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Ivan glances up at me, brows raised. Waiting for permission. For an order.
Just like the old days.
My smile feels jagged as broken glass. “Make him talk.”
Ivan nods, turning back to the man. In his hands gleams a knife, already stained crimson. “You’ll tell us what we want to know. The only question is how much of you is left when you do.”
The man’s eyes widen, flickering between us. Searching for mercy he will not find. Ivan’s knife descends, carving a path from ear to jawline—
And the man breaks. After the screaming ends, he starts to talk, “No idea about the boy.” His breath gurgles when he inhales hoarsely. “I heard nothing about him.”
That’s a good sign, at least. Nikolai might still be hidden. The sooner we can shoot our way out of here, the better.
“And the woman?” Ivan traces the tip of his blade in a fine line toward the man’s flickering eye. A fine trail of blood remains in the knife’s wake.
“Volkov has a place in the mountains!” His words come in a desperate rush. “Please, no more, I told you everything—”
A place in the mountains?
At first, I think I’m hearing things. I have to stop myself from losing my cool in front of Luka and Ivan. Can she really be alive? Why would Volkov keep her alive?
Because he knows he can use her against you, dickhead!
A mix of dread and relief washes over me. If Volkov has kept her alive, that means he was trying to deceive me into thinking that she’s dead. But why would he do that? I guess I’ll find out soon enough. Either way, I have to find Scarlett, dead or alive.
My Zayka.
I’m coming for you.
Those fuckers will pay for what they did to you.
Ivan’s knife descends and silences the man forever. No loose ends. We have all the information he could give us; there’s no sense in drawing it out. I meet Luka’s gaze again and see my own grim determination reflected there.
“They might not have found Nikolai.” I feel hope surge as I say it.
Luka nods, hands clenching into fists. “We’ll get to him.”
Yes. We will.
I have to believe it.
“Let’s go!” With a newfound determination, I lead the way down the hall, checking each corner before motioning the others to follow. The adrenaline in my veins sharpens my senses and heightens each sound. But the house seems eerily empty now. Volkov has fled. The last of his men are gone, trailing destruction in their wake.
Leaving the house, we move quickly to the garage and then farther behind it until we finally reach the hidden room. My heart leaps at the sight of the closed door – but then I see the hinges have been burned through. Probably an acetylene torch. The solid, armored door has been shoved roughly back into place.
“No!” I realize I’ve shouted the word when it echoes around me. I burst through the door, eyes scanning the small space. “Nikolai!” His name tears from my throat in a roar as I rush to the small closet I’d told him to hide in.
But he’s gone.
The room is empty.
Panic rises, a black wave threatening to engulf me. They have him. Volkov has my son.
I slam a fist into the wall, relishing the burst of pain. My worst fears have come to pass. I should have known Volkov would discover my weakness.
“We’ll get him back, boss. Both of them.” Luka’s voice is steady. “We’ll get a lead. We know the right people to speak to.”
The panic recedes, replaced by cold purpose. Motherfucking Volkov has made a grave mistake. He has given me a target. A reason to unleash hell.
