Gilded Tears: A Russian Mafia Romance (Kovalyov Bratva Book 2) by Nicole Fox (novels to read for beginners txt) 📗

me from the crinkle in his eyes. He steps forward so that he’s only a foot away from me.

I cringe away from him, holding Phoenix even closer to my chest.

“Here’s my promise,” he whispers. “Once Budimir is done with you, I’m going to fuck you so hard that you’re gonna split right down the middle. And afterwards, you’re going to thank me and beg for more.”

I spit in his face, “Fuck you.”

“Good! I like a little spirit in the sack,” he chuckles. “I like a woman who fights back. It makes breaking her all the more entertaining.”

My blood is boiling with equal parts fear and anger, but I don’t have any means to strike back. Tamara is clutching my arm and Phoenix is still crying loudly against my chest.

Eagle Tattoo straightens up. “Now, let’s get the fuck out of here.”

He signals to his men. Two of them converge in towards us. I back away immediately, holding on to both Tamara and Phoenix.

“Don’t be fucking stupid now,” Eagle Tattoo groans. Then he looks towards Tamara. “You can scram. We only want her and the brat. Step aside now.”

Tamara does start to move, but she doesn’t step aside like she’s just been ordered to. She steps forward, putting herself between him and me.

“No,” she says.

My heart clenches.

I know how much it takes her to do this. She’s terrified, and even if I hadn’t heard that fear in her voice, I see it in her trembling body as she stands directly in front of me and Phoenix.

She’s standing up for me.

Doing what she should have done months ago.

Atoning for her sins—with bravery and heart and loyalty and love.

Eagle Tattoo glares at her for a moment and sighs deeply.

“Fucking idiot,” he growls.

He raises his gun, but before I can so much as scream, he’s fired.

Tamara drops to the floor—a gasp forever trapped in her throat.

“No!” I scream, but before I can take a step forward towards her, two men have grabbed me.

They start pulling me towards the door and all I can do is scream and plead and curse at all of them as I clutch my baby and cry for one more innocent life stripped away—because of me.

Just before they push me out the door, I glance behind at Tamara’s lifeless body. I see blood pooling around her, but her face is turned down and invisible to me.

“Tamara…” I whisper as I’m forced into a car waiting outside.

I’m sorry.

I don’t even know who I’m apologizing to as I look down at my infant son, whose dark eyes are fixed on me with uncertainty.

I’m so, so sorry.

41

Artem

The Presidential Suite Of The Regency Hotel

For two seconds, I think we’ve won.

The Irish came. Ronan and Sinead sent their men to fight on my behalf. They honored their son’s sacrifice.

It’s over. It’s over. We’ve won.

But Budimir is one second faster than me.

And that’s what makes all the difference.

In one motion, he grabs a gun from his bodyguard’s holster and pumps two rounds into the huge man’s back. Blood erupts and the falling corpse forces the Irishmen to scatter.

Budimir uses the distraction to burst through the doors right behind me.

For the first time in my life, I’m frozen in fear.

He’s getting away.

The bastard is getting away.

The fight resumes around me, loud and chaotic and deadly. The Irish are firing at Kovar and Bufalino and their men, who are returning fire even as they drop one by one.

It ends quickly—the Irish far outnumber the rat-faced fucks that Budimir just abandoned.

The last gunshot sounds distinctly ominous, even as it ends the life of that smug bastard, Kovar.

But I don’t wait for the satisfaction of seeing the lights fade out from his eyes.

I have to chase down my uncle.

I get to my feet, blood staining my clothes, my hands, and probably my face, too. I can feel the dry crust of battle settle over me like a second skin.

I look around for my men. Maxim is sprawled out next to me, skin pale and cold. The loss weighs heavily on me.

But I have no time to mourn.

I turn and sprint towards the back entrance of the room that Budimir just escaped through.

“Boss!” Adrik’s voice is hoarse from exertion. “Where are you going?”

I don’t bother replying. I just grab a loose gun from the floor and run faster.

I hear them shouting my name—Adrik, Vasyl and Alexei—but I ignore them all and keep going. Adrenaline is pumping, giving me second wind.

If I let the slippery motherfucker go, I’m not sure I’ll get another opportunity.

Little drops of blood mark the path Budimir took. I follow them into the fire escape and start jumping down the stairs, leaping over three, four steps at a time.

I see a fast-moving figure down below and when I lean over the railing, I see Budimir’s shadow nearing the ground floor.

He looks up and catches sight of me, his eyes going dark with loathing.

I duck back as he starts shooting up towards me, but the angle doesn’t allow for accurate aim.

The bullets cease, just in time for me to hear the fire escape slam shut and I know they’re out of the building.

I continue down, rushing as fast as I can until I reach the ground floor myself. A few passing tourists gasp as I burst out into the open.

I know what I probably look like, but I don’t fucking care. The only thing I care about now is finding Budimir and pulling the bastard’s black heart right out of his chest.

I scan the area for my uncle.

Looking, looking… there.

I dart across the street, and I raise my gun to the shrieks and screams of the people walking past. They alert Budimir to my presence, and he darts behind a cement pillar that takes the bullet meant for him.

“Fuck!” I roar.

Budimir jumps into his armored vehicle.

I race forward, ignoring the terrified people fleeing the scene, but I know that I won’t be able to get Budimir now.

The car roars out into the street. I jump back, narrowly