firing line. She immediately came to my side, gripping my arm fiercely.
The man dropped the gun, shock in his eyes. “You’re not meant to be here.”
“Clearly,” Konstantin purred. There was nothing flirtatious or charming in his voice. It was the tone of a creature who was very dangerous, who was playing with his prey before he devoured it.
The man tried to swipe for Konstantin, but he was too slow. I could only watch as Konstantin expectedly grabbed his wrist and threw him into the wall. The man tried to recover but Konstantin punched him in the throat with the same movement as a snake striking its prey.
As he gasped for air, Konstantin righted his cuffs. “Who are you working for?” he asked quietly, but we all heard.
The man clawed at the wall to steady himself. “I’m not telling you shit!”
Konstantin drove his elbow into the man’s stomach, sending him doubling over and onto his knees.
He crouched down, balancing his gun on his thigh. “This is only a sliver of the pain I can give you,” he hissed, the first sign of the monster beneath beginning to take control. “There are ladies present so I must play nice, but make no mistake, you will talk, and you won’t stop talking.”
The man looked up, eyes and nose running from the pain. “Act—so—powerful—now.” He gasped. “But—Titus—is…coming for you.”
“Titus.” Konstantin said the name thoughtfully. “A Roman Emperor of the Flavian Dynasty. I don’t recall him killing innocent women, however.”
“Titus will kill you…” The man gasped. “All of you will bow.”
“Your Titus wants world domination. Not the most interesting of goals,” Konstantin replied. “And where is your Titus?”
He shook his head, still struggling to breather. “Will…never…say…”
“Oh, I think you will.”
The man tilted his head, meeting my gaze. He smiled slowly. “Watch your back, Falcone. Titus has you right where—”
With the back of the gun, Konstantin jabbed the man in his pressure point. Instantly he collapsed, no longer so cocky and threatening.
Konstantin rose to his full height, regarding the man with disinterest, like he was an inconsequential bug he needed to swat.
“Elena, Roksana.” Konstantin looked at us over his shoulder.
“We’re fine,” I said.
Roksana nodded in agreement, unable to speak.
Konstantin scanned us both for his own confirmation. His eyes passed over Vik, with his bloody eyes. “Mikhail is dead,” he said.
“Oh,” Roksana choked. “Oh my God…” She pressed a hand to her chest. “Artyom. I need Artyom.”
“He is on his way,” Konstantin said, softening his voice for Roksana. His eyes came to me, holding my gaze. He looked like he was going to say something, but Russian shouts erupted from down the hallway.
Seconds later, Artyom and Roman came thundering down the hall.
Artyom didn’t look at his Pakhan or the slumped bodies. He went straight for Roksana, pushing me out of the way to get to her. Russian words tumbled together but I knew he was asking if she was okay. Roksana tearily nodded.
“This is what happens when you leave the house without me,” Roman said, stomping down the hall. He took in the bodies. “Shit, shit.” Then to my surprise, he asked, “You good, Elena?”
I blinked. “Fine.”
“There’s blood on your fingers,” he pointed out.
“It’s not hers,” Konstantin said. He jerked his chin to Vik. “It’s his.”
Roman didn’t flinch at the eyeless man. Instead he looked…impressed.
Konstantin pointed down at the other one. “Give him to Dmitri and Olezka. I want to know everything that man knows. Everything he has seen and done his entire life; I want to know.”
“Yes, Pakhan.” Roman eyed Konstantin with a flash of concern but didn’t say anything as he went about his job.
Artyom held Roksana to his chest, “Who the fuck is he?”
“He works for our woman-killer,” Konstantin remarked. “A man he refers to as Titus.”
“Titus?” Artyom glanced down at the body. “There is no boss called Titus in the United States, or any other part of the world.”
“I’m aware,” Konstantin replied. He tucked his gun back into his holster, before smoothing down his blazer. “Artyom, I want all the woman sent into protective custody. Those who are unable to stay locked down due to work will be provided bodyguards.”
Artyom straightened. “Yes, sir. Consider it done.”
Konstantin met my eyes again, the light-brown color dark and cold. “Enough lying in wait,” he said. “Now, we hunt.”
Part Two -
Elena’s Kingpin
“Snake’s poison is life to the snake; it is in relation to man that it means death.”
– Rumi.
14
Konstantin Tarkhanov
Hilarion won by half a second.
“And the winner is...Hilarion Troitsky of Tarkhanov Stables!”