Page 84 of The Enemy's Defector
“I took you in after Thomas?—”
Again, she flinched slightly, like a tic, at the mention of her father’s name. She was losing her patience, though, because now, she reached closer and nearly jammed the end of her gun barrel against his wrinkly brow.
“You have no right to speak of my father.”
He sneered, laughing haughtily. “Oh, fuck you, you worthless bitch. I can say whatever the hell I want and you won’t stop me. No one will.”
Pulling her gun further back, she twisted to pivot slightly so she could slap him. He hadn’t been expecting it, because the gun fell out of his hand and skidded over the floor.
“Think again,Uncle,” she said softly, letting all her anger seep out.
“I will stop you from ever speaking of my father again. I will stop you from ever trying to hurt me or my loved ones. Ever again.” She pressed the gun directly to his forehead, acting on her deepest wishes for revenge.
My grandmother grabbed the gun that he’d dropped, and now she aimed it back at the guard standing over her and Joann. The tables had turned. The scales were tipped.
And my wife was fucking glorious in her power.
I stepped behind her, not to hide, but to support her in this last act of love for her father. To kill his murderer.
“I will stop you from trying to attackmyfamily. Not the one you destroyed when you killed my father.” She pressed the gun against him more as his nostrils flared and his eyes bugged open wider with fury. “Myfamily. My husband. My child. My future. Not the pathetic organization you stole from your brother when you shot him and took over. I ceased belonging to the Kozlov name the second you ended his life.”
Leaning her head to the side, as if seeking another perspective as she delayed killing him, she smiled. It was wicked, a peaceful yet sinister promise of ending his life and looking forward to it.
“You will never threaten me or my family again,” she repeated. “Because you will be dead. A pathetic corpse with no power at all.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” he shouted.
“I dare. I’m killing you for my father,” she vowed. “For ever thinking about using me and ruining my life.” She stepped in again. “Sofuck you, Anton. May you rot in hell.”
She pulled the trigger and killed him instantly. Blood and brain matter splayed back out from his head as he staggered. That direct of a shot left him no chance to stand and argue, to protest and belittle her.
Instead of basking in the triumph of killing him, she didn’t waste a second. Turning swiftly, she took out the guard who threatened my grandmother and Joann.
And again, she pivoted to aim the gun at the front door.
Saul rushed in with Hugo, though, and she lowered the firearm immediately.
“Fuck.” My younger brother ran in, taking in the scene.
“Fuck,” Hugo repeated, but in a slow drawl of awe.
Katerina handed back my gun, watching me and breathing faster. She had to be experiencing a hell of a whirlwind after that confrontation. Anger. Relief. Fear. Satisfaction. Above all, she had to be churning through the effects of an adrenaline crash, too.
Without a word, she walked into my hug. I extended my arms and wrapped her in against me, holding her close and smoothing my hand over her back. As she rested her face on my chest, nestling into me, she curled her fingers in the fabric of my shirt and steadied her breaths.
Watching my brother and Hugo over her shoulder, I knew they’d handle this mess. Beside them, Joann and my grandmother moved out of the way, sticking together.
“He came in and ordered me out here,” she told Saul.
He nodded, pissed at what she shared. “We got a call from Ray,” he said, referring to one of the guards positioned here. “He was shot. Timothy was a mole for that dead fucker. He’d been paid off by the Kozlovs. That’s how Anton knew to avoid theattack last night. How he could send assassins to the building and come in here now.” He glanced up at me. “He’s dead.”
Katerina straightened, turning from my hug. “So is he,” she said unnecessarily with a point at her uncle.
Saul grinned. “Nice shot,” he complimented as more men came in to take over the scene.
She nodded, losing that blank and vacant expression with every second that passed.
“And here I made such a fuss telling you that I’d kill him for you,” I quipped, getting her attention again.
