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“Jesus, I didn’t realize Anya was so hot,” Will muttered next to me.
“Don’t let Callahan hear you say that shit or you’ll end up with a dagger in your trachea,” Maxim warned.
“I don’t want to fuck her, I’m just saying,” Will replied sourly.
“Does Callahan even know she’s doing this?” I asked incredulously.
Maxim grimaced. “No.”
“Fuck, we’re going to let Drago deal with that conversation.” Will was speaking for all of us on that one. The big Irishman had a nasty temper and an even nastier right hook.
Once again, our attention was pulled back into the hangar.
Martinez had wrapped an arm around Anya’s waist, and she was doing her best to look submissive and nervous, rather than repulsed and aggressive. Mikhail’s acting was far better than hers. She kept clenching her fist and her mouth would periodically curl into a snarl. Thank god, she had all that long hair because she frequently used it to hide her feral expressions.
“I hate to cut this reunion short, but I suddenly find myself very eager for the trip home now that I have such enticing company for the flight home.” Martinez was practically drooling as his gaze flitted between Anya and Emmy. I was going to take great pleasure unloading a clip into his fat fucking face for it.
“Understandably,” Armstrong chuckled, sounding utterly at ease.
It was at that moment I noticed Mikhail’s men starting to create a perimeter. Armstrong had only brought about ten guys and they were apathetic at best. We learned that his men were hired guns sold to the highest bidder, and not particularly attached to the notion of loyalty. If we started shooting, they’d be more focused on saving themselves than Armstrong. Martinez brought about twelve men, and though they were much more alert, Martinez’s relaxed behavior had clearly put them off their guard.
“Okay,” Drago cut in. “Okay, this is what I planned with Mikhail. His men are circling. They’re going to get us in, and our guys are going to join their perimeter, when Mikhail gives the signal, Anya is going to grab Emmy and her mom and we take all these motherfuckers out. You got it?”
We nodded because it was a pretty simple plan. I didn’t care what he told me to do because all of my focus was on Emmy. God help anyone standing between me and her because they had every possibility of ending up dead.
Chapter 54
Emmy
My eyes darted around as my brain struggled to register everything that had happened in the last few minutes.
Ten minutes ago, I was digesting the fact that Ivan wasn’t here, and I would be flying to Colombia with Martinez and whatever horrible fate that involved.
Ten minutes ago seemed like a vacation compared to now.
When my father boasted that Mikhail, the Russian Pakhan and Ivan’s boss, had conspired with him to get rid of me, my brain short circuited. It was odd to consider the Russian Bratva as the good guys, but in my universe, they were. I was stunned at the utter betrayal rocketing through my body. Could it be true? Did Drago know about this? Did Ivan?
Shock was still reverberating through my body when Mikhail arrived. He got out of the car, his dark eyes flashing to me, giving me a quick once over.
The first thing I noticed was his size—he was huge. He towered over Armstrong and Martinez. He looked a bit like a prize fighter as I noted a scar bisecting his bottom lip and his flattened nose. Like most men in the Bratva, he appeared to be covered in tattoos—his neck, the back of his hands, what I could see of his chest through the top button of his shirt.
I caught his gaze and hope briefly flared. Just as quickly, it was dashed. There was no warmth, no reassurance there—just cool appraisal. This man wanted me out of Ivan’s life, and these were the lengths he’d go to ensure I was gone.
I was so focused on him, I didn’t notice the poor female he was dragging behind him, her long blonde hair flowing in front of her face, obscuring her features. When she lifted her face, I nearly yelped in shock.
Anya?
Before I could respond, she gave me a quick wink and resumed her role as a cowering victim, one that appeared to take a lot of effort to portray from the way she kept casting malevolent glances at Martinez and Armstrong. I shot a quick glance at my mother, to make sure she didn’t recognize Anya, but she appeared nearly catatonic.
For the first time since I got that text from Armstrong, I could take in a full breath. They were here, they were going to save us.
Thank fucking god.
There was conversation between Martinez, Armstrong, and Mikhail, but I was barely paying attention, my focus wandering all over in anticipation of this nightmare ending and being reunited with Ivan. Tears sprang to my eyes at the thought of seeing him again, of feeling safe again.
Martinez wrapped his arm around Anya, causing her mouth to twist into a grimace of disgust, which I guess was still in character, but somehow made her look the opposite of helpless.
“I hate to cut this reunion short, but I suddenly find myself very eager for the trip home now that I have such enticing company for the flight home.”