Didn't matter.
This was nothing.
I kept pushing upstairs.
More enemies in the stairwell. They had the high ground, firing down, bullets raining like a storm. Two of my men got hit and went down. The other three were pinned at the landing.
"Hold them here!" I roared.
"Boss, it's too dangerous—"
I ignored their warnings, smashed open the elevator door, and grabbed the cable.
The wound in my arm tore wider with the strain, blood coating the cable, but I gritted my teeth and climbed.
I hauled myself into the hallway and rolled. Several guards, startled by my sudden appearance, didn't even get their guns up before I dropped them.
Harper's apartment was at the end of the hall.
I strode toward it and kicked the door in.
"Welcome, Mr. Orlov."
Julian Dante stood in the center of the living room, golden hair gleaming under the lights, wearing that elegant smile I wanted to smash in.
His right arm cradled a baby.
My son. Aiden.
His left hand held a gun pressed against Harper's temple.
Harper knelt on the floor, pale as death, trembling all over. A gag stuffed her mouth, hands bound behind her, eyes swollen and red like she'd been crying for hours.
The moment she saw me, her eyes went wide and tears streamed down.
"Kirill..." Her voice leaked through the gag, muffled and desperate.
"Let them go." I raised my gun, voice cold as ice. "This is between you and me. They have nothing to do with it."
"Nothing to do with it?" Julian laughed, the sound chilling. "You're a joke, Orlov. You got her pregnant. You made her have this child. You made her my leverage. How the hell can you say they have nothing to do with you?"
He pressed the gun harder against Harper's temple, forcing a muffled cry from her.
"Drop your weapon," Julian said. "Hands behind your head. Kneel. Or I kill them both right now."
I stared at him, finger trembling on the trigger.
From this distance, I could nail him in the head. But he was quick—if I fired, he'd likely pull his trigger too. I couldn't gamble. Couldn't bet Harper's life.
"Fine," I said.
I slowly crouched, set my gun on the floor, put my hands behind my head, and knelt.
"Kick it over."
I kicked the gun toward him.
Julian smiled, satisfied. He bent down, picked up my gun, tucked it in his waistband, then tossed Aiden at Harper.
