I darted back, waiting.
Slowly, he straightened, and with a fierce shake of his head, he advanced on me, a determined gleam in his eyes.
Suddenly, he lunged, and if it weren’t for the small crowd blocking me in, I would have escaped. But I was trapped in the circle of bodies and couldn’t dart out of the way this time.
He tackled me to the ground, his larger bulk landing on top of me.
Screams and shouts of excitement erupted as I fought and wiggled free, climbing over top of him, and quickly locked my arm around his neck in a classic choke hold.
The dude fought back hard, trying to pull my arm off, but I held on for dear life, using the strength of my other arm to anchor him in place.
I can’t lose.
He fought and squirmed and grunted.
I held on tightly.
Until finally, his movements slowed, then stopped, and he passed out.
I released him and bolted to my feet.
Lev Popov whooped, rushing forward to fist-bump me. “Fucking A! That was entertaining, dude! Never seen anyone kick Timofey’s ass before. Welcome to the brotherhood, wolf!”
I gulped, a little dazed.I won.
Dominik stepped forward, fist-bumping me, as well. “Good show, man. You definitely deserve a place in the Bratva.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled, still stunned.I’m part of the Bratva now. Am I dreaming?I pinched my arm to be sure, but I was definitely awake. Hope filled my chest for the first time in years. I would have money soon. And with money I could buy food. Clothes. A place to live.
Maybe even a car.
And once I had all of that in order—a few months, tops—I would go back for Damien.
My chest tightened.I didn’t forget you, little bro. Be patient a bit longer.
Efrem grinned at me, the teenager’s pretty-boy face alive with delight. “That was awesome, dude! You’re a true beast! Can you teach me some of those fight moves?”
I laughed, the tension easing out of me. “Sure.”
Slowly, they all congratulated me, then everyone began to disburse, heading into the building, until it was just me, Sacha, and Timofey, who was now awake and blinking dazedly.
I held my hand out to him, offering to help him up.
Timofey slapped his hand in mine, and I pulled him to his feet. “You won fair and square, wolf,” he said grudgingly. “Damn, you’re good.”
My chest swelled. I’d received more compliments in the past few minutes than I had my entire life. “Thanks.”
Sacha studied me a moment in silence. “That was impressive, Adrik Volkov. Where’d you learn how to fight like that?”
I shrugged. “The gym.”
His brow shot up. “That’s more than justa gym. Looked like some serious MMA to me.”
“It is. I’ve been cleaning a gym on weekends in exchange for fight lessons. Been doing it for a couple of years now.” I’d had to dosomethingto survive, and I’d needed a way to protect myself from the bullies. So, I’d offered my janitorial services to the gym owner if he would teach me how to fight. After some reluctance, he’d agreed. Two years of training had made me into the skilled fighter I was today. But I only used my skills in self-defense. Ineverinstigated fights. I’d suffered enough bullying in my life to not want to everbea bully myself.
“It shows. You’ve definitely earned your place in the Bratva. But it’s not ultimately my decision. For now, you’ll be given small tasks until you’ve been thoroughly vetted. No offense. Everyone goes through it. Unfortunately, being related to Kirill Volkov might make it more difficult for you. If your story checks out and my grandfather approves of you, then your acceptance into the brotherhood will become official. After that, as long as you do whatever I say whenever I say, then we won’t have any problems. Got it?”
“Yes, boss.” I had no worries about my story not checking out. I’d told nothing but the truth. But if they dug deep into my past, they might learn what my father had done to me. I wasn’t sure if I could handle the shame of that. What would they think of me if they knew?