Page 137 of Secret Heir

“Maksim.” His voice is strained. “Come to kill me?”

“I should.” I press the barrel of my gun to his forehead, trying to steady my breathing. “For what you did to my son and Len. For Aria living in fear. All of it.”

“Then do it.” He actually smiles, blood staining his teeth. “Pull the trigger. Be the monster everyone knows you are.”

My finger tightens on the trigger. It would be so easy to let out one shot and watch him crumple to the ground.

But I hear Nikolai behind me. “Maksim. Don’t.”

“He tried to kill Daniel.” My voice is shaking with rage. “He poisoned my seven-year-old son. He killed Len!”

“And he’ll pay for that, but not like this.” Nikolai moves beside me. “We do this properly. Council hearing. Execution according to Bratva law. If you kill him now, you rob us of justice.”

Alexander laughs, but it’s a wet, pained sound. “You still believe in justice? You’re even more naive than I thought.”

“Shut up,” I snarl.

But Alexander doesn’t stop. “You think you’ve won?” Blood bubbles at the corner of his mouth. “You think capturing me solves anything? You’re so fucking stupid, Maksim. You always were. Too loyal. Too trusting. Too blind to see what was right in front of you.”

“I see you,” I say coldly, refusing to allow his words to penetrate my skin. “A traitor. A coward. A man who tried to murder children to save his own skin.”

“I’m a visionary.” Alexander’s eyes are bright with fever or fanaticism. “I’ve been building this for fifteen years. Do you really think I did it alone? The Corsicans are just part of it. I have people embedded in other Bratva families, other organizations. Brighton Beach. Bay Ridge. Even in Nikolai’s inner circle.” He smirks at my brother who stiffens. “People who’ve been planning this for years and waiting for the signal.”

Nikolai crouches beside him, his face carved into stone. “Names.” he says harshly. “Give me names.”

Alexander spits blood. “Why? I’m dead anyway. So why would I give you anything?”

“Because we can make your death quick,” Nikolai says. “Or we can make it last days. Your choice.”

Alexander considers this, his blue eyes calculating. Then he smiles again.

“No. I don’t think so. See, I’ve planned for this too. If I die, my people know to activate contingencies. Dead man’s switches, in other words. Your families, your operations—all of it burns.”

“You’re lying,” I blurt out, but doubt creeps in.

Alexander tilts his head to the side, almost serpentine. “Am I? Are you willing to bet Aria’s life on that? Daniel’s? That baby she’s carrying?” Alexander’s smile widens. “I know everything about you, Maksim. I’ve been watching for years. I know where your son sleeps. I know where Aria walks when she needs air. I know every guard rotation, entrance, and weakness in your security.”

My finger twitches on my gun. I want to put a bullet in his brain. I want it more than I’ve ever wanted anything.

But Nikolai’s hand is on my arm. “He’s baiting you,” he murmurs. “He’s trying to make you kill him so his people think we murdered him without trial. It’ll make him a martyr.”

“Ah, Nikolai,” Alexander says to my brother almost fondly. “You always were smarter than your brother. That’s why I knew you’d be harder to kill. Maksim was supposed to be the easy one.”

“Take him,” Nikolai orders, his face pinched with anger. “Get him medical attention. We need him alive.”

Dmitri and Pavel move to lift Alexander. He groans as they haul him up, blood still pouring from his thigh.

I lower my gun but don’t holster it. I need to know I can end him if necessary.

“This isn’t over,” Alexander says as they drag him toward the door. He’s looking directly at me. “You think you’ve won? You’ve won nothing. My people are still out there. My plans are still in motion. Kill me, and you’ll never know who they are. You’ll spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder, wondering who’s going to strike next.”

“We’ll find them,” Nikolai vows. “We’ll dismantle your entire network.”

“Will you?” Alexander laughs again, and it’s a wet, terrible sound. “Good luck. You’re going to need it.”

They take him away, leaving blood smears on the floor.

I stand in the ruined room, my gun still in my hand, and I realize something: Alexander’s right.