“It won’t be hard. You’re a frail old man,” Nikolai taunted.
To Mikhail’s credit, he was probably in his late fifties, but still in pretty decent physical shape. And given the gruesome nature of how Mikhail dispensed his justice, Nikolai wouldn’t put cheating past him.
The thing about men like Mikhail was that their pride was all they had. Being challenged by a man half his age, who was in much better physical shape, was not something Mikhail could let slide.
“We’ll see,” Mikhail snarled, pulling off his shirt and tossing it to the ground.
His body was covered in scars and tattoos—a road map of years of brutality and pain.
Niko didn’t give a shit. There was no way he was going to let this monster anywhere near the man he loved. He was going to end this man’s life in the most brutal way possible. He yanked his shirt off and tossed it onto the ground behind him.
The two men stalked toward each other, each prepared to attack and end the other’s life.
Once in the center of the clearing, they began circling each other, eyes locked as they sized up one another.
“You’re move, old man,” Niko taunted. “Unless you're afraid of getting your teeth knocked out by a younger man?”
That did it.
Mikhail lunged forward, growling as he brought his fist down hard on Niko’s cheek.
Pain shot through his face, momentarily causing Niko to stumble.
He smirked back at the pissed-off Russian and lunged forward, nailing a punch to Mikhail’s gut in return.
Angry, Mihkail let out a shout as he grabbed Niko by the neck and began punching him in the stomach while Niko returned blows of his own.
Blood burst from both of their faces. Each man growled as the other landed a blow. Their fighting was brutal and stubborn, each man refusing to give an inch. Blood and sweat flew from their bodies as both Russians waged war against each other.
They fell to the ground, rolling around as dust kicked up into the air around them.
All the pain, anger, and frustration that Niko had pushed down all these years came barreling to the surface.
Every blow he landed, every crunch he heard, was a painful memory Nikolai had suppressed, being released and materializing in an act of violence.
He almost had him.
Niko grabbed hold of Mikhail and rolled over on top of him. Straddling his thighs, Niko grabbed a large rock and held it high above his head.
He stared down at the bloodied and battered face of the man who had caused so much pain and suffering in the lives of somany. This monster. This scourge on humanity didn’t deserve to live. One final blow, and it would all be over.
The sound of Reid crying out in pain caught Nikolai’s attention.
His head snapped up to where one of Mikhail’s men was holding a knife next to Reid’s cheek.
Blood dripped from the knife, matching the blood sliding down Reid’s cheek.
Light flashed across Niko’s eyes as the man beneath him took advantage of the opportunity and punched him hard in the face.
Niko fell off him, temporarily disoriented.
“Any last words?” Mikhail said. He was now straddling Niko, holding the same rock high above his head.
“Go fuck yourself,” Niko growled, seconds before an arrow zipped past his face and landed squarely in Mikhail’s hand.
The man cried out in pain, dropping the rock and falling off Niko.
Behind Mikhail, a man yelled in pain, before being joined by another two men who also cried out.
