Page 78 of Sexting my Bratva Daddies

Peyton struggled, her head swinging around to take us in.

Her gaze landed on me, and I knew.

With that one look, I knew she’d finally learned the truth.

For the first time, she looked at me with fear, and it had nothing to do with the gun pointed at her.

My gut churned, acidic bile rushing up so fast, I barely swallowed it in time.

“Misha.” Raw terror widened her eyes, her horror on full display.

This was me. This was the monster I’d worked so hard to hide from her. And now she’d seen all of me. No wonder she was terrified.

Staying loyal to the brotherhood was going to cost me. I’d known that all along, but I had hoped, with what little decency I had, I had hoped that it would not take Peyton from me. I’d worry about that later.

“Do not try anything stupid.” Anton grabbed Peyton’s shoulder and ground the pistol against her temple.

Viktor grabbed Elena from me and brought her to the front, pressing his gun to her head. Elena made a sound behind her gag. Viktor untied it while watching Peyton. “I’ll kill her unless you let Peyton go. We know she’s one of your people. She’s been using her friendship with Peyton to steal private information right out from under our noses.”

Peyton sucked in a ragged breath but didn’t seem as surprised as I’d thought she’d be.

Anton laughed such a cold, brittle sound that my spine tingled. “I could not care less about that bitch. She has served her purpose.” His gun shifted, and a single shot rang out.

Elena sagged against Viktor.

“Elena!” Peyton screamed and tried to throw her body forward. Her bonds caught her, trapping and holding her in place.

Fuck Anton. I was going to make him wish for death a thousand times over for daring to put Peyton through any kind of pain.

“I’m… sorry.” Elena choked on the words, her body slumping toward the ground.

Viktor let her fall. He couldn’t afford to try and manage her literal dead weight with Anton pulling a power move. With that one shot, he’d taken our leverage, which meant we’d overestimated Elena’s importance to him. Something we should not have done. Anton was a known menace who epitomized love as a weakness and feelings as something to be destroyed.

Being compromised meant death. Our time with Peyton had allowed us to forget that.

A mistake I would not make again.

“Now then.” Anton pressed down on Peyton’s shoulder.

Gunfire erupted outside, and a tiny spurt of relief relaxed my grip on my knife. If I could ease around just right, I might be able to grab my pistol. No doubt Anton wore body armor beneath his suit. One shot between the eyes. That was all I needed.

“It’s time we renegotiate our terms.” Anton waved the pistol. “I’m finding New York to have much to offer.”

Rapid gunfire escalated outside the office. Anton seemed unbothered, like he fully expected his men to overpower ours.

Was that possible?

“I want free rein of the ports in your operation, Leonid. All the ports you have been hoarding for yourself. I also want the business on Oakland.” He rattled off a few more demands, some minor and some large enough to put a dent in our daily operations.

No doubt, Anton knew that, knew exactly where to hit to hurt us the most. “In exchange, you will get your woman back in one piece.”

“Agreed.” Leo didn’t even think about it. He held out his hand, ready for Anton to shake.

Peyton watched the entire exchange with wide eyes.

Once she tore her gaze away from Elena’s prone form, things shifted in her expression.

The innocence fled, and my heart hurt for her.