David stares between the four of us, probably searching for someone who’ll tell me not to do this, but he’s fallen among the wrong crowd. Damien doesn’t give a fuck about the methods we use as long as it gets things done. Kirill would’ve come up with this idea himself, and Adrian…well, he stands still and expressionless, almost as if he doesn’t care what’s going on.

I’m probably the only one who wouldn’t use that option. Innocent women have nothing to do with this. However, I have to make him believe I would because, no matter how much they prefer this method, they wouldn’t want it used against them. If anything, considering the horror they inflict, they know it will stab tenfold worse if it’s directed at them.

“What’s it going to be, David?” I wipe the blood from his face. When he says nothing, I stand to my feet, retrieve my phone, and direct it at him. “Smile for the camera.”

“N-no…I…will tell you,” David whimpers. “I’ll tell you.”

“Glad we agree.” I glare down at him, my voice darkening. “Now fucking talk.”

As soon as he finishes giving information and we make sure it’s true, I shoot him between the eyes.

Every second I don’t go to her, she’s in danger.

With every second, they might hurt her in ways she can never come back from.

I’ll get Rai back. I have to, even if I have to resort to methods I’ve never used before.

20

Rai

A funny taste lingers at the back of my throat as I slowly open my eyes.

My surroundings gradually come into focus. I’m lying on a dark floor that appears like old, abandoned asphalt. A rotten smell like a public toilet in a forgotten gas station nearly causes me to gag.

I sit up and the world starts spinning like it did this morning. The gray stone walls have some industrialized red numbers on them, but they’re faded, washed away by the merciless hands of time. The few cracks invading the solid surface and a metal bed in the corner are the only things in sight. Its white sheets are yellowish and appear to not have been washed in an eternity.

How did I end up here? After the bag was thrown over my head, I don’t remember anything. Back then, the only thought I had was that I was dying and I couldn’t just die.

The sense of relief at being alive doesn’t hit me as strongly as it should. I might not be dead now, but that could change. Besides, it’s worse if they take me alive. They could use me to try to force Granduncle’s hand on something. It took so much for me to get to where I am, so there’s no way in hell I’ll be the brotherhood’s weakness.

I try to stand up, but I fall back on my ass immediately.

“It’s useless.” The quiet voice coming from beside me startles me. I didn’t know I wasn’t alone.

Aleksander sits by my side, his legs outstretched in front of him and his arms limp by either of his sides. There’s a cut in the shoulder of his jacket and his soft features appear strained, numb, even.

“They injected us with something,” he continues, still staring at the wall across from us. “I don’t know what it is, but it’s robbing me of energy.”

Now that I focus on my body, it feels hot and kind of numb, like I can’t control my limbs. I try to stand up again, but I fall back faster than the first time.

“Better save your energy, miss.”

“Shit,” I pant.

“Shit, indeed.”

I stare at him sideways. His lips are dry and cracked, which could mean he’s dehydrated. I motion at his jacket where there’s a red hole. Stains of blood cover his cheeks, too, giving him the look of a wounded warrior. “Did you lose a lot of blood?”

He stares at his injury as if he forgot it’s there. “No. This should be fine.”

“How did you end up here too?”

“They took me in place of Boss.”

“Kirill?”

“Yes.”

“Why would they want to take Kirill?”

“I’m not sure. I just knew I had to protect him.”

The amount of blind loyalty Aleksander has for Kirill is insane. He’d literally die for him. As would Katia and Ruslan for me, I guess. I hope they didn’t get caught in the gun war.

“We need to come up with a plan to escape,” I tell him.

“Our best option is if one of us causes a diversion and the other escapes.”

“I will do it.”

“No. You’re the Pakhan’s grandniece. I’m disposable, so I’ll do it.”

“Even though you’re Kirill’s guard, you’re not disposable. None of our men are, even if you hate me.”

“I don’t hate you.”

“Your boss does.”

“That’s because you’re threatening him, miss.”

“Only to protect myself. I won’t cause any of you harm if you don’t cause me harm.”

“Does that mean you’re not…” He clears his throat. “You know, against his preferences?”

“Why would I be? They’re his preferences and no one’s opinion matters. As I said, I will only use his sexuality against him if he threatens me. I would rather not, but that’s the only thing I’ve got on him, considering how closed off he is. If you tell me something else…I can ditch it.”

“Nice try, miss.” He smiles a little. It’s the first time I’ve seen Aleksander smile, and I hate to be like the other guards who compare him to a girl, but he really looks like one right now.

“Doesn’t hurt to try.” I smile back. “Let’s escape first, then we’ll talk.”

The door bangs open and both of us stiffen against the wall. We don’t try to scramble away because that’s not only useless considering whatever they injected in our systems, but it also would drain our energy sooner rather than later.

Five men walk inside, all tall and broad with mean features. The bald one, who appears to be their leader, approaches me with a gleam in his light eyes.

He has a scar that cuts across his bald head and ends right above his eyelid. When he speaks, it’s in a thick Eastern European accent. “We should start with this one. You’ll scream for your uncle and husband, won’t you, kitten?”