Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 99413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
“I asked for one I want. Speak what I ask for or die.”
“I can’t give you Elizaveta. She will kill my family. But I can tell you where to find V—”
“Then you die,” I snarl as I stand to my full height then pull the trigger.
“Why kill him? You didn’t get information,” Alexei asks as he tilts his head and narrows his eyes at me.
“I want Elizaveta. No one else. He talked too much.”
“You will have to deal with them both, Misha. At least, if you would have pressed him, you would know where find one of them to end this once and for all.”
“Net, do you know what you’re talking about?”
“Da, I do. I know better than anyone. Remember who you talk to.
“I chose you. I have made peace with what I will lose when you find Elizaveta. The question, have you?” he growls and turns to start cleaning up.
Elizaveta
Anxiety fills me as I wait for news. It’s been three days since the setup was supposed to happen. Misha ask after me, I answer.
I need to know what has happened out there. However, it takes a few days for my men to get here to me with word.
Only the truly loyal know where to find me. To betray me would be death to their entire family. That much I still have in me.
I’m old, I’m tired, and I’m alone now. Nothing has gone as planned and here I am, waiting on my last hope to return to my life.
The door opens and I pull my gun and aim. I am always ready in case someone chooses to lose their family instead of remaining loyal. I will not go out with my eyes closed and my head in sand.
I relax when I see it’s Miroslav. I have come to rely on his help and loyalty. He gets me supplies and information.
Miroslav was good friend to my son, Ziv. Looking at him brings pain, but I need him. I don’t have choice. For now, I have to suck up and deal.
“He still lives?” I ask as he moves into the room.
“Da, Misha and his men all survived. They burn down complex and killed your men. They took Aaron, Dom, Levi, Boris, Vladimir, and Bela,” he murmurs the last name so low I almost don’t hear.
“What did you say?”
I stumble forward and grab the chair to keep upright. Bela was the last of my sons. I was willing to walk away after Ziv got himself killed.
I told him not to help that traitor. She does nothing but get everyone around her killed. It is who she is.
“They were taken and tortured to death. They killed every last one of them. Even your people who set them up,” Miroslav says.
My sisters didn’t listen to me. My son didn’t listen. Now he has paid the price and so has his brother.
“My son, my baby boy,” I sob brokenly. “They have taken everything from me. I live like rat underground in this disgusting place. Net, no more.
“This time I finish what no one else could. I hide not here, not in Russia, nowhere. Misha wants to find me, I will reveal myself so he can come face to face with me and death.
“Bring her to me. She will die with him. This all her fault. It was stupid to help her. I should have killed her the moment she appeared at my door.”
“Are you sure? Bringing her out in the open will expose you if not careful. I don’t like it.”
“I don’t care. Ziv and Bela didn’t deserve this. I do for them, no one else. I didn’t start this, I finish. Enough,” I scream.
“I have had enough. Bring. Her. To. Me. Now.” My chest heaves as pain sears through me. I will show Misha what pain is like.
He and that traitor will understand what I have endured. I had planned to walk away from it all. While others have asked me to finish job, I had planned to lick my wounds in peace. Bela was going to run small business we have been reduced to.
He has lived in America since he was small boy. In the last two years, after the loss of my oldest son, Ziv—I have taught Bela all about our business and how to get things done.
“I told him not to be there.” I sob into my hands.
I knew Misha was coming. I had set the trap in hopes I would finally be able to join my last living son. I thought I had lost too much before; now I know I have lost everything.
There is nothing left. I will run from no one. They will all pay.
“Da, I finish. For my sons, I finish. You all die.”
I take out phone and make call to last card I hold. He will step up because he wants what Misha has. This will be a simple ask. I have people too.