Page 46 of Merciless Union
“Fine.” I lower my gun. Vladimir lets out a sigh of relief. “I don’t need to torture you to make you talk.” I pick up his phone resting on the table next to him. “You’re going to call your son over here, and I’m going to torture him. Now, how does that sound?”
Vladimir looks between me and his phone. “You wouldn’t hurt my son.”
“I fucking hate Erik,” I mutter. “I’ll be glad to kill him.”
“He really does,” Nik chimes in. “I would believe your boss if I were you.”
Vladimir slowly picks up his phone. “You can’t just torture me?”
“What fun would that be?” I nod at the phone. “Now. Fucking. Call. Him.”
His hands are shaking as he rings Erik. “Son? Could you come over? There’s, uh, something I need to discuss with you.” He nods before hanging up. “He’ll be right over.”
“Good.” I settle down on the couch, stretching my arms out wide. Nik stands behind Vladimir with his gun pointed at Vladimir’s head.
We’re silent as we wait for Erik to arrive. Tension is thick in the room. I can almost smell it.
Finally, Erik comes barging into the room, his gun drawn. “What the fuck is going on here?”
“Ah, ah,” I say, pointing my gun at him. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
Erik looks over at his dad. “All right.” He lowers his gun, looking back at me. “What’s going on?”
I sit forward. “It seems your father stole from me. One of my drug shipments. I believe he knows where it is. You’re going to help me make him confess.”
“No. It was me. Not my father. If you’re going to punish anyone, punish me.”
“No,” Vladimir shouts. Nik presses his gun harder on his head.
“So noble,” I growl, standing up. “But it was your father who would have known where the drugs were located. Not you.”
Erik smirks. “You think my father keeps secrets from me? He shares everything with me. I knew exactly where the drugs were, hired some men, and took them from under your nose.”
“Why?”
“Because I hate you, Maxim. You’ll never be my boss.”
I grit my teeth, lifting my gun back up.
“So go ahead and kill me. I’d die for my father,” Erik says. “I know you can’t say the same for your own. He’s already dead. And good riddance. He was a pathetic son of a bitch who didn’t deserve to be in charge.”
My hand trembles.
“Maxim,” Nik warns, nodding at my hand. “Keep it together. What are we going to do?”
“Shut the fuck up, Nik,” I snap.
Erik’s smile widens. “I’d gladly die for my cause if it means you no longer get to rule. Stepan will be a much better boss than you could ever be. I’ll die happy knowing this.”
“Such a martyr.” I smile. “But, Erik, why would I ever give you anything you’d want?”
I spin so fast that Erik can’t stop me and shoot Vladimir in the head. He slumps in his chair. Nik flinches.
Erik blinks before letting out an anguished, “No!”
He tackles me, pushing me to the ground.
Nik rushes up, his gun pointed at Erik,
