Page 154 of Sinful Promise

Alexei tilts his head to the end of the warehouse. “Chained up out back. Still unconscious, but that might have something to do with the multiple blows that Mikhail gave him to the head while we were waiting for you.”

Mikhail shrugs as he passes by us. “Sorry. Couldn’t help myself.”

Alexei nods. “Let’s get this over with.”

I can’t wait to have my turn with the man that wrecked our family and has been making our lives hell. But first, I need to apologize, to make them understand. “Alexei?—”

My brother holds up a hand. “Danil, you did what you had to do. It could have happened to any one of us.”

“But—”

“You made me proud, littlebrat.”

I nod as I try to swallow past the lump that has lodged itself in my throat.

He smirks. “Now, let’s go and have some fun.”

I follow Alexei through the set of double doors that lead off the main floor of the warehouse. We climb down a set of stairs that are a little too similar to the ones I descended when I was hunting for Emily, and my chest tightens.

If ever I needed some extra motivation, it’s the memory of finding Emily tied up in a basement.

Alexei leads me along the corridor of empty storage rooms that my brothers and I use as makeshift holding cells. “We’ve each had our turn with him. It’s your turn now.”

He unlocks the final door and pushes it open.

That’s when I notice the blood staining his hands, and my lips pull up into a smile.

I nod. “Let’s end this motherfucker.”

I almost laugh when I notice the state of Igor Ivanov.

After so many years of living in fear that he might take someone I love from me, seeing his unconscious body looking so weak and bloody makes me feel an immeasurable amount of joy.

Alexei hands me a blood-stained baseball bat, and a surge of adrenaline fills me as I wrap my hand around the base.

This is it.

After all this time, I’m finally going to get revenge on the man who murdered my parents.

As I stare down at Igor’s unconscious body, a deep-seated rage starts to build from within my core.

This man almost cost me the love of my life and my unborn child.

He deserves to die.

I lift the bat up over my head and with one last deep breath, I throw all of my weight behind the bat and slam it into the side of his ribs.

The answering crack of bone is a high like no other.

I repeatedly smash the bat into his ribs and flank.

One of the hits is aimed at his skull, and blood instantly starts to pool from the side of Igor’s head.

Part of me wishes his eyes were open so I could see the life drain out of them with every swing, but having his blood permanently stain the concrete will have to do.

“You tried to take us down,” I growl as I hit him again. “But the Koslov Bratva cannot be defeated.”

With one last swing of the bat, I slam it down on the top of Igor’s skull with such force that it caves in.