Page 23 of Born into Chaos

In less than twenty minutes, I’m pulling up to the abandoned-looking warehouse. I park behind the building, leaving my bike next to the two other motorcycles that I know belong to Lev and his son. When I step inside, it’s just in time to see Sasha deliver a kick that sends Radomir swinging. He’s chained to the rafters above, in nothing but a pair of plaid boxers, and his face is so swollen and bloody that I barely recognize him.

Lev looks over and gives me a nod before going back to watching his son. Sasha is only eighteen, but he’s already stepped fully into his position as one of the bosses in the Melnikov Bratva. He has the tattoo on his arm to prove it, and he’s quickly gaining a reputation as being a bit unhinged and really fucking brutal. He channels that brutality well, though, and only applies it to our enemies.

He’s obviously been hitting Radomir for a while because he’s ditched his shirt and is covered in sweat and blood. When he hears me, he looks over and gives me a grin, looking every bit like a younger version of his dad.

“Hey, Vitya,” he says before giving Radomir another sharp kick, pulling a scream from the man and smiling even bigger when he hears it.

Lev lifts a pierced eyebrow at me. “Need to let off some steam?”

“Yeah, it’s been a while,” I tell him, knowing if anyone will understand, it’s these two.

Proving me right, Sasha immediately stops and waves a hand at Radomir. “Have some fun, Vitya. Just don’t break his jaw yet. We still need him to answer some questions.”

When Sasha goes to stand next to his dad, Lev ruffles his son’s hair in an affectionate move that would be kind of sweet if it weren’t for all the blood covering them. Sasha laughs, and not for the first time I wonder what the hell goes through that kid’s mind. He’s smiling and laughing now, but I know it’s just because he’s happy about getting to play around with Radomir. Nothing puts that excited glint in his eyes like torture does.

I toss off my leather jacket and step closer to the man who was stupid enough to betray us.

“Vitya,” he moans, trying to see me through his swollen eyes. “Help me,” he begs.

I laugh at the nerve of this fucker and start punching. It’s the first time I’ve felt relief in weeks. I channel all my frustration, all my anger, and I give it to the moron hanging in front of me. He yells and groans and begs me to stop, but I ignore him. He’s been lying and stealing and making us look like a bunch of pussies, a Bratva that doesn’t know how to control their own. He’s going to be made an example of, and the stupid fucker brought it all on himself.

When my hands are numb and I know he’s close to passing out, I step back and try to get control of myself. I wipe a bloody hand on my jeans and look over to see that Timofey’s joined Lev and Sasha. All three are staring at me in a way that makes it clear they’ve been watching me for a while. A small grin plays at Sasha’s lips when Radomir starts to cough up blood.

“Okay, let’s question the bastard before you kill him,” Timofey says, stepping closer and fisting Radomir’s hair so he can tilt his head back and see his face. “You’re stealing product from us. Who the fuck are you selling it to?”

Radomir coughs and lets out a loud wheeze, making me wonder if one of his broken ribs has punctured a lung. It’s a pain I remember all too well, and I have no desire to ever experience it again.

Lucky for all of us, he doesn’t waste precious time trying to deny the theft. “I just skimmed a little bit,” he says, each word coming slowly from his split lips. “A couple guys sell it for me on the side.”

“Who and where?” Lev growls at him.

As much pain as Radomir is in, the sound of Lev’s enraged voice still manages to make him flinch and go a shade paler. When he doesn’t answer fast enough, Lev says, “Tell me right fucking now or I’m going to let my son take all the time he wants on you.”

“No,” Radomir gasps, fully aware of how long Sasha could make his death last. “It’s a townhouse, 519A on Seventh Street.” He takes another wheezy breath before saying, “Three guys.”

“Only three guys?” Lev asks. “No one else is in on this?”

“Just three,” Radomir confirms. “They’re there now.”

Lev looks at the man with nothing but disgust in his eyes. “We treated you good, Radomir. Fuck you for betraying my family, you greedy little prick.”

He nods to his son, who’s already pulled his knife out, ready and waiting. Sasha’s been training with Dario, Dominic’s cousin, for a few years, and the kid has gotten damn good with a knife. I’m not at all surprised to see the front of Radomir’s boxers soak with piss when Sasha steps closer, that same wicked grin playing at his lips.

“Please no,” he begs, shaking so badly I can hear his teeth clicking together.

“You betrayed us,” Sasha says in a dead, matter-of-fact tone of voice. We’re all used to killing. You can’t be in a Bratva and be squeamish about violence, but no one else seems to delight in it as much as Sasha.

The blade of his knife is long and serrated, and when he plunges it into Radomir’s side and pulls it up in a diagonal line across his stomach, the man hanging in front of us screams and loses control of his bowels. The warehouse fills with the smell of shit and blood, and when Sasha stabs him on the other side, dragging the knife up so there’s a gruesome X across his stomach, Radomir’s too far gone to scream or care that his insides are now spilling out of him. His head drops as his body hangs. Ifhe’s not dead yet, he will be in seconds, but that doesn’t stop Sasha from jamming his knife through the wound so he can stab his heart from the inside.

I look over at Timofey, who raises a brow and lets out a soft laugh before smacking Lev on the back. “Jesus Christ, man. If I ever piss you off, please don’t send your son after me.”

Lev laughs and watches his son tilt his head to study Radomir’s body. “Don’t worry. This special treatment is only reserved for those who betray us. You’d never hurt Timofey, would you, Son?”

Sasha turns his head, and with the blood splatter on his face, he paints a terrifying picture, but he just smiles and says, “You’re family, Timofey. You don’t kill family.”

Lev nods in approval, clearly having drilled this rule into Sasha. “See?” Lev asks. “You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

“Glad to hear it,” Timofey says and then asks Lev, “So what do you want me to do with the body?”

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