Kade sat in the Escalade with Dario who took them to the location that they discovered to be Vadik Waldorf's hideout.

Something wasn't right about any of this, he thought to himself as he looked out the tinted windows. The Waldorf's were conniving wolves who were too smart to hide out so close to their enemy. Perhaps, Alec was right that Vadik wasn't in the city any longer. If Vadik was smart then he would have left the city a long time ago.

Kade's finger, that tapped his knee rhythmically, halted. No, he thought.

Vadik wouldn't leave his brother even though he did once already. They would stay close together so they could communicate easily. He saw the loyalty between the brothers through Alec, he loved his younger brother and even sacrificed his own life to let his brother go free before he was caught too.

Last night, Vadik entered his territory unseen by Kade's trained guards, it was fucking infuriating. These two brothers were definitely trouble, he cursed inwardly. Now, their uncle was in town and on a rampage to hunt whoever killed his brother. Evil or not, Kade thought, a determined man will do anything for his family.

Despite everything, Kade should be focused on the fight ahead of him. But his mind kept trailing back to Alec's words he told Mia this morning. Now, the tattoo on Alec's rib cage made sense. The name Natalia belonged to his sister and not a mate. Relief washed over Kade, which didn't make any fucking sense. He shouldn't care whether or not Alec was mated, but his wolf did. When Alec spoke of his sister, Kade understood the pain the man carried. His sister took her own life, so that must have left a different scar on his heart. Alec carried her memories with him and cherished her despite not being able to protect her. Kade hadn't been able to protect Mia either. Her limp was a constant reminder of his own weakness.

Kade stiffened in his seat. When the fuck did he start calling that Waldorf by his first name? He almost took out his gun and shot himself in the skull. He ignored the burning desire that hollowed his soul and looked out the window watching Nikolai's flashing red Ferrari overtake them on the road.

"We're here," Dario informed as his own eyes were glued to the tracker in front of him.

The Escalade came to a stop to an abandoned building outside of the city near the bay area. Kade rarely came to this side of town because most gangs did business around here. This was a strange location for Waldorf's brother to hide out.

Kade got out of the car, Dario and Nikolai followed him. He scoped the area, seeing the lake beside them with seagulls passing over the water. The sun was setting behind the city buildings, inching away it's light. Dario swung the doors open that creaked from the rust on the old metal hinges. Immediately, the stench of rotting flesh and blood hit Kade in the face. His wolf emerged with focus in his eyes just like the rest of them. He sensed that there was an attack here and that Waldorf must be behind it.

"It's a bloodbath," Nikolai remarked.

Inches before their feet laid hundreds of bodies mutilated; limbs and heads separated from bodies and the blood created a thick crimson pool on the concrete.

"Why would Vadik Waldorf do this if he was hiding out?" Dario asked.

"This doesn't look like someone who is hiding," Kade said. This wolf was a hunter who saw his prey and caused carnage.

"Look," Nikolai called out.

Dario and Kade both looked at the dead man where Nikolai stood, the bare arm had the tattoo of a sword with a hawk in front of it and the letter 'R' under it. That was a gang sign, Kade recognized it right away because he knew that tattoo very well. These men belonged to Giovanni Romano who was a mafia leader from the city next to Kade's hometown in Italy. Their two gangs had been in a feud for a long time until Giovanni took the throne after killing off his own boss. The Romano gang and the Guerriero gang have not had any feuds for a few years now. Kade would like it keep it that way but being here doesn't look good for him.

Whoever killed these men better have a good explanation because Kade knew Giovanni's temper personally. He was a man of focus and brutality, which shouldn't be taken lightly.

"Giovanni's going to be pissed," Nikolai said what they were all thinking.

"Do you think Vadik could have done this?" Dario asked.

Before Kade could answer, a loud clank and thud was heard from the room across them. All three of them armed themselves and waited for anyone to enter their space. But no one did. Dario and Kade went ahead with Nikolai watching their back.

Kade wasn't sure what they'd find, but it was too late to back out now.

The sliver through the door allowed them to see a man that was tied to a chair, his mouth gagged and blood dripping from everywhere. He was crying as someone in front of him watched with a cigar in his mouth. Kade knew that this man wasn't Vadik Waldorf, it was their goddamned uncle. Mikhail stood in a suit, jacket taken off and he wore a black shirt, the sleeves rolled up and arms ruggedly covered in dark tattoos. His stark white hair tousled and a bit of blood dusted the ends. He was a strapping, broad shouldered man who was at least six-foot, nothing about was feeble or weak. The man was a dangerous predator who lived to feed off the blood of his prey.

"What is he doing?" Dario asked.

"What'd you expect? He's a Waldorf," Kade chided.

"We shouldn't be found here," Dario warned.

Kade needed a better look or even answers.

"I can smell you," Mikhail announced.

The silence in the building was sinister before Mikhail's cold voice echoed to them. Dario shut the door giving them mere seconds to escape. The door behind them opened and instead of Mikhail, it was the poor man wobbling towards them with tears down his eyes and a gun in his hands.

"He- he told me to-" he sobbed with blood dripping off his face- "kill you." The gun went off but in multiple directions because the man was delusional.

Kade, Nikolai and Dario separated on the opposite sides of the building to avoid getting shot by the bullets that ricocheted off the metal beams in the ceiling.

"We need to get out of here," Dario spoke through their ear-piece.

Kade had a feeling that that wasn't going to be as easy as they think.

They were hidden, but the door behind them opened as a man whistled an eerie tune. Kade and the other two went silent knowing that they couldn't be found otherwise this would end in a bloody fight.

"Mmm, I smell fresh meat," the man's deep voice echoed off the hollow walls.

Kade couldn't tell where his voice was coming from, it was like it was from each corner of the building. He couldn't even track his footsteps because there were none. Mikhail was soundless and his scent was buried under the dead bodies and blood. Kade left his location and made it to the other side without being seen.

Kade inched back into a dark shadow hoping to catch sight of Mikhail-

"Boo-" a strong hand wrapped around Kade's throat before he could react to the voice behind him.

Mikhail crushed Kade's neck in his fist and slammed him into a concrete beam, his back pressed against the hard surface as his eyes blurred from the force crushing his throat.

"Guerriero," Mikhail said curiously, his eyes glinting in the light. "I was looking for you."

Kade didn't bother answering at this point. "Fuck you," he cursed.

Mikhail raised a brow. "You're not going to ask me why?" he said.

Kade spotted Dario and Nikolai coming behind Mikhail.

"I heard you killed members of my pack," Mikhail said.

"Happily," Kade growled.

Mikhail's grip tightened and it was like Kade's throat would collapse in on itself. Abruptly, a bullet shot through the room. Dario shot Mikhail, but he dodged it only for the bullet to pierce his arm, but the grip loosened on Kade and he dropped from his grasp. Nikolai tackled Mikhail throwing him into the dead bodies on the floor.

Kade went and stood over Mikhail. "I slaughtered your pack members because they deserved it," he said. "And I'm going to kill your nephews after killing you."

Mikhail's eyes flashed feral. "You don't know what fate I will bring to you if you touch my nephews," he said.

Kade pointed his gun at him and emptied the barrel of bullets into his chest. Mikhail laid motionless on the ground. He put his gun away and walked away with Dario and Nikolai, when something didn't feel right to him. He only turned to check when Mikhail was gone and standing on his feet behind them.

Mikhail flashed his dagger and swung it across the room. But Kade was quicker. He shoved Dario out of the way just in time that the dagger didn't hit his heart but only his shoulder. Nikolai held his brother from falling over.

"Take him!" Kade commanded to Nikolai and he followed through taking his brother outside.

Mikhail looked down at his appearance, his shirt had many holes. "That hurt, you know," he remarked.

Kade was out of ammo for his gun but he had his blades strapped to his back. If bullets wouldn't work on Mikhail, he needed to use combat.

"You can't kill me," Mikhail said.

Kade stood his ground, when suddenly, a figure above them shifted but only Kade saw. But he ignored it and went straight ahead to fight Mikhail now. The man packed a punch for a fifty-year old. Kade punched him repeatedly but he only seemed to feed off the pain. Mikhail smiled through his bloody teeth and ushered Kade to do it more.

Mikhail stopped Kade's next attack and grabbed his arm in a tight lock just as he whipped out a long blade ready to chop Kade's arm off. The figure from before appeared behind Mikhail and he stabbed a syringe inside his thick neck. The white solution was injected in Mikhail's neck and he dropped dead on the ground in seconds.

Kade faced the man with infamous mismatched eyes. "Vadik Waldorf," he growled.

"We need to go now," Vadik said as he led them out the warehouse.

"What'd you do to him?" Kade asked.

"Injected him with poison," Vadik said as his eyes searched around them. "We have time before he regains full strength."

"Why'd you help me?" he inquired.

"Alec won't let me hear the end of it," he responded.

"What the hell does your brother have to do with this?" Kade gritted out.

Vadik opened the door to the Escalade. "Just get in and get out of here," he growled back. "I don't want to keep saving your ass."

Nikolai came to them with blood on his hands. "Dario's bleeding a lot," he said before his eyes widened on Vadik.

"Don't ask," Kade growled. "Get Dario to the hospital. We're done here."

Kade got into his car and they all drove out of there, except that Vadik stayed where they left him. He didn't understand these two brothers at all. But he couldn't worry about that right now. He needed to get Dario treatment and make sure that his friend was okay.

They arrived at the hospital and Dr. Stone took him into a separate room. Nikolai didn't show it but he was worried for his brother. They both stood tensely with their arms crossed over their chests.

"Are you the patient's family?" Dr. Stone arrived after an hour.

Kade and Nikolai both came up to her.

"He's all patched up," she said. "He just needs to rest for a few days."

"Okay, thanks," Kade answered.

Dr. Stone left and they entered the room where Dario sat on the bed putting his shirt back on.

"What are we going to do about Mikhail?" Dario asked.

"We have to kill him," Nikolai said.

"How?" Dario said. "He survived bullets to the chest."

Kade wasn't afraid of dying, but if Mikhail wasn't stopped soon then Mia could be in danger. He wasn't going to let anything happen to his sister. They needed to act fast if they wanted to stop Mikhail.

All three of them returned home. The staff greeted them at the door taking their dirty weapons off them. Kade went to his room to get cleaned off and so did the others.

After, Kade returned downstairs where Nikolai was stopping Dario from moving around too much.

"I'm fine, stop pestering me," Dario grumbled.

"Can you just listen to me once," Nikolai retorted.

"You must be fine if you have the energy to fight," Kade intervened.

"Sir," a guard rushed to Kade with a frantic look on his face. He held a tablet of the front gate camera on the screen.

Kade looked down at the screen and saw Vadik Waldorf getting out of his truck. He gallantly walked through the gates that were heavy with security. Kade gave the command not to shoot him, but the guards followed Vadik with their guns pointed around him, so if he tried anything then he would get shot mercilessly.

"What's he doing here?" Dario asked.

"Kade," Mia arrived from her room. "You're back-"

The front doors opened with Vadik standing behind it. He held his hands up with two glocks in each, but it wasn't because he was going to use them, instead it seemed like he made it clear that he carried those two weapons and that was all. Kade would still have him searched.

"You've got some nerve showing up at my front door," Kade said as he faced the man.

Vadik's mismatched eyes flashed smugly. "I need to see Alec," he said as he threw his weapons on the ground at Kade's feet. "That's the least you can do after I saved your ass."

"And if I just kill you right here and now," Kade said.

"You won't," Vadik said as he stepped in front of Kade, their eyes understanding the urge to kill each other but also, they remembered what happened with Mikhail.

Kade did owe this man for saving their lives. He fucking hated that. "I'll let you see him," he said so that way his debt was paid.

Vadik smirked. "Good doing business with you," he remarked.

"Nikolai, take him," Kade ordered after Vadik was thoroughly searched for weapons

Niko escorted Vadik downstairs to his brother who was still locked up.

"You're not going to like what I'm about to say," Dario spoke then.

Kade knew what his friend was about to tell him and he already could feel the fury fill his body. "Then don't say it," he grumbled.

"We need to use them if we want to kill Mikhail," Dario said anyway.

"And if they betray us and join Mikhail?" Kade said.

"It's a risk we need to take," Dario said. "But we need to give it a shot."

Kade stood with a pit in his heart that tainted his soul black with a poison of hatred. He hated that he needed his enemy to kill another sonofabitch. He understood that this was just good business. There was no need to add sentiment to this deal. He'd use those brothers to get rid of Mikhail first. Otherwise, a lot of people were going to die with that monster out loose in the city.

He needed to protect his territory and his sister before his own vendetta. He'd use Vadik and Alexander, it was decided. But that idea made his stomach sick. He shoved that sensation deep down and closed off all other voices that caved into his heart to do the right thing. No, he'd never do that. This world didn't deserve a good-hearted man. It needed a ruthless killer to compete and win, because only the survivors got to tell their victorious tales.