Osip? Does any man think our rules are outd

h certainty. They know what the Bratva means to

throat. He's rig

pping around the one thing that can't be sid

befor

s t

urder and defilement of civilians, and as the don of

st word dies on my lips: ex

can't

ow, try

ords

rowing. There's a

Just

up at me. I can't

n bro

fter him. I won't always be ... I'

own accord: "Your pun

upts in stunned whispers. No less stu

have

reaking the rules is

e of our most basic rules

Osip is u

going for pity now. "Gavril, brother. P

irst, seizing his a

her hopeful scan of the crowd. "I

th

it!" he yells i

look awa

lging, sweat-wet hair whipping every which way, my bro

in. A man of the Bratva. A f

the decision's been made. "Radovan will take you to the bus station, with e

free himself. As they lead him away, he strains his head

accusing stare still c

tell the other

w better than to disturb me now. In the next room, I

ake. One that may

hing more to

romise

rothers, warriors. The Vaknin Bra

e memories crowding in my mind, threa

os

s looking at me with his sad, too-light eyes like he al

lling me things I don't want to hear. As my ears a

hey thought-we

kno

w to explain it, when I can'

y broth

the red chair too.

o friends. No

ds, turned

t with blood from our pricked fingers. How we put out hands on the document, one atop th

't do it." His quiet leaves room for more. All

r at once. An asset, unquestionably. A friend. "You ar

s a study in certainty. All ha

rther off-Osip's,

that way. "Do y

flout authority," I admi

's bro

to kill him on sight-m

. Not again. I turn to look at the doorway where I saw my brother for the las

il they con

cil room seems smaller wi

thing at the corner of his lips. A sad

ts of your official-looking

figured, after a day like this ...

ng it back and forth. Until I

Macallan M bottle ba

have to,"

ant me to,

" I a

knows better than to let

nce, there's another. Standing here, all alone ... No

le, and stop at the red chair. Long

meet

ake a swig of

be kings of the city ...

her

one d

o

. I can never

d

king its magic on my brain

nd tired-out and dying anyway, maybe I'll see him aga

throw my

me. I should get up and go about my business. And yet, I can't forc

me. My emotions got the better of

had to die;

s free, because