“Thanks,” he says, quickly downing a couple.
Valeri walks in with a cheerful grin on his face. He’s in workout clothes and looks like he just came in from a run on the beach. Volodya and I share a disgusted look.
“Don’t be jealous because I’m still young enough to bounce back quickly,” he says, laughing at us and filling a plate with eggs and bacon.
Nina and I sit down and eat with them, but after we’re done, she gives me a kiss and disappears into her sunroom library so we can start planning for tonight. All levity leaves the room with her as everything turns serious and we start discussing the best way to go about getting Ruby. In a few hours, the plan is in place and all my men are notified of where they need to be and when. Nina sticks close to me for the rest of the day, worry scrunches up her brow when she thinks I’m not looking, but I see everything when it comes to her.
Later on, she watches me get ready, biting her lower lip while her fingers fidget behind her back. I don’t bother with a suit tonight, knowing it will just get bloody and won’t give me the freedom of movement that I need. It’s all black tactical gear tonight, the same as my men. Nina’s quiet while I strap guns and knives to various parts of my body, but as soon as I’m done, she grabs onto my shoulders to pull me down to her height and then wraps her arms around my neck when I’m close enough, clinging to me like she’ll never let me go.
I pick her up and cup the back of her head. “Zolotse, it’s okay. We’re going to get this bastard tonight and cross him off our fucking list.”
“Promise me you’ll come back to me,” she whispers against my neck. “Promise me you’ll leave if it’s too dangerous.”
“I promise I’ll come back to you,” I say, ignoring the other part of it, because no way in fuck am I backing off once I have this prick’s name.
Instead of arguing with me about it, she presses her lips to mine and kisses me like our lives depend on it. It’s a deep kiss, our tongues tangling as she cups my face and claims every inch of my mouth. It’s a hungry kiss, but I can sense the fear and worry behind it, and I don’t like it. I don’t want her to feel those things anymore. When I bite her lip, she lets out a soft whimper and opens her eyes in surprise. I run my tongue over the stinging skin, coaxing my wild girl out as I grab her ass in a possessive grasp, reminding her that she’s mine and everything is going to be okay. I watch her as I slide my tongue between her lips. Bringing one hand up, I cup the back of her neck, circling my fingers around so I can feel the rapid beat of her heart against my skin as I run my tongue along the roof of her mouth. The sexy moan she gives makes me wish I had more time.
As if she can read my mind, she warns, “Don’t start something you can’t finish.”
I smile at her feisty tone and give her one more kiss before pulling back so I can see her better. She doesn’t look thrilled about me going, but she doesn’t look scared to death anymore. She looks aroused and gorgeous, and I memorize every detail, knowing the image will stick with me all night until I can return to her.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can, and then I promise I’ll finish it.”
She rests her forehead against mine. “I love you, Vasya. Be careful, and be sure to let the bastard know I said hi before you kill him.”
“Don’t worry,zolotse, he will know exactly why I’m killing him.”
“Vasya, let’s go!”
Volodya’s voice booms up the stairs, reminding me I need to get my ass moving. I carry Nina downstairs while she whispers in my ear that she loves me. Letting go of her is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. She eyes all the men and dark vehicles when we step outside, and she looks so damn small in the middle of all this.
“Stay inside and keep Ruslan close. Call me if you need anything at all, and I’ll answer as soon as I can. I’m leaving a handful of men here to guard the house, and the men at the gate know to not let anyone in.” I kiss her again, savoring every second of the too-short kiss. “I love you,zolotse, more than anything, and Iwillbe back.”
“I love you, too,” she whispers. “Kill that fucker and come home to me.”
I smile and kiss her once more before running to one of the dark SUVs. Valeri sticks his head out the window and waves at Nina while giving a whoop of pure joy. My brothers and I love going on a hunt, and this one has all of us geared up and ready for blood. I get in the front and look back at Nina, who’s standing by the front door with Ruslan sitting right beside her. His large frame makes her look even smaller and more vulnerable than usual. I wink when she gives me a small wave, and then as we drive away, I put all my focus on what’s about to happen. She’s safe, and everything I do tonight will ensure that she always will be.
On the drive, we go over the plan one more time. We’d talked about taking Ruby and bringing her somewhere else, but in the end, we decided it would be quicker and safer to just keep it at her lounge. Knowing how much illegal shit goes on there, I’m confident no one will be calling the cops. It will also give us a chance to get all the women out. We park in the alley behind the building, and while Ilya picks the lock on the back door, the rest of us get ready to go. Several men go around the side to watch the front and wait for my signal to come in.
“We take Bruce and the bartender out first,” I remind the men around me. “Then eliminate any other men you see in this fucking place. No one leaves this shithole without my permission.”
“Dibs on Bruce,” Valeri calls, laughing at the look Volodya gives him.
“You realize you’re the only person to still call dibs on something past the age of ten, right?”
“Still counts,” Valeri says. “Bruce is mine.”
Once Ilya gets the door unlocked, he motions me over. “It’s done, and her pathetic security alarm for this door has been disabled.”
I smack his shoulder in gratitude and nod to my brothers before clicking the safety off on my gun while the others do the same. Once everyone is ready, we open the door and go in. The first floor is quiet as we form a line and follow the path to the kitchen area. Stopping, I press my back against the wall before taking a quick peek around the corner. There’s a young woman chopping vegetables at a large counter. Her back is to us, but I can see the large knife she’s holding. I’m not going to give her a chance to use it. Motioning for the others to stay put, I silently step closer, hating that I’m about to give this poor girl the surprise of her life, but there’s no way around it.
When I smack a hand over her mouth and wrap my fingers around the wrist that’s holding the knife, she lets out a muffled squeal and immediately starts to fight me.
“Easy,” I tell her. “I’m not here to hurt you.” When she keeps fighting me, I say, “Are you Mindy?” That freezes her for a minute. “Do you remember Nina?”
She nods her head and gives a muffled, “Mm-hmm.”
“I’m her husband. We’re not here to hurt you. We’re here for Ruby.”
