But here, Yuri is my boss, and if he orders me to stand down, that's what I’m supposed to do. But this is Tatiana we're talking about. The love of my life. And I haven't even been able to tell her I love her yet.
"Get out of my way, Yuri, or I swear…" I move toward him, and he places a hand on my chest.
"Let me help you, okay? We'll do it together. But we have to have a plan. We cannot run into that trap."
Nothing inside me wants to listen to him again. He was wrong about sending her away. This is his fault. Rurik is probably dead, Tatiana captured, because I listened to him tell me it was better to send her away.
"If I have to call Lev and Fyodor to hold you down, I will. Don't make me have to do that just to save your life." I can tell he's serious, and it pisses me off. I run a hand through my hair and grit my teeth, then let out a roar of anger and emotion so loud, it startles him.
If he's offering the help, I have to take it.
I just pray we get there in time.
24
TATIANA
I've been sitting against this stone wall in this dank basement for hours in complete darkness with nothing but the sound of my own breathing and a trickle of water somewhere to keep me company. My back aches from the cold seeping into my bones, and my hands are scraped raw from pounding on the door until I realized no one was coming.
I can't even cry. It's like my body is so fearful, all I can do is shake. Every time I close my eyes, I see Rurik bleeding out, pleading with me to run, but had I run, they'd have put a bullet in my back. I know the only reason I'm alive right now is because they want Dimitri as badly as they want me, and I heard them telling him to trade himself for me.
I push myself to my feet and start feeling along the walls again. There has to be something down here I can use to protect myself if they come back, a pipe or a tool of some sort. The stone is rough under my palms and I'm careful not to cut myself on the jagged edges where the mortar has crumbled away over the years. But no matter where I feel inside this dark hell they've locked me, I can't find anything to use to defend myself.
There is a pipe, but it's attached to the wall and it won't budge. And I feel what seems like a wooden shelf, but it's empty—a few old washers, some dust, and a bit of rat shit. Then my fingers catch on something loose about chest height. A brick that's come partially free from the wall. I wrap both hands around it and pull. The mortar crumbles and rises up to make me cough, but I keep pulling. The brick shifts and then suddenly comes free in my hands.
I stumble backward and nearly drop it before catching my balance. It's heavy too, a solid five pounds with rough edges and one corner sharper than the others. It's not much of a weapon, but it's better than my bare hands, and if those fuckers think they’re gonna walk in here with intent to kill and gun me down, they have another thing coming.
I sink back down against the wall with the brick in my lap and lean my head back, closing my eyes. I can't even tell how long I've been down here. They have my phone and there are no windows to see if it's light out yet, but it feels like it's been hours.
But someone will come eventually. They'll want to check on me before Dimitri arrives. And when they open that door, I'll be ready.
The minutes crawl by, and I start counting under my breath to give myself something to do. It's impossible not to get afraid if I just let my mind stew. The things they'll do to me? And what about Dimitri? So counting "sheep" is all I can do to stay sane and not break down.
When I hear footsteps on the stairs outside the locked door, my entire body tenses. The lock clicks and the door swings open. Light floods the basement, and I have to squint against the brightness after so long in the dark.
One of the men from the ambush stands in the doorway—the same one who shot Rurik in the head. He takes a step inside and looks around the empty basement.
"Why so quiet down here?" His voice echoes off the stone. "I thought you'd still be screaming." He grins at me, revealing chewing tobacco wedged between his teeth that are stained yellow. I still squint, but I don't answer him.
I shift my grip on the brick and wait for him to come closer, because I have horrible aim. If I throw it at him, it'll just bounce off anyway. I need him close enough to smash this thing on his head so I can run, and I have to take him by surprise. Hopefully, he doesn't see what's in my hand until it's too late.
"Malcom wants you upstairs." He moves farther into the room with heavy footsteps and says, "Your boyfriend should be here soon, and we need you ready for the show."
The confirmation that Dimitri's coming makes my stomach drop, but I don't let it show on my face. I'll have time to be emotional later on. Right now, I have to stay in this moment and watch for my opening as he stalks closer.
The man is within reach, and he looms over me with a stupid grin. But when he reaches for my arm, I swing the brick with everything I have.
The impact jars up my arm as it connects with the side of his head, though it's not the ideal place for it to hit him. He staggers backward and blood runs down his temple, but he doesn't go down. His hand comes up to touch the wound and when he sees the blood on his fingers, his expression turns murderous.
"You stupid bitch." He lunges at me, and I barely have time to swing again before his hands close around my wrist and my grip on the brick loosens.
"Fuck, stop it!" I screech, now kicking at him and using my free hand to claw at his wrist.
He slams my arm against the wall, and pain explodes through my bones. The brick falls from my grip and hits the floor before rolling away. I take the opportunity to claw at his face with my free hand, leaving bloody tracks across his cheek from where my nails rake his skin.
"God, you cunt!" He jerks back cursing and releases my wrist. I gasp for air and try to move away, but he's already coming at me again. His hand closes around my throat and he slams me against the wall. "I'm going to make you regret that." His grip tightens, and I can't breathe.
My instinct is to claw at his wrist, pull it away from my throat so I can breathe again, but that never works, and he's way too strong. So I kick out and catch him in the knee really hard, making him stumble and loosen his grip enough for me to suck in a breath. His other hand goes to his belt, and I see metal glinting in the light from the doorway. The fucker's pulling his gun on me, but he doesn't want me dead—he wants me to watch them kill Dimitri.
