“You said, if we took Vasily out, Konstantin would be a sitting duck as he only had the three men he’d hired recently.” He points to the men around them and snarls. “What the fuck do you call this?”
Konstantin stares at a man he has a gun trained on, but his eyes harden at Popov’s words, and he sends a super-fast glance Liza’s way. The gun in his hand twitches, the movement small, but I swear he’s thinking about killing her. It’s as if I can see the cogs turning as he considers whether or not to pull the trigger on her. It must make her betrayal that much sharper that he risked all this to save her.
“You told him to take out Vasily?” He grinds out, his gaze on the man he’s focused on, but his ire all for her. He has his gun on one of Popov’s men, who has his gun on me. Why me? Who here cares if I live or die?
There are so many men in this space now, and so many guns, I think the odds of getting out alive must be miniscule.
“Babe, it’s all lies. He’s a disgusting, little dick—seriously like an acorn— impotent fucking liar,” Liza screeches.
Popov reaches behind him, and before anyone can react, he pulls a small gun from his waistband, aims, and fires.
There’s blood in my hair, on my face, and clothes, along with something unspeakable too. Something that looks an awful lot like skin. I can’t move, can’t make a sound.
I’m frozen in shock. So shocked, I don’t flinch when Popov goes down like a sack of potatoes next to me, hitting the floor with a thud.
The big blond man still has his gun trained on Popov, a blaze of smoke trailing from the barrel. Next to me, making the most horrifying and unspeakable noises, slumped against the wall, with half her face nothing but pulp, is Liza.
Popov shot her.
He shot a pregnant woman. Why? Why would he do that?
There are two more shots, and the big blond man flies back hitting the wall as he swears. Another round of bullets, and then nothing but deafening silence.
The Yorkshire man has his gun on the last two of Popov and Tigran’s men standing, and he’s watching them intently. They aren’t moving a muscle.
“Reece?” A man with short, cropped dark hair runs to the big blond.
“I’ll be okay. I think it grazed me. Hurts like a bitch, but I think I’ll be okay, boss.”
Andrius goes to Reece and starts to look him over. “Da, you’re going to live,” he says and then adds, mysteriously, “Damn it, you zigged when you should have zagged. Be more careful in future.”
Konstantin barks out a laugh at Andrius’ words and walks to Popov, staring down at him. Andrius joins him.
“Holy fuck, always knew he was a crazy fucker,” Andrius says, talking about Popov, but then adding, “Oh damn, you’re still breathing.”
Popov grunts.
“Why did you shoot Liza?” Andrius asks. “Because she mocked your dick? Are you that pathetic?”
“She lied to me,” Popov gasps out. “Set me up.”
Whilst all this is happening, two of the other men who arrived with the big blond have rushed to Liza and lowered her to the ground. As one cradles her ruined head and face in his arms, the other takes out a phone and starts making calls. “We need an ambulance,” he says.
“No, Popov,” Konstantin says as he stares at Liza and shakes his head. “She didn’t betray you. She betrayed me and Vasily, but not you.”
“All these men, yet she said you had none here.” Popov grinds the words out as if forcing them up through his throat.
“I didn’t.” Konstantin laughs. “Liza didn’t betray you, and you’ve just shot a heavily pregnant woman. All because you’re so fucking dense you don’t know what’s actually going on. Now, you’re not going upstairs, your elevator is purely headed down, and it’s time for you to take that ride. You helped kill my wife, and you shot Andrius. You have to know what comes for you next?”
“Don’t give a fuck,” he says.
“Fine.” Konstantin takes out his gun and shoots Popov in the head.
Andrius looks at Konstantin and sighs. “You said you’d kneecap him first. You said you’d make him suffer.”
“Sorry, I forgot. Got a lot on my mind.” Konstantin looks at Andrius’ face and winces. “Think I broke your nose.”
“Think you did,” Andrius confirms.
“Violet will kill you,” one of the four new men says to Andrius, talking about his wife. So