Hero Mine (3B Hero Series) Book 3

Chapter 20

**** Sadie lowered her scope after watching the couple sit and chat in the large jacuzzi. She would have to wait a while longer before taking another shot at her older brother. How dare he leave their family, how dare he leave her.

Gabriel had been heir to the Ivanov throne, first born to Franko Ivanov. He had been raised with the best training money could buy, even from the time he was a small child he'd been no stranger to violence and death.

When he'd turned seventeen Gabriel had become his father's head Enforcer. Even at that young age, he had been one of the best, always following orders, and making sure others did the same. Then at eighteen, on their father's order he'd joined the Army and had gone through RIP to become a Ranger.

Franko had considered it the ideal way to turn his son in to the perfect Enforcer. For a short time it had worked, untill he'd met Eli Ford.

Sadie couldn't help the hatred that rose up in her chest. Ford had turned her brother against the entire family. She would always remember that night.

* * *

Gabriel had refused an order to carry out a hit on a cop and his family. The detective had gotten too close to proving that the Ivanov family wasn't the clean cut, upstanding people they worked so hard to show to the world. Sadie had loved being in the spotlight, the beautiful clothes, the respect. She had been more than ready to learn from her big brother, and be just like him. But, there he had stood - back straight, eyes steady, not cringing away from his father's cold glare.

"What did you just say to me?" Franko asked, in that cold, quiet voice that sent chills down the spine of even the hardest of the family.

Sadie had stood behind their father, shock turning her body an icy cold. Never had Gabe told their father no. Not once in all his 22 years.

"No, father. I won't kill an entire family for you. His wife and daughter have done nothing to you."

The mob boss just stared, studying his son for a long moment, eyes cold and hard, his hands curling into fists. Then, "Since when did I tell you that you're ready to make your own decisions? That detective is getting too close, and he's not one we can buy off. We need to make an example of him, and his family."

Gabe shook his head, "The wife is pregnant! I won't harm her or her child, and as for her husband...."

"Enough!" Franko shot up out of his seat, "I want their blood splattering the wall of that house by morning! Do I make myself clear?! Or, should I send some of the men to pay those friends of yours a visit?"

Sadie had watched her brother's demeanor change then. His body had gone rigid, a cold calculating calm began seeping into his violet eyes. She had never been afraid of him before, if anything she'd always looked up to him, counted on his protection, but now....he sent terror sweeping through her.

Gabe had taken one menacing step towards his father until he was a breath away from the smaller man.

"How many men are you willing to lose to well trained Army Rangers, Father? Or, are you willing to try your luck against me?"

The stern determination she'd heard in his voice had sent shivers down her spine. So Sadie had done the only thing she could think of, she had backed up to the desk and the silent alarm. Within moments her father's personal bodyguards had filled the room.

Gabriel had seemed to pay them little heed, in fact he hadn't even looked away from his father.

Franko just chuckled, "At least I still have the undieing loyalty of one of my children. I have no use for any traitors in my midst. Not even my own son."

Then to the guards he shouted in Russian, "Ubey yego!!"
(Kill him!)

Sadie had watched in horror as the men had stormed her brother, "This is it." She'd thought, "I'll never see him again."

But, to her shock Gabe had been the one to take charge of the fight. Even her father had backed away in shock, as one by one each guard was either knocked out or killed. Finally, after the fight was over Gabriel stood there in the center of the room, alone. Bodies piled all around him, he glared at his father and sister.

"Care to try that again?" He asked, barely breathing hard.

Sadie watched as the very last guard tried to stab Gabe in the back, but the Ranger moved so fast she had barely seen the action. One second he'd been looking at them, and the next he was snapping the other man's neck like a toothpick.

After tossing the body aside he looked her in the eyes, and she thought she glimpsed sorrow, disappointment. He said quietly, "Make a choice, malyutka. Stay here and become like him - dirty and deceatful with no room in your heart for anyone but yourself or learn to live in the real world and be honest and honorable. Someone to be proud of. It's me or him."
(Little one)

While Sadie adored her brother, she knew he would be leaving soon with his Ranger brothers and she would be alone. While she had worked diligently to learn, strengthen her body and mind she knew she was no match for her father or his bodyguards. Sadie had made the only choice she felt she could and survive - she stepped closer to her father. Gabriel just nodded, "Very well, you've made your choice - I hope you can live with it."

Then to his father, "If you or anyone else try to follow me or hurt any member of my team or their families - I'll kill you."

With those final words he had calmly walked to the door. He turned and looked at her one last time, almost as if he were giving her the opportunity to change her answer. When shw did not, he, sighed and left the study, and she had never seen him again.

* * *

Untill now.

Now that she was the Boss and that monster of a father was pushing up daisies, she could get revenge on all those who had hurt her. That Eli Ford had taken the one person she had cared about away from her, then he'd gone undercover and tried to take her family down.

So she'd ordered a hit on that miserable piece of flesh that had lured her brother, her protector away from her. It had taken four men, but eventually the job had been done. Then she found out his wife had copied all his files and hidden them away some where. So, she'd decided to look for them herself. She did not trust anyone in her family, many of them were still loyal to her father and she wasn't sure what information was actually in the files.

Charity had seen a pretty little college girl, in need of some cash, and had taken her in.

Sadie scoffed to herself, 'What an idiot.'

Then she'd gotten word that her brother was around, also working undercover, and that had tipped her right over the edge.

'He left me! Left me with that bastard of a father!' After he walked out of that den, she hoped that her loyalty would have helped secure her position in the family and in her father's heart. That had been her last illusion. You'd think her father would have appreciated what she had done, that she had stayed. She had chosen him over her brother. But all he could see was his son's defection.

'He abandoned me to rot.'

So she had decided, that he would join his friend, Ely - and she would pull the trigger, she knew she'd hadn't missed her target. She'd seen the blood, there had been so much blood soaking the ground. Having lost that much, how had he even survived?

That answer she would find another day. For now, she had plans to make.

"YA idu k tebe brat dorogoy!"
(I'm coming for you brother dear!)