Wicked Boss (Bratva Brothers 2)

I keep Mark positioned against the wall, and Mikhail pats him down, satisfied that he's not harboring a gun or pocketknife. "He's clean."

"I wouldn't go that far," I seethe and yank him from the wall, forcing him down onto his knees.

I whip out my gun and unlock the safety, pointing it at Mark's head.

"You don't have a silencer on that gun," Mark says. "You'll never get away with this. I'll tell Hannah!"

"You're just giving me more reasons to shoot you," I say.

But he is right. There isn't a silencer, and neighbors are bound to hear the gunshot and glance out into the hallway or out their window.

I don't like witnesses.

"For every problem, there's a solution." Mikhail pulls out his gun and attaches a silencer tucked inside his coat pocket.

"Please, I swear I'll leave Hannah alone," Mark begs. He's not much of a fighter. It rather takes the high out of the kill.

"We've already warned you once," I say. "You were instructed to stay away, pack up your shit, and leave."

"I was packing," Mark says.

"Where are the boxes?" Mikhail asks. He takes his gun with the silencer attached, poking through the apartment. "I don't see any boxes. Do you see any boxes, Luka?"

"All I see is a liar," I say, staring down at Mark.

Mark knocks my leg with his arm, using his weight to trip me up. The nitwit decides to fight back.

He scrambles across the floor and attempts to stand, reaching for the door handle.

I tackle Mark to the ground, smashing his face into the wood floor, breaking his nose. The crunch of bones isn't pleasant, and blood pours down his face.

Mark wipes at the blood as it drips, leaving a disaster that will require the clean-up crew before Hannah steps foot in this place again.

Mikhail stands watching the ordeal, the gun still poised in his right hand. "Are we going to finish him or let him crawl home to his mommy for dinner?"

I'd like to finish his ass, put a bullet in his head, and never worry about him bothering Hannah or my daughter. "Give me the gun," I say, holding out my hand to Mikhail.

"You're too close to Hannah," Mikhail says. "When she asks, and inevitably, she will, you can't have your hands dirty with his blood."

"Yes! Yes! You should let me live," Mark says, his eyes widening with excitement. He rises to his knees and pushes himself up to stand.

"Get your ass back on the ground," I shout at Mark, knocking him back down to the floor. "I warned you yesterday that if you harassed Hannah, I'd kill you. Showing up at her work today constitutes bothering her. Did you think it was an empty threat?"

I swore to Hannah that I'd protect her.

This falls on me.

Hannah is my responsibility.