Wow, he really is desperate.
We wait with bated breath. Here, right now is the tipping point. Feliks could betray us all, reveal that we’re here, hiding and waiting to jump in at the signal, and likely end the Russian/Italian war by having us all kill each other right here in the parking lot. He would be left standing to take the crown and walk away.
Who am I kidding, Sienna would kill him before he took a step.
Or Feliks will stay true to his word and the only people dying here will be Russian.
“Vell?” The Pakhan demands as the silence drags on. Feliks clears his throat.
“I learned it was the Italians that took the shipment warehouses right out from under us but it wasn’t them that killed the brigadiers.” Feliks begins. “In fact for some time I have been suspicious of there being a mole, someone on the inside that was delivering them information. How else would they have been able to strike your Brigadiers down without warning?”
“You speak riddles!” the Pakhan barks.
Feliks rolls his eyes so hard it flows through his whole body.
“It’s me, you dumb fuck!”
In a split second, Feliks whips out his pistol and fires a single shot, shooting the Pakhan square between the eyes. The shot rings out and for a fraction of a moment, everything is frozen.
Then all hell breaks loose.
The Pakhan’s body begins to crumple forward and two sniper shots ring out, killing the two immediate guards around the Pakhan. Feliks ducks, one of his men darting forward to grab his shoulders and pull him away from the main line of fire as gunshots begin to ring out between both groups.
Dante darts up from his position with a yell as my heart thrums into life. We and the rest of the Italians melt out of the shadows, weapons ablaze as we tear through all the men the Pakhan brought with him.
The assault rifle in my hand bursts into life and every bullet, every thunk of impact, Russian scream, and splatter of blood is payment for everyassholethat dared to think about laying a hand on my wife, past and present. Payment for every Russian that dared threaten to harm my family in any way.
My heart pounds furiously beneath my chest, my breaths strained slightly as weakness still tinges my body but I’minvincibleas we move forward and slay all who stand in our way. The Russians stand no chance against an onslaught from us and their own men and when silence falls, the parking lot is littered with the carcasses of a fallen age.
Men too old and too twisted in their archaic ideals to ever recognize peace.
Feliks stands over the Pakhan’s dead body, blood splattering his clothes but relief flashes clear in his eyes as he turns his gaze to Dante and me as we approach, weapons lowering.
“So it ends,” Feliks says a little breathless.
So it ends.
“Indeed,” Dante nods, lifting one hand from his rifle and offering it to Feliks. Feliks hesitates as if the gravity of his actions had finally landed on his shoulders before he takes the offered hand and shakes it firmly.
“Thank you,” Feliks sighs. “I understand this cannot have been an easy decision to reach but I am grateful that you reached it.”
“It’s no problem,” comes Sienna’s voice and I catch sight of her approaching from the other side. Her rifle rests loosely up against her chest and a soft smile graces her lips. Soft, but dangerous.
As my heart finally begins to slow and Archer appears at my elbow, Sienna also holds her hand out to Feliks.
“There will be clean up,” Feliks admits and on cue, several gunshots ring out as Cain and Declan move through the bodies and deliver final blows to anyone bleeding out.
“Of course,” Sienna nods, “but we can help with that if need be.”
Feliks nods and there’s a beat where Sienna’s cool gaze pins him in place, and it takes a moment before he surges into action.
“I have the information in the car. Everything you could need and more about the rest of our gun-running business.” He turns to his left, scanning his own men as they tend to their wounded and remove guns from bodies. He catches the eye of one and waves a hand, and I track them as they scurry to one of the silver cars, wrench open the door, and disappear. They’re back a second later with a large black binder that they run over to Feliks and shove into his waiting hands.
He immediately passes it to Sienna.
“That’s everything,” he states with a smile that trembles slightly at the corners.
The poor guy is so out of his depth.