Page 73 of Savage Little War

Cara nods, tense and impatient as silence settles between us.

When we arrive at Owen’s house, we walk up to the front porch and knock on the front door. I glance around, taking in the quiet, normal neighborhood that this guy lives in. He has a typical cookie cutter house with a backyard and everything like he’s some sort of upstanding citizen.

No one on this street knows what he’s up to behind closed doors.

Owen pulls open the door and ushers us inside. “It took forever, but we found a name on a document they missed.”

Cara and I follow him into his home office where Dex is leaning over the desk looking at the main computer screen.

“I knew that would work. Broke right through their shitty encryption,” Dex says as he turns around. “Check it out.”

I get a better look at the screen, my eyes skimming past the legal jargon to reach the signature at the bottom of the page. It’s a jumbled mess, but just the initials tell me enough.

“Artur Suyunov.”

The name hits me like a gunshot.

Cara gasps sharply. “He paid the shooter? He wanted me killed?”

“Or his daughter convinced him to,” I point out with a bitter shake of my head. “Of course, it was him. That bastard. He’s hiding underground and tossing money at other people to do his damn dirty work!”

Dex and Owen share a look with each other.

“What?” I question them.

“I don’t think he’ll be underground for long,” Owen replies before pulling up an aerial map of the city. He clicks on a blurry building to pull up a clearer street view of it. “This business has a second story. An apartment.”

“Guess what business operates out of that building?” Dex asks me.

“One of the shell companies,” I say, the pieces steadily clicking together. “You two were busy last night.”

“Told you that we would get it done,” Owen replies with a wry grin on his face. “I bet you that they’re staying up there. There’s nothing in that area but old houses and local businesses. It’s quiet. Ignored.”

“Storm it,” Cara says, making me turn to her. Every feature on her face is tight, anger filling her eyes. “Before they figure out that we know where they are. We can’t lose them again.”

I nod my agreement, adrenaline racing through my veins as I make the call to gather a whole group of Bratva men. Hell, maybe twelve of us is overkill, but I don’t want to risk Artur or Annika getting away. We need to capture them both. Today.

As Cara and I are leaving Owen’s house she grabs my arm and stops me from stepping off the porch. “Wait.”

I face her, my eyes narrowing in confusion. “What is it?”

Cara breathes in deeply before speaking. “I won’t ask to go this time, but you have to promise me something.”

I thought she would push to come along at least, but her focus seems to be elsewhere. “Anything. Whatever you want, milaya.”

Cara lifts her chin a little as our eyes lock. “Don’t kill Annika. Not yet.”

That spark of revenge in her eyes does something dangerous to me.

I’m so damn proud of her. She’s so much stronger than others give her credit for, and I think her father has finally realized that. She isn’t one to fuck over, and it’s not just because I’m by her side.

“My plan is to capture both of them alive and then deal with them however we want,” I tell her as I take her hand, urging her closer to me. “Wait for me at the antique shop. This shouldn’t take long.”

Cara nods before raising up on her toes and placing her lips against mine.

I hold the back of her neck as I return the kiss, eager to give her the revenge she deserves.

It’s been a long time coming. Too long.