Page 130 of Brutal Reign

“You deserve the worst possible death,” I pant, and raise the knife between us.

Chen’s lips curve in a cruel smile. “Kill me if you want. While we’ve been playing games in here, Simon’s men paid a visit to Pavel’s compound.”

Ice fills my veins. “You’re lying.”

He shrugs. “When did you last check on that beautiful boy of yours?”

I freeze as bile rises into my throat.

“You can see for yourself.” Chen reaches into his right jacket pocket and holds up his phone so I can see the screen clearly. “This is a live video feed,” he adds.

What I see nearly destroys me. Kin sits in an airplane seat, tears streaming down his face as he clutches his stuffed dinosaur. A man in a dark suit stands behind him, and when Kin looks up at the camera, his eyes are red from crying.

A broken sound tears from my throat. My son is alone with monsters.

The knife slips from my fingers, clattering onto the concrete.

Chen’s lips curl in satisfaction. “Exactly as I thought. Let’s go.”

I look up at the hovering aircraft, despair hollowing me out from the inside.

“The Syndicate will come for you with everything they have,” I warn. “You won’t get away with this.”

“If they try to attack us, you and your precious son both end up dead.”

I know he’s a liar, that nothing he says can be trusted, but what choice do I have? Kin is alone with Simon. The thought is like a knife twisting in my gut.

For a brief, desperate moment, I think of Pavel, praying he’s alive, knowing in my bones that he would want me to go and do whatever I must to protect Kin.

“I’ll go,” I whisper, the words tasting like poison. “But if you touch my son?—”

“He’s more valuable alive,” Chen grunts, smoothing his suit with chilling calm. “For now.”

Chen pushes me toward the aircraft. My legs feel unsteady, but I’d walk into hell itself to protect Kin. Wind and debris batter us as we approach the chopper, its blades spinning, ready for takeoff.

Chen settles into the seat beside me, giving me a look that promises retribution if I try anything stupid. And with that, the helicopter lifts off into the night.

CHAPTER

FORTY-SEVEN

PAVEL

The momentI watch Hope leave to meet Chen, unease tightens in my chest like a fist.

“Hope is heading to the ground floor,” I report to the team. “I want constant surveillance. No one loses sight of her.”

Everyone acknowledges.

Roman nods toward the back hallway, and we move swiftly through the club’s service corridors. Our destination is a specially constructed hiding space. It’s a narrow chamber built directly behind the VIP bathroom’s back wall. We had contractors install a false partition, designed to look like solid drywall but actually reinforced with hinges, allowing us to burst through when Hope gives the signal. The space is barely wide enough for two men, cramped and airless, but it provides perfect surveillance of the bathroom.

“I have eyes on Hope,” Niko confirms as Roman and I settle into the tight space. “She’s on the main floor, moving through the crowd toward the target.”

My palms are slick with sweat. I wipe them against my pants, then check my pistol’s chamber. The metallic slide makes toomuch noise in our confined hiding spot, but I can’t help the compulsion to verify the weapon is ready.

“You okay?” Roman asks, his brows drawn tight.

“Fine.” I close my eyes, forcing myself to breathe slowly. My mind keeps replaying the moment I told Hope I loved her, the first time either of us said the words. Hell of a time to bare my soul, right before sending her into danger, but I needed to say it.