Page 8 of Surprise Bratva Daddy

My blood boils, the thought that someone is trying to get a leg up on me driving me crazy. This is supposed to be my moment. Tema is supposed to have delivered the goods.

Kiro comes in close behind me, but I already know we're in over our heads when I spot a bald man in a suit toting a rifle in the hallway. He spots me and lifts his weapon, but I'm faster, shooting him twice in the chest.

I duck to the side as the bullets from his gun rip through the air above my head, the sound deafening in the small space. There's no time for regrets as the man falls forward, his heavy body landing on the floor with a thud.

"There's no point in trying to hide now," I say. "The whole block will have heard that."

Kiro moves forward quickly, clearing the living room while I head for the kitchen. I'm barely halfway when a man stumbles out, blood oozing from his side and dripping like hot candle wax onto the floor.

I'm stunned by what I'm seeing, not because I don't expect there to be anyone else here, but because I was certain Maksim was still in prison. There's no way he'd be at the house, attempting to steal my prize.

And yet, he's here, bleeding from what appears to be a stab wound in his side, walking with an even deeper limp than when I shot him in the leg. He's carrying a torn box in his left hand, and a gun in his right.

I hear a gunshot from the living room, and the sound of a body falling the ground. It's too heavy to be Kiro's. It must be another one of Maksim's guys.

"You're early," Maksim growls, his voice gravelly from his injury. "Or maybe I'm late. Either way, the party is just starting."

"You look terrible," I remark, eyeing his bloody clothes and pale face.

He tries to lift his gun, but I'm first to shoot, hitting him in his shoulder and causes him to drop the gun. He's hard to kill, though, sprinting away when he realizes how badly he's compromised. His men aren't coming to save him.

I just can't let him escape with the package.

I shoot blindly this time, praying that I’ll hit him again before he can get away. His movements are unpredictable as he jerks his body around like a puppet with a few strings broken, but I land a hit.

Only, it’s not a hit I wanted to land. The bullet hits the package, sending the contents flying in every direction. Smoldering shreds of paper and metal fragments explode outward like a grenade.

Maksim drops what’s left of the package, hobbling out the back door and disappearing.

I have the sense not to follow him, as much as I want him dead. The back door would be the ideal place to get ambushed if he decided to wait for me, and I’d rather not get my brains blown out over a flash drive.

My eyes scan the floor, darting over the remnants of the package in search of the drive. It could still be intact, assuming my bullet didn’t hit it, but I saw more than paper leave that box. I fear the worst.

As I step toward it, I hear Kiro in the other room. “Drop that knife or you’re going to get it,” he growls.

Whoever has the knife isn’t with Maksim. They’re the one who stabbed him, which means they might just be the owner of this house. I don’t want Kiro to kill them. I have some questions that need to be answered first.

I rush to the kitchen where the noise is coming from, only to find that the source is not some vicious killer with a machete trying to hack Kiro’s head off. It’s just a woman, trembling and afraid as she braces herself against the edge of the kitchen counter.

“Maksim is gone,” I announce as I walk in.

Kiro glances at me, keeping his gun aimed at the woman.

“Don’t shoot the girl. She’s could be useful to us,” I say.

“For what?” the woman blurts. “For your sick fantasies? I want you to get the fuck out of my house before I stab you like I did to your friend.”

I’m surprised by her attitude. I like it, but I can tell it’s also going to present a challenge. “My friend? Are you talking about Maksim? He’s far from a friend, darling.”

“Get out of my house!”

I sigh. “Listen, darling, you don’t look like you want to get shot, and I’m sure Kiro here doesn’t want to shoot you, so put the knife down and let’s talk about this like civilized people.”

She hesitates, and that’s precisely what I was waiting for. I sprint toward her, grabbing her wrist and yanking it back behind her head. The knife clatters into the sink behind her, and she lets out a shrill scream.

She thought she could harm me like she did Maksim, but the only thing she’s doing damage to is my ears.

“Quiet!” I bark, pulling her away from the sink. “I need you to tell me exactly who you are, and what your involvement in this is.”

---