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But Ilya’s right about him. He’s got a bright future with us.

Because it’s the exact spot Iwould storm.

“Sir?” Another of my soldiers turns up. “There’s a bunch of cigarette butts out back. Fresh. And big-ass boot prints in the dirt. And two doors over? An armored SUV.”

Pavel and I look at each other. “Okay. Let’s do this,” I say.

“Remember the boss’s woman is in there, so shoot to kill… carefully,” Pavel says to the soldier. “Number one priority is to rescue her. Got that?”

“Yes, Pavel.” The man nods, then nods at me. “Sir.”

“Anton?” I ask. The man waits. “Make sure everyone gets that message.”

He might be in there waiting, gun to her head. But I know she’s alive. Otherwise, Niko would’ve made a show of her already.

And he won’t kill her right away. He wants me to suffer.

I’m hoping for the element of surprise, but I’m going in like they’re ready.

Finally, I give the signal.

I want to be up front, but Pavel holds me back, a hand on my arm that’s borderline tantamount to a bullet to the head. Ilya would be no different, and he’s standing in for him. So I let it slide.

Just like I ignore the nerves that eat at me.

The gunfire starts, and I pull away, striding up, my own weapon at the ready. One of the felled men on the ground moves, but I shoot him in the head and continue on, down to the basement that’s been modified like it’s a small Gitmo. There’s a door at the end, but in the basement with torture hooks and chains is the last man standing.

I grab him and slam my rifle butt into his face, sending aspray of blood upward. The place is littered with bodies, and my men are exploring Pavel to my right.

“Where the fuck is she?”

“Who?” the man says, spitting blood.

“Erin. Where the fuck is she?”

The man doesn’t answer.

I nod to Pavel, who steps in to hold him as I punch him in the gut, then I punch him in the head. Pavel releases him and he crumbles. The moment he’s down, he starts laughing.

“The bitch is probably dead after she tried her little escape attempt. Elbowed the boss. Doesn’t take kindly to cunts that do that.”

I lift my leg and slam my foot down on his junk, hard. And then, as he screams, I shoot him in the head.

“The offices above are clear, but there’s a sub-basement,” Pavel murmurs.

The door. I race off toward it and take the stairs two at the time.

Fuck, there’s a whole corridor of doors. I start kicking them in, praying she’s okay. My men are behind me, but I don’t wait. Then I kick in once more.

“Erin!”

She’s fucking chained to a wall, sitting on a bed, battered and bruised and looking terrified.

“Oh my God, Erin.”

“Run, Demyan,” she rasps. “Run.”

Run? I’m not fucking running anywhere. I’m not leaving without her. Is?—