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“Da,” Andrei answers her.
“My sister is going to want to prove you murdered him.” She looks back to Mikhail.
“Nyet,” Mikhail says. “I’ll take one for the team on this.”
“What does that mean?” she asks as Aleksei moves closer to her.
“This one is mine.”
Andrei nods, and I realize that all the sisters have been claimed by the Bratva.
Fourteen
LENNON
My head is swimming from lack of food and worry. I lie down on the threadbare thin mattress. There is no blanket, and the chill in the air causes me to tremble. I’m scared I’ll never see Dima or my sisters again. I worry that I’ll never be able to reconcile with my father. But what frightens me the most is my baby never living.
I rub my hand against my stomach.
“I’ll protect you with everything that I am.” Tears roll down the side of my face. My wonderful Christmas dress is ruined from everything I’ve gone through.
“Get up,” a deep, scratchy voice barks at me.
I turn to look at the doorway and see the man who kidnapped me, not the general who bought me.
“No,” I say, knowing he’s not going to fit into this cage with me and thinking maybe I can get by him. My arms are still restrained behind me, but I have to think of my freedom.
“Now.” He pulls out a Taser, and I know that could hurt my baby, so I decide not to fight him yet.
I stand up and my legs tremble. I move to the entrance, and he opens it. He grabs my shoulder and pulls me out of the cage. He pushes me toward a room, and I start to stall. I don’t want to go in there. I’m afraid they are going to rape or hurt me. He releases the ropes, and I move my arms to get the blood flowing again.
Looking at the closed door, the dread hits harder because I don’t know what is beyond it. When it flies open and the general steps out, I cringe back and feel the pull in my arm from the guard dragging me forward. I cry out as I struggle against his hold, and my arm pops as he twists it and yanks harder. I scream in pain, and the guard growls and throws me to the ground in disgust. I use my other arm to protect myself as I fall.
“Pick her up and carry her. We need to go. The Chairman just called and said they were there. They’ll be here soon.”
“No.” I start fighting as he tries to grab for me. I crab crawl backward with my good arm, trying to get away.
“Get her, now. We need to get to the airport.”
There’s a crash from the other end of the warehouse, followed by raised voices and gunfire. While these two are distracted, I get to my feet and take off running in the direction of the cages. Footsteps stomp behind me. Heavy boots clomp along as I swerve between several of the cages. Fingers slip through my hair, but I don’t care. I keep going, feeling the yank. I scream out and that’s when I hear him. The yell of anger from Dmitri makes me pause. It’s all the guard behind me needs.
He grabs my hurt arm, and I cry out again as I’m spun around.
“Leave me,” I beg. But the guard’s big fist comes at me. As I lose consciousness, I hear a gunshot ring out.
* * *
Dmitri
Ihear a scream and know it’s my wife. I yell in Russian, getting the guards to drop down.
I look across the cages and see her at the rear moving through the aisles. A large bald man is chasing her. She pauses when I yell and looks around. Our eyes lock for a brief moment before she’s twisted around. I see his fist come up and hit her in the face.
“Lennon,” I shout, but she’s falling to the ground.
He catches her and starts to lift her up. I fire at him, hitting him in the shoulder, but it doesn’t stop him.
“No,” I yell as he throws Lennon over his other shoulder.
