Page 156 of Savage Don

But Sonia is done. With me. With her schemes. With life.

Her thumb hovers over to the red button, getting so close that I can’t help but wince.

There’s only one way to stop her pressing that button before I can get out of here. And that’s to make her think she’s already pressed it.

“Oh shit!” I shout, forcing as much fear into my voice as my ego will possibly allow.

Reaching up into the air with one hand as a distraction, I subtly point my gun at the TV and fire.

The bullet rips through Sonia’s forehead, piercing the screen and contorting the image before the whole thing goes up in smoke.

I don’t even wait for her to realize that it was me and not the bomb.

“Let’s go!” I shout. Turning around, I rush for the door.

Leonid is way ahead of me. “They’re on the roof, we just have to make sure—”

Before he can finish, a blast shakes the entire building. But it doesn’t come from behind or below us.

It comes from above.

A hole has been ripped into the ceiling, and a sharp ray of sunshine slashes down onto the far side of the balcony.

Leonid and I hurdle over the mounds of corpses, racing towards the light.

We’re almost there when we see a rope drop down.

“Come on up, boys,” someone shouts through the opening. His words are slurred. “Before that crazy bitch finds the guts to blow this place to—”

Our savior is interrupted by another blast. But this one isn’t here to rescue us. It’s here to kill us.

Down on the black floor below, I can see a ball of flames rushing through the darkness, straight towards us. My hands are already on the rope when the walls erupt, too. Then, I feel the heat of another explosion at my back.

Sonia has pressed the button.

This place is about to implode.

“Take my hand!” someone shouts again from the other side of the hole. Even as the entire building shakes and the walls threaten to collapse, the hand stays steady.

I recognize that voice, even if I can’t see him through the blinding sunlight.

It’s Maksim.

He’s defied my orders. Even with only half of his body back in working order, he’s come to our rescue.

And not a second too soon. Below my dangling feet, I hear an ear-splitting groan as the balcony collapses against the growing heat. The flames nip at my heels. There’s no time to lose.

The bullet bruise on my chest burns as I reach towards Maksim’s hand. But I’m not close enough yet.

My lungs are ready to burst. The skin on my palms is ready to peel off. I could fall to my death at any moment.

But I don’t give up. I can’t.

Francesca. My princess. My love.

She needs my help. She needs me to be there to lead her through this darkness. To help her rule it.

This is for you, baby.