Concede (The Diamond Empire Book 1) by Kathy Coopmans (bts book recommendations .TXT) 📕

get Maxim in front of me to bring everyone’s attention to us, so Dray can saw faster.

It’s time to grin and bear it, poke Maxim where it’s going to hurt, and hope he doesn’t get trigger happy and decide to end me.

“You can shove your questions where the sun doesn’t shine. In case you don’t understand, it means you can shove your questions up your ass. I thought I’d clarify that for you because, well, let’s be honest here, with Mikhail dead, that leaves you the dumbest man on the planet. Nice title to hold, asshole.”

The barrel of a gun cracks against the back of my head, and I right the chair with my feet to catch it from toppling over. The last thing I need is to fall over before Dray finishes.

Jesus Christ does that hurt. If I keep getting hit in the head, I’m going to get a concussion, and pass the fuck out and possibly not wake up.

I’ve been hit so many times my equilibrium feels off, and every twitch in my face makes me want to vomit. I’ve been swallowing the acidic taste down, pushing through the pain as blood drips down my face and neck, soaking up my shirt.

I’ve been trained to handle physical pain. When Gabe taught me how to fight, he didn’t go easy on me. Neither did Aidan. I even fought several men at once before and came out bloody, bruised, and broken bones. Jesus, though, this is the worst I’ve ever felt.

Everything fucking hurts.

Intense.

“It must be nice to have sheep do your dirty work. Is that what your brother Mikhail was the night he died. A little sheep you sent out alone. I witnessed his murder, you know. He took several knives to his body. He was whimpering like a baby with every strike to his face. He died nice and bloody. I almost felt sorry for him. Then I thought, Nah, once a street rat, always a street rat. He deserved to die nice and bloody,” I taunt, clenching my teeth and bracing myself for another blow to my head.

“You have some brass balls speaking about my brother when you’re the one about to join him.”

A split-second later, a fist smashes into my right temple several times. Through the blows, I straighten my legs and use every ounce of strength I have left to hold the chair in place.

White spots burst in front of my eyes. I grit my teeth so hard they’ll be nothing left but dust if they keep this up.

“Jesus,” I mutter when the person stops. “Is that the best you can do?”

“His best, not mine. I’m about to find out how much pain you can endure. I thought about taking out the third in command first. Being he’s worth so much more than you. It seems at the moment he’s incapable of talking. You, I need to shut the fuck up.”

He’s going out have to cut out my tongue if he wants that to happen, and something tells me he’s like a wild animal that likes to toy with his food before he mutilates it, so digging at him should be easy. Unless he loses his temper. That’s a chance I’m going to have to take if we want to make it out of here alive.

Even though Maxim can’t see me, I smile in response. It’ll probably be the only one I’ll be able to do by the time he’s finished fucking up my face.

“My brother was no sheep. If anyone in this room is, it’s you. Doing the work for Roan, as everyone else does. The old fuck is too lazy to get his hands stained anymore. Mikhail was my flesh and blood. He was my brother. The only person I trusted with my life. Like you, he made a mistake. There’s no room for them in our line of business, as you can tell for yourself.”

He’s right about mistakes and wrong about Roan and me.

“Speaking of business, is yours not doing well for you? Is business not doing well for you, Maxim? Are the people in your country sick of you taking something that doesn’t belong to you? We know what you do. We know why you took out part of Aidan’s family. Why them and not go after Roan himself? Fucking pussy is my guess,” I goad a bit more as I focus hard on Dray. He doesn’t flinch at my words about his family.

Thank fuck. The last thing I want to do is say something to pour salt in his wounds and get him to lose his concentration, especially when I’m incapable of helping him. He has one chance to take out Maxim, grab someone’s gun, and kill the rest.

“Please grant me one last wish by seeing the look on your face. You have to be downright furious. It has to piss you off that you won’t get your filthy paws on Karina or those forged papers worth millions.”

My whole face catches aflame as I break out in laughter.

“Do you think I care how much you know about me? You’re an idiot for walking into my trap, but as you’re trying to do, you always hit your enemies where it hurts the most. You need to shut up and listen. I’ve waited most of my life for this time to come, and you won’t screw it up. Fucking shit, I told you to knock them out, not beat them unconscious. I wouldn’t need this one if you fuckwits listened to orders.” He rattles off a bunch more bullshit in his foreign language. Anger making the veins in his neck protrude.

“Make me shut up yourself.” I clench my eyes closed and wait for more blows.

“Gladly.”

Maxim steps into my line of vision. His expression blank, body tense like a coiled spring. He has the same features as Mikhail.

Ugly as a despicable motherfucker.

My guts twists, and my beast roars so loud my pulse pounds to a dangerous level as I stare into the eyes of