"I told you not to hurt him," Marlen snaps angrily.
I growl, standing up and dusting myself off. "Hello, brother," I sneer.
"Bardil," he huffs. "Where is she?"
"Not here," I snap.
"I can fucking see that. Listen… just give her to me. I can take her back to her family and negotiate from there.
"Negotiate for what?" I snarl, shaking my head. "There is no negotiating with those assholes."
"Negotiate for them to forgive you. To not seek revenge against you for kidnapping their sister." Marlen's frustration is clear. He pulls his mouth tight and clenches his fists.
"How did you even know I was here?"
"Sensors on the door. I set them up when you disappeared."
"Are you fucking kidding me? You were stalking me?"
"I was trying to keep an eye on you so that I could help you, Bardil. You weren't even talking to us. I was worried."
"Yeah, well, you can stop worrying about me. I'm perfectly fine," I snap.
"I'm worried about her now, Bardil. Just give her to me," he tries again.
"I'm not done with her, Marlen. I need her."
"For what?" he scoffs.
"For my plan. I want revenge. Don't you get it? That's what this is all about. Nothing else," I blurt out, heated and full of rage.
But the truth is that even as I say the words, I know that's not what has me so angry at him. I'm angry at him because he wants to take her away from me.
Revenge isn't on my mind anymore. Not for a while now.
I can't let him take her.
I'm not ready to let her go. I want more time.
Marlen steps closer. "Bardil, you're being unreasonable," he growls.
I pull the gun from my belt and hold it at my side. "Don't come any closer, brother," I warn him.
He hesitates. I can see he doesn't want to believe I'd use the weapon, but he's unsure. I'm not unsure. I know I'd never shoot my brother, but I do need him to have that doubt because right now I need to get back to Nikita.
He gestures to his men, and they lift their weapons toward me.
I laugh.
"Shoot me. Go ahead. You'll never find her," I scoff.
Marlen stands his ground for a moment and then huffs in frustration. "Let him go," he snaps miserably, defeated. It would be stupid for him to risk taking me down and losing the chance to get her back. For all he knows, she's locked up in a basement somewhere in a random warehouse where no one can hear her.
As soon as he admits defeat, I push past his men and run toward my car.
They're still standing there when I drive away at full speed.
I don't dare go home in this vehicle, thinking he might have put a tracker on it. I make a quick stop at my warehouse, where I quickly switch cars, then I head back to the mansion. My stomach is churning with anxiety. All I need is to see her. To make sure that she's still there. For some reason, my mind is teasing me with the idea that her brothers have taken her back. That they found my place and got in while I was away.
