Chapter 7

Avgust~

A s I rode the elevator up to the fourth floor, I was seething inside. The last time that I'd seen Samara Andreev, I'd made it clear that she'd better never cross my path again, and for years, she'd been good about not existing anywhere that I might run into her. Luckily for her, Port Townsend was big enough that you could get lost in the crowds, so it'd never been an issue to live in the same town after what had happened.

Until now.

When the elevator doors finally slid open, I walked out into the hallway, and Maksim was silently waiting for me, which told me everything that I needed to know.

"Can you do this?" he asked as soon as I approached him.

"You are lucky that I don't kill you for that," I told him, and I wasn't lying.

"Kill me or don't," he replied like a man that didn't care about living. "This isn't about me, Pakhan."

"I can handle it," I said as we made our way to Samara's door. "I wouldn't be here if I couldn't."

"Kill them both," he replied, openly doubtful, though not being stupid enough to say the words. "It's what we'd do with anyone else."

I looked over at my sovietnik, my best friend, and the person that knew me the best, even over my own blood brothers. "But she isn't anyone else, is she?"

Maksim's chin went up. "You're making a mistake, Pakhan."

"I know," I countered smoothly. "Luckily for me, I have the upper hand this time."

"You will never have the upper hand when it comes to this woman," he pointed out, and he wasn't necessarily wrong.

I eyed my friend. "This time, I do."

Without another word, I turned the doorknob, then walked into Samara's home, and as I made my way inside, I saw Samara and her sister huddled together on the couch, Alexei and Ivan comfortably sitting in the extra chairs in the living room.

With Maksim going over to stand behind the women, I took a seat on the coffee table, and it took everything in me not to take my time appreciating just how beautiful Samara had grown up to be. Even with her face pale, her eyes rimmed with worry, and her body trembling, she was fucking stunning.

Ignoring Samara Andreev, I directed my gaze towards her younger sister that looked nothing like her. Masha had taken after their father, whereas Samara had taken after their mother. "Masha, it's been a long time."

Masha's dark eyes looked over at me, and the girl looked terrified, though she was hardly a girl at the age of thirty. "Avgust," she greeted quietly.

"So, I am told that you took a wrong turn," I remarked.

"I…I won't…won't say any…anything," she promised, and though I believed her, I didn't believe her enough to risk my entire organization on her word.

"Masha, that is not how this works," I told her. "And I believe that you know that to be true."

Her eyes started leaking tears again. "I…I swear," she sobbed. "I…I swear that-"

I put my hand up to stop her. "I do not have to tell you how many men I've heard utter those same words, Masha. They no longer make the impact on me that you are hoping they would. My heart has already turned black against compassion, but you already knew that, yes?" My eyes slid Samara's way. "After all, you and I both know who is at fault for that."

Samara's jaw ticked, and I just smirked at her reaction. She didn't have a leg to stand on here, and she knew it. I didn't owe these two women anything, and they were lucky that I was even bothering with them right now. Nevertheless, the sadistic part of me had cackled with glee when Maksim had called me to tell me that they had Samara and Masha in a precarious position. Though it had ended up taking fifteen years, I now had a chance at revenge, and I was going to take it.

Looking back over at Masha, I said, "Nonetheless, I am willing to grant you a mercy that I don't offer often. No torture for you, Masha. I'll instruct your death to be a quick one."

Masha let out a strangle cry as Samara finally spoke. "Don't do this, Avgust," she begged. "You know that she won't say anything. You know that."

I looked back over at Samara. "Do I?" I taunted. "Tell me, how do I know that? After all, I'd been proven wrong about you before, so why would I take your word for that?"

Her face turned red with anger. "Masha isn't me," she bit out.

"No, I don't suppose that she is, Razh," I replied smoothly, the use of her old nickname making her flinch. I'd gotten to calling Samara by Rage when we'd been only thirteen, and I could see that the nickname still applied. "However, that doesn't change much. We don't leave witnesses to anything , so perhaps you'll feel comforted knowing that you'll be joining her in the hereafter immediately afterwards."

Masha started wailing again, and I watched as Samara held her tighter in her arms, and though I had nothing against Masha Andreev, I wasn't above using her to make her older sister suffer for her past transgressions. I wanted Samara to feel the same hole in her heart that I'd been feeling for the last fifteen fucking years.

Finally, Samara asked the one question that was like music to my ears. "What do you want?"

"To ensure my family's legacy," I replied flippantly. "And there is only one way that we can achieve that; leaving no witnesses." I placed my elbows on my knees, then leaned forward. "Or would you prefer that I take her and keep her as a guarantee that she doesn't speak?"

Samara's face paled at the very thought, and it was hard to keep my dick under control when she looked so vulnerable. Revenge really was one of the most delectable meals on the planet, and it satisfied almost as good as sex did.

"Avgust, don't do this," Samara repeated. "I'm begging you."

I cocked my head as I straightened. "Ah, Razh , have you not learned that begging is futile? It never works out for the beggar." My eyes narrowed at her. "I ought to know."

Ignoring my barb, she said, "Avgust, please…leave my sister alone."

Even though I knew that it was going to piss off Maksim, I said, "You have three choices in this matter, Razh. I kill you both, I take Masha to ensure her silence, or I take you to ensure her silence."

Masha gasped as Maksim let out a low curse behind them, but my eyes remained on my prey. I knew that Samara would choose to stay alive, and I also knew that she'd never send her sister to live with the bratva. Even before their parents' deaths, Samara had always looked out for her little sister, and they were very close and always had been. In fact, they were close enough that Masha would cut out her own tongue before uttering a word if she knew that her sister's life was in my hands.

"Why?" Samara spat, that fire in her coming out again. "You know that we won't say anything, Avgust. You can talk about guarantees all you want, but you know that we won't say anything."

Ignoring that, I said, "Those are your three choices, and you've only five minutes to decide. After all, I'm a busy man."

"What about my job?"

"No!" Masha called out, grabbing onto her sister.

"Stop it, Masha," Samara scolded.

"You can't go with him," Masha cried out, hysteria very near. "You can't-"

"I can't let you die," Samara snapped at her. "I can do anything but that, Masha. If you're safe, then that's all that matters."

Instead of arguing some more, Masha collapsed in her sister's arms, openly sobbing like she should with this turn of events. Of course, Masha and Samara were probably going to still end up dead after it was all said and done, but I would have finally gotten my pound of flesh from Samara by then, so what did it matter?

Looking back at me, Samara repeated her question. "What about my job? Masha can't afford to live here without my income."

"I'll have Bogdan purchase the condo in full, allowing Masha to only have to worry about utilities," I answered easily.

"You'll still be cutting her income in half," Samara pointed out.

I arched a brow. "Well, since a bratva bull will be taking your place as her roommate to ensure that she doesn't forget her place, then he can take on half the expenses as well."

Masha gasped as Samara's eyes widened. "You can't…you can't just…just move some man in here with her," Samara squawked.

"Why not?" I challenged. "Masha is thirty, not thirteen."

"Avgust-"

"Do not act as if you have a say in any of this, Razh," I reminded her harshly. "Your input ended when you decided how you wanted this to be handled. The rest, you have no say in."

With her jaw ticking again, she asked. "Can I have a moment alone to say goodbye to my sister?"

I grinned at her. "Take two," I offered. "After all, I doubt that you'll ever see her again after this."