Page 144 of Sinful Promise

How did I not hear him approach? Though, I suppose that doesn’t matter. What does matter is killing him before he has a chance to kill me or anyone in my family.

I focus on the heavy weight of the gun in my waistband. I don’t want to pull it just yet. It could work in my favor to have Igor thinking I’m unarmed.

“Don’t you have some of my brothers to kill?”

Igor’s lips pull up into a smile as he regards me.

“I will say, Danil. You’re smarter than I gave you credit for.”

Emily whimpers behind me. She’s climbed to her feet, and her hands are resting on my back as I shield her from view.

“You’d do well not to underestimate my brother,” Dimitri’s voice sounds from behind Igor.

Igor whirls around to face my brother, and I see my one chance.

I pull my gun free and aim it at Igor’s shoulder.

My entire body jerks as I pull the trigger, and Emily’s hands grip my shoulders as she buries her face on my back at the sound of the gunfire.

For a fraction of a second, time seems to stop.

And then Igor’s body jolts, and he throws his head back and howls.

“You fucker?—”

I get ready to fire again when Dimitri takes Igor’s head in his hands and slams his own into Igor’s nose.

As blood starts to pour from his broken nose, I send another bullet into the back of his thigh, causing him to go crashing to the floor.

Dimitri wastes no time in landing a swift kick to Igor’s head, knocking him completely unconscious with one blow.

For a moment, the two of us just stare at each other, both panting hard, as Igor lays in a heap at Dimitri’s feet.

“You came. I wasn’t sure if you’d get the message. If you’d even remember…”

Dimitri’s answering grin has the weight lifting from my shoulders.

“I told you back then I’d always be there to help you. You’re my brother.”

I swallow past the lump in my throat.

I pocket my gun. “Do you know how difficult it was not to just shoot the fucker in the head?”

My brother rolls Igor onto his back. “That would have been an easy death. He deserves to suffer for what he’s done to our family.”

I reach into my pocket and pull out the bloody rope that was used to bind my own hands. “Here. You might need this.”

I toss the rope to Dimitri, who makes quick work of securing Igor’s hands together.

He looks around. “Is there any more?”

I pull out the rope that was used on Emily and throw it to Dimitri before I have a chance to wrap it around Igor’s throat.

Emily appears at my side. “What are you going to do with Igor?”

Dimitri’s head snaps up at the sound of Emily’s voice. His shoulders sag. “Emily. You’re all right.”

Emily looks up at me and smiles.

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