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Sergei was moving toward the window, peering out around the blinds.

“Tell me or you will suffer.” I moved closer, placing the barrel against his forehead while pulling out my knife and driving the blade against his neck. As a trickle of blood slithered down his skin, I craved gutting him slowly.

He closed his eyes, his chest heaving. “His name is Jagger Dayne. He’s the Butcher’s biological son. Please keep your word. Our children don’t belong in our worlds, Maxsim. I did my best to protect her and failed.”

What the fuck? The news was nothing that I’d expected, but should have anticipated.

“I will honor my pledge to you. You’re already dying, Zane. Likely of cancer, which was why you had no issue selling your soul to the Butcher. But I’ll going to ease your pain, because I’m a very generous man.”

Pop! Pop!

I took a deep breath, shaking my head.

“His son?” Sergei asked.

“Revenge for his father’s death.”

“Jesus Christ. Does she know she has a brother?” He peered out of the closed blinds, his body language indicating his anger.

“I doubt it. We’re leaving. Now.” I wiped the blood on my pants, slipping the blade into my pocket.

“Well, we’ve got company. I hope you’re prepared to fucking kill these bastards.”

Pop! Pop! Pop!

I took long strides toward the door. “Let’s do this.”

As soon as I threw open the door, a calm swept over me I hadn’t anticipated.

All from seeing a huge bald man standing in front of the door, wearing a grin and a gleam in his eyes.

“Prishlo vremya predstat' pered Sozdatelem.” The deep rumble of his voice boomed over the rolling thunder.

Time to meet your maker.

Sergei chuckled from behind me. “He doesn’t know you at all. Does he?”

“No,” I said with a chuckle in my tone. “He does not. But he’s about to learn.” I’d waited for how many months to hunt down this man, searching the city and beyond. In my eyes, he was more the enemy than the son of the man I’d killed for an act of betrayal.

Which was what made the first punch into his jaw from the force used and the subsequent crack of cartilage so satisfying. But as with all brutal fights, it didn’t end there.

He was my main focus, shoving him back and off the porch. He came out swinging, taking the opportunity to fight like a man instead of using his weapon. What the hell. At this point, I was in for a good fight to relieve my aggressions.

One punch after another, we grappled like vicious predators, ending on the ground in the mud. Shots were fired all around me, Sergei taking the lead on curtailing the attack. I had no knowledge of whether my other two men were lost, but at this point, I had to concentrate on eliminating this freak.

The gut punch tossed me onto the dirt, another blow to my head making me see stars. That’s when I was finished with playing games.

I lunged forward, catching him in the stomach and driving him backwards and against a tree. The hard thud was equally satisfying, but that was short lived as my thoughts continually rushed to images of Isabel’s face. She needed me and goddamn it, I refused to let her down.

Never again.

So I ended the fight, wrapping my arm around his neck and yanking us both to our knees. I pressed my other hand over his forehead, driving my fingers into his eyes.

As he grunted in pain, I squeezed his neck, twisting at the same time. All while he struggled to reach his weapon. That wasn’t going to be allowed.

So I twisted his neck to the side and jerked my arm backward.

The brutal snap echoed in my ears.