Without another thought, I draw my pistol and put a bullet in his shoulder before he can pull the trigger.
The gunshot echoes through the hallway. Alexei staggers backward and drops his weapon as blood spreads across his shirt. His men raise their weapons, confused about who to target now that I’ve shot their commander.
“Stand down!” I shout, keeping my weapon trained on my wounded brother. “All of you, stand down!”
Alexei gawks at me like he doesn’t recognize the person pointing a gun at him. Blood seeps between his fingers as he clutches his shoulder. “You shot me.”
“You were about to kill my wife.”
“I was trying to save you from yourself!”
Blood trickles through his fingers where he’s applying pressure to the wound. The sight makes something sick twist in my stomach, but I don’t lower my weapon.
I jab a finger at the metal box behind him. “Get in the elevator and leave.”
“Dmitri—” He takes a step forward but sways, probably from the blood loss.
“Now,” I snap. “Before I decide that protecting what’s mine requires a more permanent solution.”
Alexei looks at his men, then back at me. His face is pale, but his eyes burn with betrayal. “You’re choosing her over blood.”
“I’m choosing what’s right.”
“This isn’t over.” He allows Maxim to help him toward the elevator.
“Anyone who threatens what’s mine gets the same treatment you just received. That includes family.”
My brother stops at the elevator and turns back. “You’ve made your choice. Now live with the consequences.”
“I plan to.”
The elevator doors close, leaving me standing in the hallway, having just declared war on my family to protect a woman who was sent to destroy me.
I lower my weapon and return to the penthouse, where Katya and Anya are staring at me.
“Well,” Anya says, holstering her pistol. “That was dramatic.”
“Are you okay?” Katya asks.
I let out a shaky breath and reply, “I just shot my brother to protect you. I’m not sure ‘okay’ covers it.”
Her eyes flit to the ground, then back up to me. “Do you regret it?”
I think about Alexei’s face when the bullet hit him. The shock, the betrayal, and the realization that I’d chosen Katya over family loyalty.
“No. I don’t regret it.”
“Even knowing it means war with your family?”
“Even knowing that.”
Katya moves closer and takes my hand. “Why?”
“Because some things are worth fighting for, even when the fight costs you everything else.”
“Including family?”
“Real family protects each other instead of trying to eliminate perceived threats.”
