A surge of determination hits me, and I turn back to Nazar, ready to extract everything that I can from him. “Who did you tell? Who paid you for that information?”
Nazar lowers his eyes to the floor. “I can’t. They’ll hurt my parents.”
I grip the short strands of blond hair on the top of his head, jerking his gaze up to mine. “You will. Give me the name or I’ll let you rot in a cell for months.”
Nazar swallows hard. “They’ll kill them if they find out.”
“And I’ll kill you now, slowly, painfully if you don’t talk,” I tell him, keeping my voice firm and steady. “Did you leak the information to the Irish?”
Nazar stares up at me, his mouth remaining sealed.
I drive my fist into his stomach, knocking the air out of his lungs. My hand itches to deliver more blows.
“Answer me,” I grit out as I grab Nazar’s throat, squeezing tighter and tighter by the second.
Nazar tries to gasp for air, but my crushing grip prevents him from taking a proper breath. “Not…them…not…”
I loosen my grip enough for him to suck in a trembling breath. “Who? If not the Irish, who?”
Nazar shakes his head, his eyes closing tightly. He can’t hide from this. No matter what he does.
Fury burns through me, and I do my best to breathe through it and think. “The Irish are working with another faction?”
Nazar keeps his eyes closed, but he subtly nods.
“Who?” I question him, digging my fingertips into his neck.
“Can’t…”
“You can. You just won’t,” I say before releasing him and whirling around, frustration pounding through my veins.
War is unfolding, and I can’t figure out who all is on the other side because I can’t get this bastard to talk. Someone else has already threatened him, and he’s willing to die before he speaks their name.
It makes sense for there to be more than one threat, though. It would be a stretch for just the Irish to pull off all that’s happened, including the bombing, the ambushes, and other instances. But what other faction is in the mix now that it’s confirmed that there’s another one?
“I could continue questioning him for you,” Pyotr offers.
“I don’t think we’re going to get much further with him,” I reply with a shake of my head. “He thinks staying silent will save his family. It won’t.”
“You sure about that, Nazar? If you talk now, thePakhanmight take mercy on your old folks,” Pyotr tells him.
Nazar remains silent, keeping his eyes on the floor.
I slowly rub my jaw. “Once you’re dead, they’ll assume you ratted them out, so you may as well tell us their names now. Don’t be a fool and think you’re protecting anyone. You can’t trust them.”
“And I should trustyou? You’re too pussy-whipped to lead,” Nazar murmurs. “Nobody can believe a conniving little bitch came between the two most powerful men in the city. You’re going to lose everything because of her.”
“What?” I grit out. Something inside my chest fractures. Not rage butpanic. Our enemies know about Alina?
“Ignore him,Pakhan. He’s just trying to goad you into killing him faster,” Pyotr remarks as he pulls his knife free from the sheath on his leather belt. “Let me do the honors.”
Going over to Nazar, I grab a fistful of his hair to tip his head up, forcing him to look at me. “What the fuck did you just say?”
He grins. “You’re proving me right. What part angered you more? Saying you’re going to lose your entire fucking empire or calling her a bitch?” he asks, jutting his chin in Alina’s direction.
“Give me your knife,” I order Pyotr while holding out my free hand without looking away from Nazar’s smug face.
“But sir…”
