The Russian Roulette [The Mafia Chronicles #2]

Prologue

The man coughed, again, trying to free his airways from his own blood. That same blood spurted out from his lips dripping onto the concrete floor. It wasn't a pleasant sight. His head dropped forward from exhaustion and hung from his bruised body. He was given a warm Russian hug deserving of a traitor-

Which he is not. At least that's what he believed.

Doesn't mean anyone else is going to believe him and certainly not anyone with Dimitri blood. Certainly not their leader. He made sure that everyone knew that much from the evident bruises and cuts on the man's body. No one would've wanted to believe you if you were accused of having anything to do with the Dimitri massacre that left the Dimitri's sole heir alone and without his family.

No matter how much the man's body ached or how much he wished he were dead, his mind circled back to his daughter. Is she okay? He hoped that harm did not reach her because of him. That was all he cared about. Not his throat, clogged with his blood. Not the torture he endured. Not the injustice he was facing right now.

No, he only cared about his family's safety. It was all he wished.

A brooding figure walked into the cell he was held in. This was the moment he realized death was near. It was like looking at an angel of death coming to take the very thing no one should take from you: your soul. Some think that the Dimitris where spawns of Satan.

The man would disagree. He thinks Satan was their spawn.

Crouching down, the Dimitri heir looked at the man he once held dear to his heart. What a shame, he's going to die as a traitor along with his family. A gun and dagger glinted in both his hands. He settled for the gun. He at least owed this man a swift death for everything he has done for him.

"Why did you do it? They gave you everything! They loved you!" He raised his gun towards the chained man. The Dimitri's face contorted in anger and in hurt. He never thought he could feel such a combination of emotions.

"And I loved them with the very soul you want to take!" The Russian men never thought they would be in a situation like this. It was usually them standing side to side, not as adversaries. "I will keep saying this till my last breath: I did not have anything to do with Anastasia and Nikolai Dimitri's murders! I lost my closest friends the day you lost your parents."

Twenty-two years ago, the Dimitri massacre shook the underground world like an earthquake. That family was a force to reckon with and their son became ten times that force. No one expected the whole Dimitri family to perish on the hands of their closest allies. The whole extended family, except one member.

Alexi Dimitri was the sole survivor of the Dimitri massacre. He vowed to kill everyone that had a hand in their murder and today was the day the sky made its judgment. For years Alexi searched the corners of the earth to find those responsible for him being orphaned at the age of three. He was only an infant when his parents were betrayed and killed. One of those accused of taking part in the massacre was his father's closest friend and right-hand man. They were inseparable and no one could lay a finger on Nikolai Dimitri because of him. So, it came as a shock to everyone when Igor knight was accused of betraying them.

"Drop the fucking act! I'm done heari-" Alexi's words were cut off by the cell's door opening. A soldier rushed in towards his Don with a startled look on his face.

"Don" he took a breath before continuing his words, "You need to come with me before more mistakes are made."

This made Alexi return his gun in his pocket and exit the cell with his soldier, leaving the poor man alone with his rage. Why is the world going against him? He may not be inherently a 'good' man, being in the mafia and all, but he is not inherently bad either.

Minutes passed feeling like hours before the cell's door flew open. The man chuckled painfully in his subconsciousness. He was surprised the door did not break off its hinges.

"Igor." Alexi's voice spoke up as he entered the cell again. "Your job was to protect my parents and you failed at that! We received intel that proves you had no hand in my parent's murder, but I do not believe that. You were meant to be there with them at all times, and where were you that day? Protecting someone else!" The Russian Don shook in anger.

He could've at least said sorry for the torture, Igor scoffed in his mind. He was glad that he survived this and was proven innocent, but his life wouldn't be the same. If he was kicked out of the mafia, his death would be on the hands of his enemies. There was no escaping death.

"I can't trust you. There is no way-" Igor cut off his boss trying to salvage the last bits of hope that he could live.

"The blood pact! Would you trust me then?" The words felt like venom on the father's tongue, but he knew he had no other choice. It was either that or death. He was doing it to save his family and himself from a dark fate.

Some might argue that he was selfish. Maybe that's why he's a 'bad' person and all of this was happening to him. He sacrificed someone else's happiness for the lives of three people. The blood pact was like the code of silence, the omertà. No one spoke of it, but it always lingered like a distant memory. It was the strongest form of trust within the Russian mafia, only breaking with the death of either joining parties.

"You want a blood pact? So, you're giving up someone's life for my trust? I must say, I'm flattered." Alexi scoffed as he rubbed his temples. It seems like holding a gun to people's heads gives one a headache.

"Yes, I am." Those three letters cut his vocal cords like a machete. He hated himself for doing this.

The Don stopped moving and turned towards Igor. "Who are you giving up?"

Igor felt like 'giving up' was too harsh of a phrase to use. But that's the part of him that didn't want to be blamed speaking. He knew the blood pact with the Dimitri heir was like giving up someone to a pack of hungry wolves with only poetry to aid them. You cannot tame a wild beast with the sweetness of human words.

"The only one I cherish."

"And who is that?" Alexi knew who he was referring to, anyone who spoke to Igor knew that only one thing would make him walk through hell and back.

"What have I told you? Don't let anyone see your lips trembling. As long as you have me, I will not let harm touch you. Yes, my princess?"

"Yes, papa."

The very thing that he would move earth for is the thing he is giving up to the wolf that is Alexi Demetri. That thing is his love for his daughter. The blood pact means he will sacrifice his daughter to form a bond stronger than any other. And what bond is stronger than marriage?

"My daughter, Sophie." 

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