I could feel the sweat rolling down my brow, dropping into my eyes and burning. I didn't dare blink. I kept both my eyes open and focused, focused on Vladimir. His eyes were in a dead lock with mine and while I remained perfectly calm and cool, he was shaking like a leaf. I saw the shock in his eyes, trying to make sense of what he saw. Why was I standing over Conner with my gun drawn at his face? That was what he was thinking, it was written all over him.

I let my eyes leave Vladimir for just a moment, looking to make sure Murphy was still breathing. He was on the floor, trying to get up just behind Vladimir. Bad mistake. Vladimir followed my line of sight and the moment he realized Murphy wasn't dead he grabbed him by his hair and pulled him up onto his feet. He held his knife at Murphy's throat and gave him a cringe worthy glare. I heard Murphy gasp, I saw the blade up against his throat and a certain sense of rage came over me. I wanted nothing more than to beat my brother down and make him suffer for what he did to them; but I couldn't do that while Vladimir had Murphy.

"You have to be joking." Vladimir spoke to me in Russian, unaware the twins could understand his every word. "What the fuck do you think you're doing Val. Protecting them? Their cocks must be some spectacle."

"Bigger than yours." I returned in Russian.

He jerked Murphy's head back by his hair and held his knife closer to Murphy's throat, "Say that again bitch."

I still had a clear shot; I could take him out no problem. But in the time it took the bullet to get to his head he could easily cut Murphy's throat. I wasn't going to risk it. I need Murphy out of Vladimir's arms.

"You would turn against your own brother?" He asked me, as if he really thought it was such a shocker. I tried my best to keep my eyes on Vladimir, to try to figure what game he was playing at, but I couldn't help but to look at Murphy. He was trying so hard to act like he wasn't scared, but he was. "I came here to rescue you." Vladimir tried to guilt me, but I spit at him.

"You came here to finish the job so you could collect your money."

"That was beside the point." He barked back at me.

"Let him go Vladimir." I was wasting any more time debating my brother's love or loyalty. I needed to end this as quickly as possible.

"Oh?" Keeping one hand holding the knife at Murphy's throat, he let go of Murphy's hard and grabbed a gun from a holster on his belt from under his jacket. He pointed it forward, but not at me. With a loud blast I jumped ever so slightly at the gunshot, I immediately turned to see Conner with a fresh bullet wound in his leg. "You think I can't shoot? Wanna' bet?" I turned my sights back at Vladimir, gripping my gun even tighter with rage building in my gut. "I'll aim for his head, and if I miss he lives. But, I kill this one." He nodded towards Murphy. "But, if I hit him, this one is all yours."

"I'm not doing this bullshit with you right now Vladimir." I almost hissed at him.

"Well that's just too fucking bad now, isn't it Val? Because let's face it, I'm not walking out of this alive, so I might as well get to have some fun before you put that bullet in my head."

"Or you can just take it like a man and stop this game."

"Sorry Val, but that's just not how it works."

I looked at Murphy, trying to figure out some plan. He could have easily broken out of Vladimir's hold by now, he and I both knew that, but we also knew if he did, Vladimir would shoot Conner without hesitation. I tried my best to think of something, but no matter what the plan it risked either Murphy or Conner's life. I couldn't save both, not confidently. But I could risk my own.

Simultaneously I stepped as I shot. The bullet ripped right into Vladimir's shoulder just after he fired his own gun; but his bullet hit me, not Conner. I stepped just in time to take the bullet in my thigh. I dropped down and watched Murphy push from Vladimir's hold, shoving my brother back and snatching the knife away. Vladimir lost his balance after Murphy pushed him, and fell just a little ways in front of me onto the floors.

He held his shoulder in pain, glaring at me, furious I had out smarted him, "the brains of the operation". "You little slut." He yelled at me.

"Shut your fucking mouth." Murphy yelled at him in Russian, dropping to his knees and punching him in the face. He stood back up, pressing his boot against Vladimir's bullet wound. Vladimir screamed, like a little wimp. "You're lucky," Murphy began, "you're lucky you're not mine to kill or else I'd make it was the most slow and painful experience of whatever was left of your miserable shit life." Murphy stepped off his shoulder, and before stepping away dealt a swift kick to Vladimir's face. "He's all yours Val."

I had never been shot before. It wasn't a feeling I enjoyed. But I had to get through it. I had to stay awake, not pass out. I raised my gun, aiming right for Vladimir's head as he turned to face me. "Look at you, pride of the Volkov family. You're nothing but a filthy traitor. You better hope no one finds out you're still alive. No one leaves this business, not even you. You think you're special, but you're not. You might be father's favorite, but I promise whatever horrors you thought I'd do to you, he'll do something much worse when he gets a hold of you. You're just as dead as me Valentina."

"Fuck you Vladimir."

Those were the last words I said to my brother.

"Fuck you Vladimir."

The last words I said right before I shot a bullet right in the middle of his head.