Page 24

A scream unlike any I’ve ever heard rips through the car’s interior as Seraphina slams her phone onto the console. “He hurt Cecily.”

My pulse surges at her words. “Your father?” I ask, though I already know the answer.

She nods and takes in a ragged breath.

I grit my teeth and stomp on the accelerator. “We’re heading there now. I’ll send a text to my brothers, let them know to meet us at your father’s.”

A wave of trembling passes through her body. “He told me once he wouldn’t harm Cecily if I did what he asked. I can’t believe I fell for his lies.”

I tighten my grip on the steering wheel. “We’ll deal with your father and his men, whatever it takes.”

She sucks in another shaky breath, nodding. “You think we can get Cecily out before he tries something worse?”

“That’s the plan,” I assure her, forcing a note of confidence I’m not entirely sure I feel.

My phone buzzes with a text from Dmitri, confirming he’s gathering the rest of our men but might arrive a few minutes behind us. My gut warns me that a few minutes could be an eternity in the wrong situation.

“Whatever happens, thank you for doing this,” Seraphina tells me between sniffles.

“I’m doing it for you,” I reply. “And for Cecily, who’s innocent in all this.”

I just hope we’re not too late.

A few minutes later, we reach the iron gates of her father’s estate. They stand open, without a guard in sight. An uneasy feeling coils in my stomach. I kill the engine and search the mansion’s facade for movement. All is still, but that doesn’t fool me. If this is a trap, it’s already set.

I exit the car, gun drawn, glancing back to ensure Seraphina stays close. Her expression is bleak but determined. She clutches a small pistol she’s pulled out of her purse, though her hands tremble. I rest a hand on her shoulder. “Stay behind me. If things go wrong, find cover.”

“I just want Cecily. I can’t lose her.”

“You won’t,” I vow.

The front door stands ajar, reminiscent of an invitation. I push it open and step into the mansion’s foyer with silent steps. The gloom presses in around us with a single chandelier overhead providing a faint glow. I note the lack of staff, the lack of any normal signs of activity. My instincts scream that something is off.

“Cecily!” Seraphina calls, her voice echoing through the halls. “Cecily, where are you?”

No answer.

I point toward a corridor leading to the right. “We’ll check each room. Keep your eyes open.”

She falls in step beside me, and we move carefully through the hallways. My mind flashes with images of the last time I confronted her father here, when I pierced his hand with the letter opener and relished in the way he howled. Now, I suspect he’s intent on returning the favor.

We round a corner into a large sitting room. The furniture is arranged in neat rows, and the windows are draped with heavy curtains. It’s empty, silent. I let out a slow breath, looking around for any sign of movement.

Suddenly, footsteps resound behind us. I spin, raising my pistol, but I’m too late. Men converge from doorways on either side with their weapons aimed. One barks a command: “Drop them!”

Seraphina gasps, and her father steps out from behind a tall bookcase with a nasty smirk twisting his features. “And here I was wondering if you’d show up at all.”

I clench my jaw. “Where’s Cecily?”

He gestures lazily with his hand. “Safe enough. For now.”

Seraphina looks at him, and desperation mingles with anger on her face. “Where is she? I want to see her!”

Her father offers a low chuckle. “Impatient, aren’t we? Don’t worry, she’s just behind that door.” He nods toward a closed door at the far end of the room. “But you won’t get to her that easily.”

I glare at the men around us, each armed with guns or knives, outnumbering us by a wide margin. My phone buzzes in my pocket. Probably Dmitri or one of my brothers, but I can’t reach it now. I curse under my breath, realizing we arrived too soon.

We should’ve waited for them to get here before coming inside.

“Drop your weapon,” Evan orders, taking a step closer. His eyes shift to Seraphina’s gun. “Both of you.”

I cast a quick glance at Seraphina, then, reluctantly, I ease my pistol to the floor. She follows suit, letting her smaller handgun clatter beside mine. One of the men rushes in to kick the weapons away. Two of them seize my arms, and another grabs Seraphina’s wrists.

“Get your hands off her,” I growl, struggling, but they’re well-coordinated, and they force my arms behind my back. A fist connects with my stomach, knocking the breath out of me.

“I’ve waited a long time for this, Barkov,” Evan comments. “You walked into my home, thinking you’d save the day. How does it feel to be on the losing side?”

Seraphina strains against the guard holding her. “He’s done nothing to you. Let Cecily go!”

He ignores her plea, focusing on me. “You took everything from me, do you realize that? The respect I once had in the Bratva, the deals I tried to secure. I was overshadowed, ridiculed, and left with scraps while you and your brothers grew more powerful. And when I tried to push back, your allies shut me out entirely.”

The corner of my mouth curls despite the pain in my gut. “So you’re blaming me for your failures? You could’ve worked with us, but you chose to cross us.”

“Work with you?” he asks through a laugh. “You never saw me as an equal partner. None of your family did. I was your convenient pawn at best, left behind whenever it suited your purpose. Now, I have the upper hand.”

Seraphina’s voice shakes as she interjects, “That’s not true. If you’d just talked to Grigor, or to Aleksei—some kind of arrangement—”

“Arrangement?” he scoffs. “I tried. I spent years navigating that wretched circle, offering deals, and forging alliances, only to be humiliated time and again. I realized the only way to beat the Barkovs was by hitting them where it hurt.”

A surge of rage boils inside. “So you used your daughter. You threatened her sister. That’s your idea of beating us?”

He shrugs. “It worked, didn’t it?”

Before I can retort, one of his men smashes the butt of a gun against my temple. My vision swims, and I collapse to my knees with pain shooting through my skull. I catch Seraphina’s cry of alarm. Another blow lands on my ribs, stealing my breath. I try to defend myself, but my arms are pinned. They rain hits on me, again and again, until black spots dance in my field of vision.

“Stop!” Seraphina screams. “You’ll kill him!”

Her father motions for them to halt. I’m left gasping on all fours, blood dripping from a cut above my eye. The men yank me upright, forcing me to stand. Dizziness threatens to topple me. I taste blood on my lips.

Seraphina’s father exhales and places himself between us. “I’m not done with him yet. Not until I teach him the lesson he’s so long avoided.”

“You’re insane,” Seraphina screeches. “Let Cecily go, or I swear—”

He turns on her. “You swear what? You’ve already betrayed me once, Seraphina. I gave you a life. I provided you a chance to lead this family to victory, but you chose this monster’s side. You gave him a child. You destroyed our family name.”

Her tears flow freely. “You’re the one who destroyed everything! You forced me to marry him, and then you lied about everything. This was never about anything but your grudge, your pride. There probably wasn’t even a threat from the Irish, was there? You fabricated it all!”

He nods slowly, like he’s confirming her words. “You finally see it, daughter. The so-called threat was my invention. But it got you to comply, didn’t it? That is, until you decided to bend over for the Barkovs!”

“I sided with them because you threatened Cecily!” she shoots back.

“And look how well that worked,” he says with a hollow grin. “You waltzed right in, and Barkov here came along like a fool.” He signals to his men again. “Teach him more respect.”

They drag me forward, hurling another series of punches. My world blurs and my bones protest under the assault. My body screams in agony. Still, I fight, managing to land a kick on one guard’s knee and sending him tumbling. It’s not enough. Another jumps in, ramming a knee into my side. My head smashes into the wall. Darkness threatens, but I cling to consciousness, if only to keep from leaving Seraphina alone with this madman.

“Enough!” Seraphina’s voice is raw. She wrenches against the guard’s grip with tears streaming down her face. “Please… you can’t do this.”

Her father calls off his men again, crossing the distance to where I slump against the wall. He grips my collar and drags my battered form upright so I face him. “You worthless upstart. You think you can keep me down? I’ve spent years preparing for this. Every ally you lost, every deal that vanished, I had a hand in it.”

I spit blood at his feet. “You talk big, but my brothers will be here soon. You can’t hold them all off. Let Cecily go.”

A twisted smile curls his lips. “I’m counting on them showing up, Barkov. It’ll be the perfect stage to rid myself of all the Barkovs in one fell swoop.”

He releases me, and I crash to the floor, struggling to breathe. Seraphina sobs, trying to reach me, but the guard pins her arms, forcing her away. She looks frantically from me to her father. “Stop this, please. Father, you’re hurting everyone. Just let us go.”

He moves to a door and yanks it open. Cecily stumbles out with her wrists bound and a bruise on her temple. She sees Seraphina and rushes forward, only for a guard to yank her back.

“Seraphina!” she cries.

“Cecily! Are you okay?”

Cecily looks at her father, face stricken. “He… He’s lost his mind, Seraphina. He—”

Her father snorts and grabs Cecily by the hair. She yelps. “Quiet,” he snarls. Then he lifts his glare to Seraphina. “Now you face the consequences of choosing Barkov.”

Seraphina shakes her head with wide, desperate eyes. “I’ll do anything. Just let them go.”

A harsh chuckle escapes him. “Anything, you say? Then choose. Your sister or your husband. One of them goes free. The other stays to pay the price for the Barkovs’ arrogance.”

Seraphina’s face goes deathly pale. “What?”

“You heard me. Pick the one who lives. The other I’ll either kill or keep locked away until I decide they’re no longer useful.”

“Father!” Cecily wails. “You can’t do this!”

He ignores her. “Well, Seraphina? Since you love to play mediator, now’s your chance. Who matters more… The man you betrayed me for, or the sister you swore to protect?”

Seraphina’s breath catches. Her eyes dart between me, bruised and bloodied on the floor, and Cecily, who is trembling in her father’s grip. Agony shreds her features, and she looks like she might collapse under the weight of the ultimatum.

“Leave her out of this,” I growl, forcing myself upright to lean against the wall for support. “This is between you and me.”

Her father smirks. “Funny, that’s exactly how I see it, too. But she’s the one who walked in here, certain she could save everyone.” He turns back to Seraphina. “Well, dear daughter. Tick tock.”

Seraphina shudders, tears coursing down her face. “I can’t… I can’t do this.”

“That’s not an answer. If you don’t choose, they both die. It’s that simple.”

A strangled sob escapes her, and she slumps to her knees. Cecily cries out, pleading with her father to stop. My head spins, and my vision wavers. My only hope is that Dmitri and the others are almost here. If they burst in now, maybe we can turn the tables. But each passing second feels like an eternity, and Seraphina is moments away from a choice that could break her.