Page 38 of Scarlet Promise (Yegorov Bratva #4)

Chapter Thirty-Two

ILYA

Wild barking greets me as we burst into Alina’s hospital room, where a frantic Erin and Isla are waiting.

Albert jumps at me and tries to tear past me, but I catch his shaking body and hold him.

The two women start talking at once. With Albert’s added noise, I can’t make anything out.

“Albert, stop. I’ll get her,” I say, trying to calm him. I then hold up a hand. “Girls, one at a time, please.”

Erin’s in Demyan’s arms, and Isla rushes up.

“An orderly came to take her to her ultrasound, and we didn’t even think…” Isla says.

“Think what?” I ask.

Erin pulls free and puts a shaking hand on Demyan’s arm. Her eyes find mine, and we share a moment.

This is the hospital where she was kidnapped from and where I was shot.

“They should have better fucking security,” Demyan snarls. “I pay for the best fucking security. Heads will roll.”

Erin struggles to calm him and then looks at me. “I mean… It’s too early for an ultrasound. They will do them early, but he made it sound so urgent, and we were eager to get Alina out of here. It’s my fault. I should have thought.”

“No, it isn’t.” I glance at Demyan. “Who was this orderly?”

“Late twenties, good-looking,” Isla says. “But he seemed nice, and we were trying to keep Albert in his bag, so I wasn’t paying the kind of attention I should have.”

Albert lets out a miserable whine.

Erin bites her lip. “He seemed normal. Hospital scrubs, an ID badge, and no, I didn’t read it.”

“Oh, he had a small tattoo of a cross on his inner wrist, if that’s important?” Isla looks at us.

“Left?” I ask her. “Or right?”

She thinks for about a second. “Left.”

“Fuck,” Demyan says.

Erin frowns at her husband. “What?”

“It’s what some of Simonov’s men wear to show who they belong to,” I say.

“And then she didn’t come back,” adds Isla as Albert whines again.

My heart sinks.

Erin wraps her arms around herself. “Even with Albert going crazy after she left, we didn’t think about it. We let him out, and he just scratched and barked at the door, like he wanted out.”

“We put it down to him freaking out and wanting Alina. She said he’s skittish,” Isla mutters.

“So how long has it been?”

“Over an hour, maybe two,” Isla says. “We didn’t pay attention, mainly because we both know how long waits are in hospitals, and if they have the ultrasound on a different floor, then…”

“Then,” Erin says, “it might take forever, and he did say they were booked solid.” She lets out a shuddery breath. “We didn’t think anything was wrong until the doctor came in.”

“He wanted to know where Alina was. He had the blood test results, and the moment we told him about the ultrasound, he took off and alerted security.” Isla shakes her head. “He didn’t even pay attention to the contraband dog.”

The conversation slows time down, even though everything’s taking mere minutes.

It fucking feels like hours.

Demyan’s already on his phone, barking orders. No one’s coming in or out of this hospital. Which I’m fine with, but…

My stomach turns sickeningly. What if she’s already gone?

He catches the expression on my face and hangs up. “She’s still here. I have someone going over the CCTV, and the guards are already watching all exits. They’d have seen her go or seen her leave on the footage.”

“What about the hallways?” I ask.

“The CCTV’s just at the main entrances and exits and the waiting area, plus reception. And the stairwells.” A muscle flexes in his jaw.

“She’s here somewhere. But this fucking place is big. He could have moved her from your private area to the main part of the hospital.” I hold Albert tight. “She could be fucking anywhere.”

Wait. Maybe Albert can send us in the right direction. He knows her smell.

“Hey, Albert? You think you can show us where Alina went?”

He barks, and we look at each other.

Demyan nods. “Worth a try.”

“Find the direction, Albert,” I whisper.

I open the door and put Albert down.

With a bark, he takes off, sniffing. At first, he heads to the elevator. She would have taken it to get up here in the first place, but after a sniff, he discards that idea and takes off around the corner.

Then he starts to bark in earnest.

We both follow him and behind us come the footsteps of Erin and Isla. It’s quiet up here. We round the corner.

There’s a service elevator and the emergency stairs. Like where I got shot.

“Wait.” He steps back and points to the stairs. “If they got on this elevator, we’ll be able to see which floor when we call it. We’re getting ready to open up some new floors for us. But they’re not ready but as those will be the ultra-secure floors, this elevator isn’t in use.”

“Which means if they used it, it’ll be called from the floor it’s on.”

Erin sweeps up Albert, and the two women step back with the dog.

“So, I’ll call it,” I say.

“No one’s using this one. At least they shouldn’t.” He waves a hand in the air then pulls out his gun to check it.

“You’re saying if they got on here, the elevator will be called from where they got off?”

He nods as he slides the clip back into place. “Yup. But press it now, and they’ll know. It’s one of four floors they’ll have gone to, because right now, the elevator’s locked from the lower floors.”

“I’ll take the stairs up,” I say, “and you press the button once it comes down so they think we’re in the elevator.”

“We fucking wait for backup,” Demyan says. “We don’t know if they took off to another floor. Cameras aren’t in the stairwell to the floor above yet. It could be a double bluff. And we don’t know how armed they are. You go through the door up there you’re a dead man.”

I narrow my eyes. “Albert knows they went in the elevator. And I’m not leaving her a moment longer.” I pull my gun. “I’m ready.”

He shoves me against the wall. “Like hell you are. Get killed, and she might die, too.”

“I stay here, and she will. You’ll have to kill me to stop me, Demyan.”

We stare at each other.

Then I lunge past him and press the button.

Floor eight lights up, then seven, then six. Now five. It dings.

I swing my gun up as the doors open.

It’s empty.

I shove my foot in the door to stop it from closing. “This is the plan. I’m taking the stairs. I’ll text you when I’m almost at the eighth floor. Then you press eight and let me know when it gets there. Then I’ll fucking take them out.”

I don’t wait for him to respond. I pull out my foot, leaving him no option but to put his in the way of the door.

It’s a good plan , I think as I take the stairs, turning my phone to silent.

If they see the elevator coming up, they’ll think we’re in there.

By taking the stairs, I’ll surprise them and kill them.

It’s risky. I know that, but it should work.

There’s no other option but for it to work.

Alina’s life is in my hands.

I text Demyan when I’m almost to the eighth floor. When I reach it, I press my ear to the stairwell door.

Melor is shouting at someone. Fuck, the guy sounds unhinged.

I can’t make out the words—the door’s too thick—but the raging sentiment is clear. How did I miss the cesspool inside him? How blind was I?

I can’t let myself think about that.

The only thing that matters is Alina.

My phone lights up right as Melor shouts again. Another voice answers him. I can’t tell if it’s just the two people or if there are more.

Demyan: Done .

I’m going to have to assume there are more men until I find out otherwise.

With a deep breath, I turn the handle and ease the door open just enough to squeeze through.

Up ahead, farther down the hallway, Melor and a taller man aim their guns on the elevator door, their backs to me.

The service elevator is located down far enough from the stairs that I might just have a chance. I slip down the hall and into a room. Empty. I move out of the room, my back against the wall as I sweep forward and backward with my gun, taking everything in.

They’re focused on the elevator, which seems to stop at each floor on the way up.

Demyan’s bought me a precious few seconds, and I don’t intend to waste them.

There’s another room diagonal to me. I cross toward it, fully expecting an army but hoping for Alina.

And it’s like I’m handed all the fucking gifts.

Because there she is.

My knees go weak.

Her eyes are wide with joy and fear, along with something else. Love.

I put a finger to my lips and then hold up two fingers, three, four…hoping she’ll get the hint. Alina’s a smart girl.

She shakes her head, a tear sliding free as she raises two fingers and points in the direction of Melor and his fucking friend.

Shit. She’s handcuffed. I’m about to move toward her when she widens her eyes even more, right as I hear footsteps.

I duck behind the door.

“Fucking asshole!” Melor roars as he storms into the room. “I know?—”

I step out and shoot him in the shoulder, then in the knee, bringing him crashing down in a howl of pain.

I dart closer to kick his gun away and whirl as his accomplice rushes in.

That one, I shoot fucking point blank, and he drops like stone, dead.

I don’t think. I rush to Alina as she lets out a sob, and I hold her, kissing her hard and fast. “ Malyshka , are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m okay. I’m good. Better now that you’re here.” Suddenly, she screams.

I let her go, whirling as Melor tries to get up.

I kick him hard in the face, buckling him to the ground. What I want to do is keep kicking him deeper into unconsciousness. Kick him until he feels it on that other plane.

I want to stomp his face in until it’s nothing but bone fragment, blood, and brain.

I fucking want him gone .

Now.

But I don’t.

Not in front of Alina.

Never in front of her.

Alina’s many things, but something like that would haunt her. Keep her up at night.

Hurt her in ways I don’t even guess at.

So I don’t.

Instead, I hand her my gun as I pull off my belt. “Train that on him. If he twitches, shoot.”

She lets out a small sound but presses her lips together and nods.

Alina’s not going to have to pull that trigger. The ass isn’t moving anytime soon.

With my belt, I use it to restrain Melor’s hands. Afterward, I kick him again for good measure.

Then I drop to search the motherfucker for the cuff keys, and I call Demyan.

“Alina’s fine, unharmed, and the coast is clear.”

“Thank fuck.” Demyan hangs up.

After I find the keys in Melor’s pocket, I unlock her and rub and kiss her bruised, red wrist.

“Don’t scare me like that again, Alina,” I whisper against her sweet-smelling hair.

I take the gun from her, tuck it away, and hold her, making sure I’ve got an eye on Melor.

Demyan arrives quickly. His eyes narrow as he kicks Melor, too. “Angel, are you good? Did he touch you?”

“No.” She swallows and looks at her brother.

“Take her down to her floor,” he says to me. “I’ll get this cleaned up.”

“Gladly.” I scoop Alina up, holding her close, carry her to the elevator, and press the button.

I want to strip her naked and fuck her. I want to hold her, worship her, wash her clean so she feels new again. And most of all, I just want her . To have her with me safe and sound and mine.

“Let’s just go home,” she whispers. “You, me, and Albert.”

She kisses and nuzzles my neck.

“Nice try,” I say, “but I’m having you checked out first.”

The elevator doors ding open, and we get in. She makes no move to get down from my arms, hers looping around my neck.

“But I already got a clean bill of health.”

“We have our beautiful dividing cells to think about, malyshka . You’re pregnant, so you’ll be checked out again. Just in case.”

She groans into me, but I can feel her smile against my throat. “Okay.”

I kiss her hair. “Albert showed me you were taken into this elevator.”

“He’s a clever dog.”

“And he loves you.”

“My little family,” she whispers. “The baby will make it complete.”

She looks at me.

“I love you, Ilya,” she says.

She takes my lips with hers, her tongue flirting and dancing with mine, and I feel it everywhere, all the love that’s in that kiss.

And I know I’m the luckiest fucking man in the world.

“I love you, too,” I say.

She kisses me again. “So…can we just go home?”

I laugh as the elevator doors open, and Albert, Isla, and Erin pounce on us.

“Alina!” Isla cries.

I carry her to her room and lay her down on her bed. Erin puts Albert on the bed with her, and he gives Alina frantic doggy kisses.

“Where’s Demyan?” Erin asks me, looking wildly around.

“Taking care of Melor. He’ll be here shortly,” I say. “I can’t believe you ladies snuck in our dog.”

Albert whines as he turns to me.

I ruffle his fur and kiss both him and Alina on the head. “He’s staying. He earned it. You earned it, didn’t you, Albert?”

I straighten and glance at the door as Pavel arrives and peeks in. We give each other a nod before he heads off, clearly going to meet up with Demyan.

As soon as I know my girl’s okay, I’ll be up there helping take care of that traitor .

As soon as I can tear myself away from Alina.

Because there’s no doubt about it. Alina has me caught. Hook, line, and sinker, to borrow an old phrase.

And there’s nowhere on this planet I’d rather be.