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The limited lighting in the house created shadows, but there was a bright light at the end of the hallway. My gut was screaming this was a fucking setup, but I powered on, blowing away four more of Volkov’s men in the process. With the light only a few feet away, I took a deep breath, approaching cautiously, pushing at the partially open door, the goddamn creak in the hinges giving away my approach.
But as soon as the man turned around, I retreated.
The fucker started laughing, puffing on the cigar in his hand.
“Get out of the house. Now!”
I took off running toward the front door, the constant pinging of gunfire drowning out everything else except for my thudding heart. The fucking muscle hammering my eardrums was a reminder that I had a hell of a lot more to lose. How could I have been so fucking stupid? Volkov had played me from minute one, Ovachov driving me to the point of ignoring every aspect of my training.
As I bolted out into the night air, the first explosion ripped through the front of the house, the blow pitching me several feet into the air. I landed with a brutal thud. Fuck. Gasping, I rolled over, immediately struggling to get to my knees. A wave of assailants rushed in my direction. I remained in a crouching position, firing off until I was out of ammo.
Smoke billowed from the erupting fire, caustic and black as it swirled toward the sky. Seconds later, arms slid under mine, yanking me toward the gates.
Another powerful blast drove us forward, almost knocking us off our feet. When we finally made it past the thick iron, the men allowed me to pull away. I scuttled backward, grabbing another magazine, snapping it into position as I stared at the fiery orange sky. Within seconds, the soldier in charge rushed toward me, the man obviously injured.
“Sixteen soldiers outside handled. The men are rounding up the remainder. What do you want us to do, El Capitan?”
“Go to my estate. Contact Diego immediately. This was a fucking charade.” I couldn’t care less about the fucking imposter. For all I knew he was a fucking actor hired to play a part and nothing more.
“Will do.” He spun around, immediately barking orders as another explosion sent strong vibrations several yards away.
I wasted no time, running toward my vehicle, yanking my phone from my pocket to try to call my lieutenant myself. Just before I dialed Diego’s number, the screen flashed indicating an incoming call.
Unknown.
I knew exactly who was on the other end of the line. “Volkov.” My snarl was laced with rage.
His laugh was deep, the damn sound sending my rage into another level. “You’ve been an interesting adversary.”
“What do you want?”
“I don’t think I need to answer that question.”
Two of my soldiers appeared behind me, both prepared to die in order to maintain my protection. At this point, I didn’t fear being ambushed at this location. Another game. Another test.
“I’m finished playing with you, Volkov. You mean nothing to me.”
“How sad to hear such a thing coming from my son.”
Just hearing the single word was enough to rattle me. I made it to the car without incident, immediately jumping inside and starting the engine. As soon as it roared to life, I screeched away from the curb. “I guess there’s no love lost since you abandoned me.”
“Is that what you were told? What a pity you held some belief I actually gave a damn about you.”
The fucker was obviously enjoying providing me with the information. As if I gave a shit. “I assure you, Father, I couldn’t care less whether you’re dead or alive.” I tried to pay attention to any sound around him, holding onto the hope he’d yet to make it to my estate. Unfortunately, there was nothing but dead quiet. It was time to force him to reveal his plans. Power hungry assholes often liked to hear themselves talk. That could buy me precious time. “I am curious why you hunger to end my life.”
“Because my blood runs in your veins. It’s that simple, boy. Don’t try and make it out as anything else.” He laughed, the ugliness of his tone indicating he was under significant duress.
As if I gave a shit.
I sped through the streets, swinging around every corner at almost ninety miles per hour. There was far too much traffic, the streets clogged with people enjoying an evening on the town. I swerved around a half dozen vehicles, almost slamming into a truck before jerking the wheel again. The bloodlust increased, my entire system on fire as I tried to concentrate.
“I’m coming for you, Volkov. There isn’t a single location on this earth where you can hide.”
He exhaled. Then I heard the ocean. A rush of adrenaline tore through me, the ugly realization that I’d failed the woman I loved slamming into my mind. Enraged, I pushed down on the accelerator, now topping over a hundred twenty miles an hour. Nothing was going to stop me from getting to her.
“I do so love the smell of the ocean. Don’t you? You’ll have to excuse me. I have something to take care of. That is if the explosions didn’t do it for me. However, if the woman you covet is still alive, imagine the torture she’ll be forced to endure because she chose to fuck the wrong man.”
As he ended the call, I let out a toxic roar, slamming my fist against the steering wheel, immediately trying to see clearly enough to punch in Diego’s number. Gasping for air, when it rang five times, I was forced to accept I was the reason they would suffer.
