Page 44 of The Bratva's Secret Baby

“You and that Russian bastard had to find out eventually how I used and killed your brother. I had to get to you before you found out and did something about me.”

“You’re an asshole, Kendrick. You’re a fucking asshole.”

“I never said I wasn’t.” He leaned toward me, his breath brushing disgustingly over my neck. “You know what? You have the same scared eyes your brother had right before I stabbed him.”

I choked, forcing myself not to picture the gruesome image Kendrick was trying to paint in my head.

Don’t let him get to you, Rosanne. Don’t.

Adrenaline coursed through my veins, igniting my need to fight. I wanted to scream and fight back, but Kaity was asleep. My little girl was sleeping peacefully in her room. Kendrick would kidnap her and use her to get to Damien. I didn’t care about my life, but my daughter’s life mattered. His arm around my neck loosened, but he pressed the knife more firmly into my neck. "Say hello to your brother for me.”

I closed my eyes and accepted my death with a full embrace. The last thought that flickered through my mind were the thoughts of Kaity and Damien.

Bang!

My body shook from the sudden sound, my pulse was racing like a hundred miles an hour. The smell of gunpowder in the air, mixing with the stench of fresh blood.

When I opened my eyes, a light mist enveloped the room, bringing me back from my nightmare. The sight of the blood splatter made me gag.

Kendrick was lying on the floor next to me, whimpering as he closed his fist around his arm where Damien’s bullet had entered. His knife had slipped out of his hand and somehow flown across the room.

“Rosanne, are you okay?” I whirled my head around to face Damien. Concern drew on his handsome features, and his sharp jawlines tightened as his gaze shifted from me to Kendrick.

“Damien,” I murmured as hot tears ran down my cheeks.

As if my voice had just pulled him out of a dark, bottomless pit, Damien turned his attention back to me. “malen'kaya roza.”

I ran to him and wrapped my arms around him. My mind raced as I buried my head against his chest, desperately clinging to him as I sobbed.

Damien held me tight and combed his finger through my hair. “Everything’s over now,Roza.You’re safe now.”

“He killed Eric,” I cried as the ache from Kendrick’s betrayal clawed at my heart. “He was behind everything.”

Before Damien left, he told me to always keep my cell phone close to me and if something happened, to quickly press the record button. I almost laughed at that because I didn't understand what he meant, but when Kendrick showed up unannounced, it dawned on me. When I went to the kitchen to make tea, I took my phone with me, turned it on, and then slipped it back into one of my folders. I still couldn't believe Kendrick would hurt me; I didn't want to believe he was such a cruel guy. I didn’t want to believe that the man I looked up to was nothing more than a facade. A mask he had only put on to use me as he had done with my brother.

When I finally had the strength to stop sobbing, I grabbed one of my folders on the table and picked up my cell phone. I recorded the whole conversation.

I turned to look at Kendrick. His olive skin had turned pale from blood loss and a film of sweat was forming on his forehead as I played the recording. When I was done, I walked over to him and squatted down next to him. “I told you that I would hunt down my brother’s killers, and I think you can say that I have kept my promise.”

Damien strode over to us. He placed his foot on Kendrick's arm where he had shot him and pressed the sole of his shoe into it. “That’s for stealing from me.” He squeezed harder and his eyes darkened at Kendrick’s groan. “And this is for Eric West.” He lowered himself and grabbed Kendric by the collar of his brown leather jacket. His hand balled into a fist, and he slammed it into Kendrick’s jaw.

Kendrick fell to the ground with a dull thud like a sack of bricks, whimpering like a wounded puppy. “What the fuck, man?”

A smile darkened Damien’s lip. He grabbed Kendrick by his collar again and held him up. “The only reason I’m not beating you right into your coffin is because Rosanne begged me not to. I know you’re an asshole but think of how much you hurt her while you rot in jail.”

He readied his fist for another punch, but I flew at him and stopped him before he could land the blow, holding his arm.

Damien turned his head in my direction, and I shook my head disapprovingly.

“No, Damien. Don’t. He’s not worth it.”

His gaze burned Kendrick, and then the flames in them dissipated as our eyes met. His chest rose and fell, his arm still hovering in the air as he thought about his punch.

“This is my revenge,” I said quietly.

After a moment, he snorted and tossed Kendrick aside. “Fine.”

“But are you sure he didn't hurt you?” I gave him a weak smile. “I’m fine. I'm just a little startled, and a scratch, that’s all.”