Page 115 of The Brigadier

“It took you long enough, brother,” Vissarian stated. “I was beginning to think the storm wiped you out.”

“Not a chance.” As suspected, he was lounging on the couch with a drink in his hand, both Chantel and Damien beside him. Damien had obviously been upset, starting to lurch forward when I walked in.

“Daddy!”

“Keep him quiet,” my brother hissed.

“It’s okay, little man,” Chantel told him, pulling my son tightly against her.

“No. No. No!” Damien was close to throwing a tantrum until she whispered something in his ear and he calmed down. God love the woman.

I lowered the weapon and stood with it still in both hands a few feet away, grinning like some asshole. “I need to give you credit, bro. You perfected a damn good plan, including betraying me with a smile on your face. I was blindsided.” The saying about being stronger and faster had been something I’d said to him when I’d won a race or a game.

He’d wanted to become top dog. And so, he’d forged his way into the position.

His smile reflected his happiness. He stood, moving around the edge of the coffee table, taking careful steps toward me. “I didn’t expect you to figure it out so soon but I’ll take the win. Now, you’re going to turn over all your assets and your territory to me,” he started, “and I’ll let you live.”

“And Chantel?”

He laughed. “You probably already guessed. She’s been promised in marriage. It will solidify a new generation of power.”

“How could you do that to your own daughter?” I asked.

“Because he’s a killer. A murdering cheat. He was having an affair with Ginger Lee.” Hearing Chantel spouting it off pissed my brother off. “And it will be a cold day in hell before I marry anyone you want me to. How could you? How?”

He snarled and turned toward her. The news hit me, but I couldn’t react.

“That’s not going to happen. You’re not going to hurt her and you are certainly not going to farm her off in marriage.”

“And why is that, brother?” he growled, snapping his head back in my direction.

I hoped this would shock him. “Because she belongs to me.”

It took a few seconds for the news to settle. When it did, he roared and was about to use his weapon when Vadim appeared behind him from the shadows, pressing the barrel of his weapon against the back of Vissarian’s head.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Vadim said with a bright tone.

“You’ll kill me in front of the boy?”

I nodded to my soldiers, including Danny who scooped her and Damien up, whisking them from the room.

“Not exactly, Vissarian. You are outnumbered. We can handle this like men, or I can shoot you. Up to you.”

“What do you want?” He hissed his question.

“A good old-fashioned fight like we used to do when we were kids. It pissed you off I was younger and won every time. Why not?”

He was taken aback and the first to lay his weapon down on the coffee table. “Why the fuck not?”

I placed mine on the table as well, enjoying the moment of preparing. I yanked off my wet jacket, rolling up my sleeves. He did the same. The other men backed away, Vadim shaking his head.

I could see another renovation was in order but that was fine. I moved to the less cluttered space, waiting for him to approach. He wasted no time, without hesitation throwing the first punch. I was hit with enough force, I was pummeled backward, almost knocking over a lamp.

He took advantage, lunging forward and trying to place his hands around my throat. It took a few seconds, but I managed to shove him off, also using a good deal of force. I wasn’t in the mood to allow this to go on, issuing two jabs under his jaw and one to the gut.

Vissarian went down hard, thudding against another table. But he got up throwing himself at me, getting in two punches of his own. He was muscular as fuck, which he hadn’t been before.In the next few seconds, blood spewed from both our mouths, sweat stinging my right eye.

I managed to drive him to the floor with four more brutal punches, hearing his ribs crack. He was on his back, his breathing labored.