Page 50 of Twisted Pact

Boris’ officer clears his throat. “If I may, sir. The Andreev girl would make excellent leverage against this coalition. We could break to send a message that we don’t negotiate with?—”

I move before my brain registers the decision, crossing the room in three strides. I grab the lieutenant by the throat and slam him against the wall hard enough to crack plaster.

“What did you just say?” I ask through gritted teeth.

The officer’s eyes go wide with panic. He tries to speak, but he can’t with my hand crushing his windpipe.

“Let me be clear about something.” I lean in closer. “Mila Andreeva is not leverage. She’s not a bargaining chip. She’s not atool you use to send messages. Anyone who threatens her, even theoretically, dies. Understand?”

The officer nods weakly.

I release him, and he collapses, gasping for breath and clutching his throat. Blood drips from the back of his head and dribbles down his neck.

I crossed a line with her, and now I’m the only one who can decide who pays for crossing it.

“Get out,” I tell him.

He scrambles to his feet and runs from the room.

Boris watches the whole thing without moving. When I turn to face him, his mouth is hanging open.

“Jesus Christ, Alexei. That was one of my best men.”

“Then train your men to think before they speak.”

“He was just making an observation. Suggesting options for?—”

“I don’t care what he was suggesting. Mila is off limits. No threats, plans, or theoretical discussions about using her in any capacity. That’s not negotiable.”

Boris holds up his hands in surrender. “Understood. Crystal clear. But you need to know something.”

“What?”

“Maxim’s already having similar conversations. The coalition isn’t just talking about territory; they’re discussing pressure points and ways to control both families without confrontation.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning they’ve placed bounties on both Andreev daughters. Not kill orders; capture bounties. They want Irina and Mila alive so they can use them to force cooperation from Leonid and demonstrate that your protection isn’t as effective as you claim.”

My body goes cold. “How much?”

“Two million rubles each. Enough to attract serious attention from independents who don’t care about politics.”

“When did this happen?”

“Yesterday, right after we extracted Irina from the compound. Maxim posted the bounties through back channels within hours of the rescue. He’s framing it as an opportunity for enterprising contractors to make easy money while undermining the Kozlov reputation.”

“I can handle Mila, but what about Irina’s security?”

“Leonid moved her to a private facility outside the city under heavy guard with a medical staff that doesn’t ask questions. She should be safe for now.”

“‘Should be’ isn’t good enough. If she gets nabbed again, Mila will go ballistic.”

“It’s the best we can do under the circumstances. You can’t protect everyone everywhere all the time.”

“Watch me.”

Boris sighs and gathers the photographs. “You’re going to burn through resources trying to maintain this level of security. Dmitri won’t authorize it indefinitely.”