The scarred man backhands me.
The world spins, my ears ringing as blood fills my mouth. I force myself not to sob, even as fear and pain threaten to consume me.
But I won’t give him the pleasure of knowing how terrified I am.
My split throbs, my cheek swelling, and I twist my wrists frantically, trying to slip free of the sharp plastic holding me tight as my mind races.
Leo might not love me. He may never have. But if there’s even the smallest chance he knows what they’ve done—if he knows I’m here…
Would he come for me?
No. He wouldn’t. Not after everything.
The only way out of this is if I can find a way, and I won’t let them hurt my baby.
“Where should we start?” the stocky Russian asks, his grin spreading wider.
The soulless, pale-eyed one flicks out his knife, making my heart stutter. “I say we see what’s underneath the little slut’s dress since no one will shut up about it.”
The scarred one chuckles. “I like the way you think, Gleb.”
36
LEO
The storage yard Alfonzo led us to reeks of oil and rot. It’s buried on the edge of the industrial district, surrounded by empty buildings and silence.
It’s the kind of place people come to disappear. And somewhere behind these steel walls, the Bratva think they’ve won. They think they’ve captured a prize that will bring me to my knees.
But they’ve only brought a fury down on their heads that they aren’t going to survive.
I nod once to Miko as he lifts his gun, ready to storm their hideout. Sandro and Gio cover us while Raf stands behind me like a storm, eyes burning with the same vengeance that’s been chewing me from the inside out since I learned my wife was taken.
I thought I hated Sora. I thought she’d sold us out. But I was wrong. And now that I know they took her, I’ll destroy every last one of them.
I give the signal, and my brothers and I move forward on silent feet, ready to leap into action as soon as we find her.
My heart pounds against my ribs as I move in, relying on instinct now, eyes scanning, breaths ragged as we reach the door to the warehouse where Alfonzo said they took Sora less than an hour ago.
I’m beyond grateful for my butler and Marco’s quick thinking. Without them, I wouldn’t have had a prayer of getting here in time. But I can only hope I’m not too late.
Even if Marco found us quickly and we knew right where to go, Sora’s been in enemy hands for well over an hour—and a lot can happen in that time. The thought makes my stomach turn.
I want nothing more than to barge in, guns blazing, to free her, but I need to be careful, take my time, or Sora might get caught in the crossfire. I don’t even know where and how they’re keeping her.
Then I hear her frightened voice.
“My family will come for you,” she says quickly, stopping me in my tracks. “They won’t let you get away with killing me. I’m too valuable.”
Miko and I exchange a look, and we creep closer to the door as I signal for my brothers to get into position for a quick and quiet entrance.
“Valuable?” Someone gives a harsh laugh from inside the warehouse. “You’re nothing more than Leonardo Chiaroscuro’s little fuck toy now. You might have been valuable before he touched you, but no one’s going to want his sloppy seconds.”
My blood boils at his words, a possessive rage swelling inside me at the thought of any man touching Sora.
“Besides,” someone adds, “who’s to say they’ll ever find out we were the ones responsible for your disappearance? Anything could have happened to you, walking around a battlefield like that.”
I raise my hand, ready to make our move, but Sora’s plea freezes me in place.
