94 - Starry Night

"I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you."

- Taylor Swift

. . .

Xerxes

We stepped into the building and he was there as if he had been waiting for us.

We had not checked in the burnt rubble of his mansion if he was dead. The bomb had gone off. We assumed we had died and we did not have the courage to stay and make sure. We had ran - terrified and free.

We should have made sure he was dead.

He stood there, his face a lot different, but that was him.

We had escaped our father, only to fall into the trap of another man whose cruelty rivaled our father's. We had been kids. I had been fifteen, my brother had been thirteen. Stupid little boys out in the world.

He smiled. "Hello, boys."

He always had that effect. He made us feel inferior with just one glance. It did not work this time.

I put my hands in the poker of my jacket, taking my time in examining the entrance hall of the mansion. There were at least fifty guards in the hall - which signalled that he thought of us as a threat.

"Hiding behind your son's name," Ashton said, his eyes ice. "I thought the Russians had more honour."

"Honour is in the defeat of your enemies. Watching them squirm." He smiled again.

"Kidnapping a nineteen-year-old," Zavier added. "So honourable."

Igor chuckled, the ugly sound echoing in the hall. "Your firstly little woman. Kidnapping her has been fun. You know what to do to get her back."

Kneel.

I chuckled. "You, Igor, have not changed your tricks even a little bit." I examined the hall again. "Where is he?"

"Who?"

"Edrick." It had been so obvious who betrayed us. He was the one who had led the search for Alarick for weeks, unable to find him, but Dante had found him in mere days. He had been at the old Creed mansion as head of security, still, our soldiers had been unable to get to Olivia at time.

Edrick had been an underboss by birthright, but we changed it when we took over.

Edrick stepped out of a room. The Bratva symbol was tattooed to the side of his forehead. He looked at us, amusement clear in his features.

Anger brewed within me, but I let none of it show. "Where is she?" "Bring her."

And there she was. Being carried in the arms of her father, there was my little love with her ribs tied with what looked to be a neatly done bandage. She was asleep. She looked pale. She looked frail. The need to take care of her erupted in my chest, I pushed it down. Think with the head.

I was momentarily surprised when Georgia appeared, followed by Alexi. The similarities in their features were too many. Of course.

Alarick stood beside Igor, looking at us with cold amusement. It was a wonder he was standing after what Ashton and Zavier had done to him. This signalled how much he was used to being tortured. Still, the second he was back in the basement, we could work more on the things which he would not be able to bounce back from. I knew a few.

I'd make sure he'd regret putting a finger on my woman.

"It's a simple deal," Igor said. "Kneel. Give me New York. I will allow you to go to your private island and spend the rest of your days there."

"What about Olivia?" Zavier asked.

"I will give her to you, after having a little fun, of course." My hands fisted.

I put my hands in the pocket of my jacket, my hand brushing with the button. A button for backup. I pressed it.

I heard it first.

And then it happened. A red dot appeared on Igor's forehead. He smiled as if he knew. I knew there was a red dot on my forehead, too. I knew there were red dots on my brothers' foreheads, too. Snipers worked fast.

"You kill me. You die, too."

Ashton shrugged. "I've been told I am self-destructive. "

He eyed us, as if just realizing that we were no longer the scared little boys he always saw us as.

I pressed the button again and the blast happened, the electricity went out in the dark night, the whole mansion tumbled. I lunged for where Olivia was, cracking my fist on Alarick's temple and catching her before she could fall. There was nothing but intense darkness around us. I heard footsteps and then Igor screaming at his men to find us.

I ran to the nearest window and looked down. Three flashes. Giovanni was there. Thank fuck the fucker was on time for the first time in his life.

I looked down at Olivia, her face kissed by the moonlight. She looked peaceful sleeping. I kissed her forehead. "I love you."

I dropped her and I heard her body hit the air cushion. Three flashes again which meant Giovanni had her. I heard him walk away with her and then the slam of a car door. The car drew away.

Safe. She was safe.

I grabbed my gun from the pocket of my jacket and just then, I felt the cold barrel of another gun being pressed to my neck.

"Xerxes. That was not nice." Igor.

I smirked. "I wasn't aware we were playing nice." He chuckled. "I can kill you right now."

"I don't care. She is safe. I don't care what you do to me. My brothers don't care what you do to them."

Stunned silence. He was just realizing that he would not make us give up Olivia even for each other's sake. He had counted on us doing what we had done before - choosing each other over the women we loved. But this time, neither of us would choose each other.

"Love has crippled you." I shrugged. "Perhaps."

I watched the moon, the damn starry night she loved so much. I had not appreciated the painting, but it was as if that painting was all I could see in the dark night. I could see the stars swirl like they did in the painting, almost twinkling. I could see the colors brighten and I could see her, smiling as she ranted about the painting.

"Why do you love it?" I has asked her.

"Because it has never hurt me." Her answer had made my heart tremble. Love without any pain. What did that feel like to love something and never have it endangered by the shadows which walked in your past?

My elbow smashed into his chest and the gun fired, hitting my arm. I turned and grabbed his neck, pinning him to the wall as my arm throbbed. I took his gun from his hand and smiled down at him. Just then, the light came back.

He looked at me. His easy arrogance still on his face as it became red. I ripped myself away from him as my brothers came, flooded in blood.

Georgia and Alexi were in the hands of our men, looking beaten up.

My eyes lingered on Alexi. He did not look afraid. He didn't look like a man who had just lost. He just looked at his father who was gasping for breath.

"Get them in the cars. Put them in the basement along with the others," Ashton commanded and they walked away. We three looked at Igor as he stood, his calm facade finally gone.

I took out a knife from my pocket. "Leg or arm?"

. . .