Page 118 of Beautiful Ruins
Ivanovich.
Even cornered between Gianni and Archie, he still reached for his weapon out of instinct, slow and certain, like a man who had survived long enough to rely on reflex over hope.
He never drew it.
Two shots rang out.Clean.Precise.Final.
The force of the impact sent his body backward before he hit the ground heavily, lifeless before he fully collapsed.
Nathan let out a broken, animal sound from the floor.
The room went still, finally empty of resistance.
Only his ragged breathing remained, loud and pathetic in the silence.
I stepped over Ivanovich’s body without looking down and crouched in front of Nathan.
Up close, he looked smaller than I remembered.Greasier.Weaker.The kind of man who only survived by attaching himself to stronger predators.
“You chose the Russians.”
“I was desperate,” he whispered, voice shaking so badly the words barely held shape.
“You tried to sell a woman under my protection,” I forced out.
His face crumpled.
“You messed with the wrong family.”
Tears streaked down his face, mixing with blood as he shook uncontrollably.
I grabbed him by the collar and hauled him upright.His legs barely supported him, knees buckling as he clutched at my wrist in blind panic.
“You brought war to my door.”My voice low enough that he had to lean in to hear it.“You endangered my family.My home.My life.”
“Please,” he rasped.“Please, Raze, I’ll fix it.I’ll disappear.I’ll leave the country.I’ll?—”
My grip tightened until he winced.
“You involved my sister,” I persisted.“You involved my house.You involved men who thought they could breach my gates and walk away breathing.”
His teeth chattered audibly.
“I didn’t have a choice?—”
“You always had a choice,” I said coldly.“You just chose the one that served your own selfish purpose better.”
He started crying then.Full, choking sobs that echoed embarrassingly in the ruined room.
“You wanted protection,” I leaned closer, forcing him to meet my eyes.
My hand tightened in his collar until the fabric strained.
“Now,” I finished, voice steady and absolute, “you have my full attention.”
Behind me, the club was being dismantled room by room.My men moved with ruthless efficiency, shutting down every remaining piece of the operation until nothing functional remained.
With no leadership and no structure, there was no future for the Chernov outfit.They were finished.
