Mav and Baron are standing behind me, like a triangle of defense.
“I think you’re being a bit critical.” Tristan’s slimy tone makes my skin crawl. “I think the kid’s got potential. Don’t you?”
“He’s not Bratvaand he’s not going to be.”
“Maybe not on your side of the street.”
My fist crashes hard into his grin.
Tristan hits the pavement.
He bounces back fast, taking a swing and missing. I’m ready to go for round two when Yury and Daniil appear from behind a car. There’s also shouting in the distance as security rushes towards us.
But I don’t give a fuck who gets involved. I’m seeing red.
I aim to level him, but before I can swing, Baron and Mav both grab me.
“Get the fuck off,” I bark out, but they don’t listen. I’m being dragged away from the scene, back into the tailgate concert crowd.
“It’s not worth it,” Baron says.
“Killing him will be worth it.”
“Maybe someday,” Mav says. “But not today. Not like this. He deserves to have his teeth removed one by one. Not the favor of having them knocked out all at the same time.”
“So let me at him!”
But they keep dragging me.
Once we are far enough away from the scene that I can’t just rush back, Mav and Baron let go.
“We have to keep him away from Gianni,” I tell them.
“And we will,” Baron insists. “But like with everything else, we have to be smart.”
“We will take him down. And when we do, it’ll be for more than just fucking with your girlfriend’s kid brother,” Maverick says. “Tristan isn’t just pissed about Jenica. He sees you rising up in the Bratva. And if I had to guess, he’s rallying for war.”
It’s not that I don’t know this. Tristan has been looking for ways to take me out for years. Me and Nik. Jenica is just a pawn in the game. But Tristan isn’t playing by the rules. And he’s not going to stop until he’s on top.
Which is why I have to end him.
49
AMARA
After we take Gianni and the girls home, Ransome and I go back to the penthouse. As fun as the concert was, we cut it short when my brother decided to get into trouble.
At first I was nervous to drop them off. But between our dad not being there—certainly not during prime bar time—and Ransome insisting that Tristan isn’t stupid enough to go after them, I eventually let them go.
“What does Tristan want with Gianni anyway?” I ask once we’re back at the penthouse. “He’s just a kid.”
“Because he’s Tristan,” Ransome answers as he turns on the lights. “And he’s always looking for ways to fuck with me.”
But I’m not convinced.
“From the sounds of it, Tristan was getting very buddy-buddy with him. Asking about cars and racing.” My brain deep dives into a downward spiral. “Ransome. Would he hurt him to hurt you?”
Ransome stays calm, though. He goes to sit on the couch before deciding on a counter stool instead.
