“Shut up.”Sergei grabbed Tiana’s rope, binding Vera’s wrists, shoving her into the chair.She spat blood.
“This isn’t over, Lisowski,” Vera said.
“It is tonight.”Sergei retrieved his knife.“The enforcer you knew would’ve cut your throat no questions asked.”
“No.”Keisha’s voice cut sharp.“We’re not like them.We don’t kill people in cold blood.”
Sergei’s eyes softened.
Vera laughed.“You don’t know what he’s done.”
“I know enough.”Keisha faced Sergei.“We still going out the window?”
He moved to it, Vera straining against his hold.“You can’t escape.Pavel’s system—”
“Is going to be disabled,” Sergei said.“We leave in four minutes.”He smashed the window, glass shattering, air rushing in.
Vera slumped, resigned, fear of Dmitri in her eyes.
“You should run,” she said, quiet.“Far as you can.”
Sergei cleared glass.“You first,” he told Tiana, then Keisha.
Before they could move, Dmitri appeared, cigarette case snapping.
“Lisowski,” he said, ignoring Vera, eyes on Sergei, Keisha, Tiana.“And Ms.Crawford.With our guest.”
Tiana clung to Keisha, fingers digging.Dmitri lit a cigarette.
“Let us leave,” Keisha said, voice steady despite tremors.“This is over.”
“Nothing’s done till I say,” Dmitri said, accent thick.“The girl stays.You stay.Lisowski dies.”
“No.”Keisha squeezed Tiana’s hand.“That’s not happening.”
Dmitri smiled, smoke curling.“You dig into my adoptions, steal my property.”He gestured at Tiana.“There are consequences for these insults, Ms.Crawford.”
Sergei stepped between them.“She leaves with the girl.Your fight is with me.”
“It’s with anyone who crosses me.”Dmitri corrected.“They have both seen too much.You are a pest I should have eliminated years ago.”
Keisha backed toward the window, pulling Tiana with her.They were too high up not to be careful in their descent, but they might not have a choice.Dmitri pulled out his phone.“Pavel is downstairs.I make one call and all the exits are sealed.”
Keisha’s tremor spiked, metallic taste flooding.She grabbed a glass shard, smashing the security panel.Sparks flew, alarms blaring.
Dmitri’s calm cracked.“What’d you do?”
“Called for backup,” Keisha shot back.
Sergei smiled coldly.“FBI and the CIA are coming.They might have received an anonymous tip regarding human trafficking here.”
Dmitri’s cigarette fell, burning carpet.“You’re bluffing.”
“You know I don’t bullshit,” Sergei said.“They’ll find Pavel’s servers, your files, every kid you trafficked.If I were you, I’d get started on destroying the evidence instead of wasting time with us.”
Dmitri’s eyes darted as he backed off.“This ain’t over.”He fled, footsteps fading.
Vera strained, panicked.“Untie me, Lisowski.I’ll disappear.You will never see me again.”
