I release him, he collapses onto the floor, ending a decade-long battle that cost me a mother, an unborn child, and a former lover.

As I straighten up, a strangled whimper reaches me from the opposite corner of the shed. Natalia clutches Grigory tighter to her chest, backing away as Misha snatches up Natalia’s gun and points it at my brother.

Viktor is three-quarters of the way to death, and his hollow eyes barely even blink.

“Stand down, Misha. This is my fight.” I carefully unwind the gun from the boy’s fingers and walk over to Viktor. “You always were a stubborn bastard, brat.”

He tries to say something back, but it’s nothing but spits and gurgles. I squat down beside him and Viktor shudders, his eyes leaking salty tears.

“I didn’t give Nikolai the dignity of last words, but we still share blood. So say what you need to say.”

Viktor grabs weakly at the cuff of my shirt, his limp fingers barely able to take hold of me. Every word out of his bloody mouth costs him dearly. “L-let… me… live…”

I don’t expect the gut twist that those words bring forth. For one tiny millisecond, I consider it.

Then I hear my son’s raspy cry.

“I can’t let you live, Viktor. You’ve gone too far.”

“Please,” he croaks. “You… know me. This is not… me. He did… this…”

I shake my head. “This is always who you have been, brother. A coward and a traitor, ready to backstab the people closest to you if it meant getting on top with the least effort.”

“Brother… I beg… you…”

I wrap a hand around his neck and pull him towards me until we’re practically nose to nose. I press the tip of my gun directly over Viktor’s heart.

“You were dead to me the moment you came after my family—Grigory, Natalia, Mila, our own mother. Now, you’re just dead.”

I pull the trigger.

His last breath warms my face. And then he’s gone.

It doesn’t feel as momentous as I hoped, taking out two enemies in the span of minutes. It’s all a waste, and I’m sorry to be part of it.

But the job isn’t done yet.

“We have to get out of here.” Natalia lays a hand on my shoulder. “Andrey, we need to go.”

Grigory’s weak cry is what pulls my focus from my brother’s body. I kiss my son’s chubby hand and turn to his mother. “You and Misha go. But I have to stay. Slavik needs to die.”

We shuffle out of the shed just as Leonty and Shura lope towards us. They’re limping and bloody, but alive.

“You guys okay?” Leonty asks.

“We’re all fine.” Natalia looks to a shed further down the road that my men have surrounded. “What’s going on?”

Shura turns to me, his eyes blazing. “We managed to corner Slavik, but we wanted to wait for your call, Andrey.”

“Let me come with you,” Misha requests, stepping forward with his chest puffed out.

I clasp his shoulder. “I need to do this on my own. I’m leaving you in charge. Stay with your mother and protect your brother. I’m counting on you, son.”

I press a kiss to Natalia’s lips and stride towards the shed.

It’s time for one last conversation with my father.

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