Page 74 of Depraved

I’ve never seen her so scared.

“Why shouldn’t I just kill you both right now?” Sokolov demands.

“Because you’d be dead before the first drop of her blood could hit the floor,” I seethe. “If she dies, you die. Then the rest of the cowards can shoot at me, and I’ll die, too.”

For now, the threat of their weapons is kept at bay by my assault rifle. I could take out several of them before they manage to end me.

Five of them are still standing. Six, if I include Sokolov.

Few enough for me to handle easily if it weren’t for the fact that he holds Karolina’s life in his hands.

“Unlock her cuffs, and let her go,” I repeat. “Then you can do whatever you want to me.”

She shrieks and writhes.

“Shut up!” the pakhan roars.

The bastard hits her with the taser again. Her back arches at the shock, and then she goes limp.

I’ve never wanted to take a man apart piece by piece like I do right now.

But I can’t do anything until he sets her free.

“Do that again, and you will wish for the release of death when I meet you in hell,” I snarl.

“She broke my fucking nose,” he hisses. “Are you going to pay for that slight, too?”

“You can break every bone in my body. You can rip out my guts slowly. You can make me scream. Anything you want, as long as she goes free.”

“You lower the gun, and I’ll take off the cuffs.”

“Not happening,” I refuse. “She walks out of here first. Then, I’ll surrender my weapon.”

“You’ll shoot me as soon as she’s out of the range of my knife,” he sneers.

“I won’t shoot you. All I care about is her. You know that, or you wouldn’t have gone to all this trouble to capture her.”

“Swear it,” he insists. “Swear on her life that you won’t shoot me.”

She lets out a garbled groan.

“I swear on Karolina’s life that I’ll put down my gun as soon as she’s safely out of here. I won’t fight you.”

“Done.”

A sob wracks her lithe body. She looks so heartbreakingly delicate.

“I won’t let them hurt you,” I promise. “You’re going to be alright.”

Sokolov nods at the only surviving guard. His face is marked with deep red scratches. My brave, fierce Karolina must’ve fought back.

She’s not capable of fighting now. Not after getting hit with the taser.

“Get her down,” the pakhan commands. “Take her out of here.”

“She goes safely back to York,” I growl. “I want your word now.”

“You have my word,” he agrees, eyes gleaming at the prospect of making me scream.