Dragusha Revenge ✓Completed✓

ALEKSIO

WE STOP FIGHTING when she shoots the gun. In a flash we’re off the ground, hands up. There she is, staggering, waving that gun. We’re all freaking. “Put it down,” Viktor says. “Stop fighting!” Tears stream down her cheeks in streaks. “We stopped! We’re okay now,” I say. Except we’re not.

Mira is staggering around with a loaded Glock, finger on the trigger. She could shoot us without even meaning to. She’s going to shoot us, that’s my thought, and I wouldn’t blame her. I blew up her house. Abducted her Degraded her. Made that movie. Viktor nearly chopped her finger off. I keep my hands up, showing her I’m no threat. “Baby—” “Don’t call me that! Or ‘Kitten’!” “Mimi,” I say. “Put it down.” Ten guys are out here Dr. Currie and the Russians and my guys, looming around, hands half-up. Shit, a pack of guys won’t improve this situation. I flick my fingers, signaling everyone to back away. They pull back fast.

All except Viktor. I growl—I can’t look at him. He finally backs off. In a soft voice I say, “Give me the gun.” She gazes into my eyes, lip quivering. “Did he really do it?”
“What, Mira?
Your finger?” Fuck. Is she asking me whether Viktor cut off her finger?
How bad did he drug her? I’m so angry I can’t think.
“My father! Did he really kill your parents while you and your baby brothers watched? And he hunted you?” I grit my teeth. No wonder she’s so fucked up. She had to know her dad was a killer, but I can only imagine the picture Viktor painted for her. The young parents. The babies crying. The way her father killed my father, then lunged for my mother as she darted away.I remember that so vividly. And then Lazarus held her for the blade. I saw her eyes. The blood.

“Is it true?” “Yeah,” I say. “He just…” She stares off at the trees, swaying.
“He just killed them? In front of you kids?” “He killed them in front of us kids.” Her voice is small.
“You’re sure?” I swallow.
“He drugged their drinks, and then he chased them up to the top floor of our home and slit their throats. Him and Lazarus.” “In front of their babies.” “Yeah, that’s what he did. They ran up there to protect us.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” This, I think. She’s frowning, focusing intently on me. The moment seems to slow, and I feel her like I always have.
“And he wanted to kill you, too? Is that true, too? He chased you?” “He knew I’d be a threat to him. I was old enough to understand. To remember. To want vengeance. Konstantin hid me while it happened. He kept me quiet

The tears are coming again. “And you heard Dad throw up after?” “Yeah.” It kills me, seeing her like this, hurting and fucked up.
“And that was my dad and Lazarus chasing you? When you got burned?” My pulse whooshes. “And now I’m back good as new. Let’s have the gun.
You don’t really like guns, right? We’re going to work it all out.” “Lazarus is trying to kill baby Kiro. You’re worried about baby Kiro.” If he’s not already dead. She walks unsteadily toward me, finger still on that fucking trigger. Nobody move, I think. Nobody spook her. I blank out the pain in my ankle, my head. Her dark hair is wild and wavy around her shoulders, as if it morphed with her mood. She says, “You need to find baby Kiro.”

“We’ll find him. You remember him?” I ask, willing her to lower the piece. “Remember his little hat? His little fingers?” “So tiny.” “Yeah, we need to find Kiro. He’s running out of time. I promised I’d protect him.” “You keep your promises I do. How about giving me that gun, Mira.” She’s right in front of me now. I consider grabbing the gun, but any fast movement could make her twitch. Suddenly she’s doing something with her hands, pulling a ring off her finger, still holding that damn gun.

“Be careful where you point that,” I say calmly. “Real careful.” She keeps working at the ring, the gun pointing this way and that. It seems like it’s stuck on her middle finger, and she’s pulling and pulling. “You need help?” “No.” Finally she gets it off and presses it into my palm. “This was stuck on my finger for years. Dad and I even went to a doctor to ask about cutting it off. But I lost weight recently…I never told him when I finally was able to get it off and on and off and…”
“Uh-huh,” I say. “Don’t you see?” She’s swaying. “If he sees the ring…” She forms her words with difficulty, hopped up on whatever Viktor fed her.
“If he sees the ring, he won’t look at the finger. We’ll fool him. Pretend it’s my finger. But without showing him blood.” “What are you talking about, Mira?”