Page 22 of Bratva Hostage

Dimitri’s fist clenches around the fabric. “You risked Cecily’s life.”

Leon’s gaze flits to me, and he gives me a spiteful sneer. “For all I know, she was in on it, too. Thorne’s her father.”

My stomach churns at how easily he tries to shift blame, and my blood rushes back to my cheeks in red-hot anger. Dimitri snaps his fingers, and two guards seize Leon by the arms. Leon grunts, wincing.

“You sold us out,” Dimitri says. “We hired you. Put a roof over your head and money in your pockets, and you went to bed with the enemy.”

“I can still be useful,” he pleads. “I know more about Thorne’s network. I can tell you how he plans to strike next.”

“Why would we trust anything you say?” Maksim questions.

“Look, I messed up. I only told Thorne your schedule so he could grab the girl when you weren’t around. He offered me money—enough for me to disappear afterward.”

Rage creeps up my throat. If Leon’s betrayal had succeeded, I’d be back under my father’s control right now. Dimitri glances at me, as if checking that I’m still standing, then he turns his attention back to Leon.

“You put everyone here at risk,” Aleksei comments. “Dimitri lost a good man in that attack. We can’t let that slide.”

Leon’s lower lip trembles, and his voice becomes frantic. “Wait, let me prove I can help. Thorne has men scattered around town, just waiting for the girl to step outside. I know where a few of them are hiding. Just give me a chance to fix this.”

“Give me one good reason I shouldn’t kill you right now,” Dimitri growls.

Leon flinches at the lethal promise in Dimitri’s tone. “Because Thorne’s preparing another strike! I swear, I’ll give you everything you need to know. You can stop him before he tries again.”

Maksim shifts his weight from foot to foot. “He’s lying. He’d say anything to save his neck.”

Aleksei exchanges a look with Dimitri, and I sense a silent agreement pass between them. They’ve decided Leon’s fate, and my heart thuds as I realize how final this moment is.

Leon trembles and shouts, “Please! Let me go, and I’ll vanish. You’ll never see me again. Or lock me up—whatever you want. Just don’t kill me.”

Dimitri looks past him toward the guards. “Search him. See if he’s carrying anything else connected to Thorne.”

They rifle through Leon’s pockets, and one of them retrieves a wad of cash that’s far too big for a standard guard’s pay. Dimitri snatches it, flips through the bills, and tosses them to the ground. “Thorne pays well, doesn’t he?”

Leon’s face pales. “I—it’s not what it looks like.”

Aleksei snorts. “It’s exactly what it looks like.”

The guards hold Leon tight, and Dimitri lifts his chin. “We can’t let a traitor walk away, and we can’t lock you up forever, either. If we keep you alive, Thorne might use you again.”

Leon thrashes. “I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything about his next plan!”

Dimitri shakes his head. “We have other ways of finding that out.”

A rush of dread slams into me. I want to look away, but I force myself to watch. This is my life now, caught between my father’s cruelty and the Barkovs’ violence. Leon betrayed both them and me, and there’s no coming back from that.

Dimitri reaches for the pistol tucked at his side. His hand remains unnervingly steady as he flicks off the safety with a soft click. Leon’s face contorts with panic.

“Please—” Leon starts, but Dimitri fires a single shot that silences him for good.

My hands fly to my mouth as a jolt of adrenaline rips through my system. Leon’s body slumps with his eyes still wide with shock. It happens so fast, and I’m not prepared for the wave of conflicting emotions that follow. Horror turns in my stomach, but overshadowing it is a grim relief that one more threat is gone.

Dimitri shoves the gun back into his holster. The men in the room barely react. They move forward with talking about how to dispose of the body and who should clean the mess. It’s routine. My attention narrows in on Dimitri, who is breathing just a fraction heavier than before. He glances my way, and there’s something pained behind his eyes. Somehow, it makes me feel better to know he isn’t completely unaffected by taking a life.

Perhaps he is still human in there, after all.

Maksim gestures to two guards. “Take care of this. We’ll inform the others there’s a vacancy to fill.”

Aleksei nods at Dimitri. “We can question the contacts we found in Leon’s phone. We might confirm Thorne’s new plan that way.”

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