Levka spat blood on the floor. “Who?”
Rurik snickered. “Still gonna stick up for her after she gave you away?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Okay.” Rurik blew out smoke. “What are you doing here if not to try to fuck my wife?”
Levka had been prepared with an answer if he were to get caught. “To kill Adrik.”
A skeptical noise escaped Rurik’s throat. “You aren’t that stupid, wolf. Killing Adrik would do nothing for you.”
“Except make me happy.”
He nodded. “Sure. If that’s the story you want to go with. I’d advise against it. You could still get out of here alive if you tell the truth.”
Levka snickered. “You can’t kill me.”
“An assassination attempt, even a poorly conducted one, is cause enough. You broke into my house-”
“Adrik’s house. Yakov’s house. Not yours.”
That earned him a punch to the face. Levka stretched his jaw, and clenched his eyes, trying to regain his focus. Rurik gripped his hair, his fingers pulling at strands, tilting Levka’s head to the side. Rurik kept his full stance, forcing Levka to crane his neck to look at him. “You think I was never a young shit like you? I know what the fuck you’re doing. And you’re gonna fucking stop.” An idea widened Rurik’s eyes and he released Levka, stepping off to the side.
But he returned with a sharp machete in hand. Levka’s breathing picked up as he approached. “Get the fuck away from me,” Levka ground through his teeth.
Rurik chuckled. “Boys your age only think about your dick. I’ll be doing you a favor.” He touched its tip against Levka’s cheek. “Have you fucked my wife?”
“No.”
He pressed in, just enough to poke a hole. Blood dribbled down his chin. Levka closed his eyes in the pain, keeping any sound from escaping his lips. Rurik twisted the knife deeper, trying to get a scream.
“Did you come here to fuck my wife?”
“You’re a little obsessed with this. Is she unhappy with your performance? Perhaps because you’re fucking old.”
Rurik snatched the blade back if only to put it under his throat. He had Levka by the hair again and his lips at the boy’s ear. “Say it again. I fucking dare you.”
A rush of footsteps entered the room, and Adrik’s sharp force sounded in the dark. “That’s enough, Rurik.”
Rurik only moved to glance over his shoulder. Adrik, Alexei, and Gil all stood in the doorway. “Why?”
There was no response, and after several intense seconds, Rurik pushed himself away.
“Get out,” Adrik ordered.
Rurik clenched the blade, and Levka wondered if he had the balls to lash out at the heir to the Morozov line. To kill Adrik would put the whole family after him. He wouldn’t dare.
“He came for my wife–”
“I said get out.”
Rurik raised the blade at him. “I’m calling your father.” He dropped the weapon and darted past them, pushing his way between Alexei and Gil, who shoved him. “Fucking bullshit.” He called for his soldiers, and the room emptied.
“Give us a minute.”
Alexei and Gil hesitated but allowed Adrik to shut the door on them. Then he stood in front of Levka with his hands in his pockets. Levka kept his head down. Humiliation was worse than the pain Rurik caused, and having Adrik of all the Morozov siblings standing here made him physically ill. He cursed Alexei for stepping down as heir.
“A security trigger went off when you opened the barn door. Luerna didn’t know about it. Father added it before we left for the States.”
