He sighed long and heavily. “Luigi did it. And if you want it spelled out, our father was the reason they were murdered.”
My chest tightened. “Don’t you dare play with me! He wasdead.”
“He worked with Luigi, but he double-crossed him. Luigi gathered seven men for revenge. They went after Mother and our sister first, before I found him.” Dmitri rose, crossed to a side table, and grabbed a bottle. He drank straight from it and dragged his eyes back to me. “To get at his men, I had to use Luigi’s name.”
He returned and planted himself back in the seat. His gaze sharpened. “You have the last man. And I’m losing patience.”
“You worked with Renat.”
His laugh was bitter. “So you figured it out. Is that why you killed him?” My silence was enough of an answer. He raised the bottle and took another sip. “I used Luigi’s name to flush out every mole. What was a better way to drag that bastard’s true colors into the light?”
The bottle landed on the table with a heavy thud. Dmitri leaned in, hands flat on the wood. “I’ll make one thing clear. I want the Bratva. And I’ll have it. Either you die, or I kill you.”
Our eyes locked. I scoffed. If he thought he knew me, he was mistaken.
“But I can see your sickness will do the job.” His grin slithered back. He lifted the bottle again, menace dripping from the chuckle that followed. “You can get out, Boss.”
I straightened with an exhale. “I found another reason to live.” The words cut between us as I slid my gun into my waistband. “You’ll have to take Florida from my hands. That’s if you can.”
I turned to the door, pulling out my phone and dialing Pavel as I walked down the silent hallway—the call connected.
“Boss.”
“Cut every source in Florida. We’ll supply through our own channels.” I instructed. Dmitri’s lifeline was mine now. “Get to the safe house.”
“Yes, boss.”
I pushed through the exit and found Akim outside, smoke curling from his cigarette as he lingered with my men near the car. They straightened the second they spotted me. Akim dipped his head in respect, but I walked past and slid into the back seat. The driver pulled out without a word.
My brothers had fattened themselves on pride, drunk on their own arrogance. They had forgotten who I was and how much one had to bleed to build the empire they flaunted. Until they remembered, I would strip them of every inch of ground.
With my kidney transplant lined up, they had no idea how long I planned to stay in the fight.
We drove to one of our city clubs. The upper floors held the offices. But the ground level was business incarnate: casinos and private rooms where clients bought time with women. Dmitri had run it clean, I would give him that. He learned well from me. But he let his horns grow too long, forgetting the shadow he lived under.
The manager waited at the door. He greeted me as he opened it. I stepped inside the office and occupied the seat, set to work.
I buried myself in files, contracts, and ledgers, hunting through every partner, deal, and name worth remembering. Hours blurred into themselves. The deeper I sank into numbers and ink, the less I felt my body. The business was marred, and I was breaking it down to rebuild it stronger.
A sudden warmth flowed from my nose and struck the paper I was reading. Blood.
I tipped my head back and pinched the bridge of my nose. Pulling a handkerchief from my pocket, I pressed it against my nose and got up. I left the room and made my way to the bathroom.
I needed another dialysis to buy myself a week. Surgery was impossible while everything burned around me. There was no room for weakness now.
Splashing water over my face, the cold steadied me. I braced against the sink, chest dragging in short, ragged pulls. My body swayed, and in that blur I saw Alessia.
She clutched a breathing mask, her eyes glassed with tears as she urged me to take in some air. Fear made her tremble, like she was the one fading.
Her eyes, her smile, and the quiet strength she carried held me together when everything inside me threatened to split apart. The rage inside me eased. My pulse leveled. The chaos that owned me only a moment ago receded into silence. When I opened my eyes, the mirror reflected a man who was still standing, though just barely.
For her, I would live. I promised myself that. The world would eat her alive without me. And Dmitri had given me another reason to stay breathing. I wanted him to try to take me down. I wanted to watch him fail.
I pulled out my phone and dialed Alessia’s number. She answered on the second ring, her voice bright, carrying that warmth that slipped beneath my guard. The thought of her smiling bled a reluctant grin onto my lips.
“You called,” she said, almost disbelieving, as if hearing from me was all she had wanted. I remembered that I’d promised to call. Calling her wasn’t for the promise. I did it because I needed her voice.
“Yes.” My hand raked through my hair. I only made business calls. This was different, and I had no damn idea where to begin.