The Apex Predator

In this exclusive short story from New York Times bestselling author Michael Koryta, a crime boss and his trusted enforcer encounter their most dangerous adversary yet: innocence.

Dainius Belov had enjoyed an unprecedented run at the top of the city's crime empire since arriving from Russia in the spring of 1991. He was smart, he was ruthless, he was cautious, and he was protected by a man named Thor.

In their 22 years together, rivals had risen and fallen on a regular basis, and most often at Thor's hand. There was a time, maybe, when this role as primary enforcer would have bothered Thor. That time was hard for him to recall, though, and after enough years he was no longer certain it had ever existed.

The craft of killing came to him in stages. First had been the obvious — kill or be killed. It was important to be skilled in a violent world. In a place alive with predators, the apex predator lived the longest...

Cover design by Adil Dara Kim.