1. Liam

Aweek later, I’ve successfully avoided Kate when I get the call that she’s gone missing.

In my search, I discover the betrayal of Igor Peprov of the Bratva who’d been asked for help in taking Giovanni Fiori down, not just to keep Niko’s family safe, but Kate as well.

Is it my tangled emotions that made me vulnerable to Igor’s trick that has me tied up along with Niko and his underboss, Donovan Ricci, while Kate is at Giovanni Fiori’s mercy?

If I survive this and save Kate, I vow to stay away from her. I can’t afford the distraction, and she definitely can’t afford to have me in her life.

I scan the room seeing Niko, passed out next to me, and beyond him is Donovan, groggy and just coming to.

“You alright?” I ask, pulling at the ties that bind me.

“I’m alive. Which is more than I can say for whatever motherfucker put us here.” Donovan pulls at his ties too. “What’s going on? Last thing I recall, we were driving to meet with one of Giovanni”s men. Lou was at the wheel.” He looks around. “Where is Lou? You called… warned us of a trap.”

“Igor is going after Lucy.” I hate to reveal that because it’s no secret that Donovan is in love with Lucy.

“What?”

“I didn’t know, Donovan. He’s got Kate.” Thinking of her with that slimy motherfucker sends an inferno of rage through me. I thrash like a wild beast to free myself.

“What the fuck?” Niko’s head shakes as he winces.

Donovan explains our situation so far, including that Lou, Donovan’s righthand man, is missing.

“If he’s not here, he’s likely dead,” Donovan says.

“Or in on it,” I quip. I know Igor. He’s wily, as is Giovanni, but they needed someone on the inside of Niko’s organization to pull this off. My money is on Lou.

“Lou?”

“Someone had to be inside. You asked about Kate coming out of Wit Pro, so I started the process, but someone beat me to it. Or led them to her. Fuck.” I have to get out of here and save her.

It’s not just her life on the line, but my soul.

“She dropped off the radar. I’ve been looking for her, but in the meantime, a cousin of mine let me know there’s turmoil in the Bratva.”

“Where do you suppose we are?” Niko asks.

“Could be the warehouse?” Donovan offers. “Maybe Giovanni wants to kill us where we dumped his wife on his doorstep.”

“Could be Bratva. Sounds like Igor is a fucking traitor if he’s after Lucy and Kate.”

“So, does that mean Giovanni has us or Igor?” Niko asks.

“Could be both.” I tug again, my wrists screaming in pain from the effort.

“Fuck!” Niko barks. “I should have gone full-out war, not this stealthy shit. We don’t have backup.”

“We shouldn’t have walked into their trap,” Donovan huffs. ”Son of a bitch. Lou. He was in on it.”

“What are you saying?” Niko’s voice goes cold.

“Igor and Giovanni want Lucy. Lou can walk right into the penthouse and get her.” Donovan begins to thrash to free himself. “If he hurts her, I’ll chop him up, inch by inch, while he’s alive. Goddammit.”

“Lucy”s strong,” I say. And she is. She’s a capable woman.

“Strong doesn”t mean invincible. Fuck. If I fail her?—”

“You won’t.” Niko’s eyes narrow on Donovan. “Do you suppose you’ll ever admit that you’re in love with your wife?”

Donovan glares at him. “Now? I have more important things to do than discuss my love life. Are you going to ask Liam about Kate?”

What the fuck? How could they tell? “What are you talking about? That gas must have fogged your brain.”

“I’m just saying that if you and Lucia are in love, I’m happy for you, Donovan,” Niko says.

“This is all nice and well, but there’s no happily ever after for you two lovesick puppies if we don’t get out of here.” I tug at my restraints again.

We sit in silence for a moment until a sound comes from the other side of the door.

“Did you hear that?” I hiss. We listen until the door opens and a man enters, stopping just beyond the reach of the dim light. The only thing clearly visible is the semi-automatic pistol in his hand.

Finally, he steps into the light. Igor. Motherfucking traitor.

He steps in front of me and sneers. “Not such a big shot now, are you, comrade?”

“You think you are a big shot?” I laugh. “Ti nikto. You’re nothing, comrade.”

Igor’s eyes narrow, clearly not liking being called nothing. He collects himself and shakes his head. “I don’t understand you. You could have been the Boss, but you joined the FBI? I thought that made you untouchable, but then you go to work for the Mafia? I don’t care that others want you back in Bratva. You’re a traitor.”

“I’m a traitor? Really?” I scoff. “You’re Bratva working for Giovanni Fiori. What does that make you?”

“It’s an alliance,” Igor hisses. “Your Boss asked for one, if I remember correctly.”

I shrug nonchalantly. “Does Dimitri know about it?”

“Shut up.”

A blast of pain shoots through my jaw as Igor hits me with the butt of his gun.

“Just tell us what the fuck you want,” Niko barks out.

Igor turns his attention to Niko. “Nothing from you. I’m just babysitting until Giovanni is finished with Liam’s little friend. She’ll make a pretty penny on the?—”

Rage courses through my blood. There’s no way I’ll allow Fiori to traffic Kate. “If you touch her, I will guarantee you a long and painful death.”

“How does Lou fit in?” Donovan asks.

Igor moves to him, sneering. “I’m sorry to say that Lou is with us. And by now, he’s killed the Fiori women.”

In a fury, Donovan rises from the chair and bends over as he lifts his arms off his back and brings them down hard. The restraint breaks. Niko and I do the same as Igor points his gun at Donovan, who rushes and tackles Igor.

Rage is a powerful tool. It knocks out fear. It gives superhuman strength. We use it to overcome and kill the men who dare to take what is ours.

Donovan wrenches Igor’s gun from him, and I hear the snap of Igor’s wrist and his howl of pain. Igor’s men rush in, and chaos erupts.

I ignore the shots pinging around the room and go for one of the men, snapping his neck and grabbing his gun. The room is filled with the sound of gunfire and cries. I keep moving until the only people left standing are me, Niko, and Donovan.

We’re scraped and bruised. Niko has a superficial wound where a bullet grazed him, but overall, we’re okay. Certainly, much better than the dead men at our feet. Except for Igor, who is writhing in pain.

I haul him up. “I will make sure the Bratva knows of your gallant cowardice.” I stand behind Igor, take his head in my hands, and twist until I hear it snap. Igor drops to the floor boneless, dead.

“Elena,” Niko says as he picks up a second gun and rushes to the door.

I follow him, but my thoughts are of Kate. We make our way up the hall knowing there could be more men in wait. We reach a juncture and stop to listen. I swear there’s someone there, but if there is, they’re as quiet as we are.

“What if that’s the bad guys?”

My heart stops. I know that voice. “Fucking hell. That”s Kate.”

“Liam?” Kate’s voice carries around the corner.

Niko steps out into the corridor, his gun drawn.

“No!” Donovan grabs Niko’s arm. “It’s Lucy. Holy hell, it’s Lucy.“

Lucy runs into Donovan’s arms. “It’s over. I killed my father. It’s over.”

The world ceases to exist as I look at Kate. She seems physically fine, but emotionally, she’s battered and bruised.

I want so fucking badly to take her in my arms and make the horror go away, but I can’t because I am part of the horror.

“Elena?” Niko asks.

“She’s fine… well… she was having cramps, so Aria and Marie took her to the hospital. I think it saved us. We were up when…” Lucy turns to Donovan. “Lou tried to kill us. I killed him first.”

Donovan holds her close again.

“We need to go.” Niko continues toward the exit.

I pass Lucia to reach Kate, feeling like I should do something. I press a palm to her cheek, but it feels wrong. I have no right to touch her. “Are you okay?”

She nods, and I take the gun she’s holding. I hope she hasn’t had to use it. Killing changes you on the inside.

We make our way back to the warehouse, with Donovan asking how Lucy found us.

“I took the car of the Russian who drove me off the road. It’s an SUV. In front of the warehouse,” she explains.

“Ours is up the street a bit,” Donovan says.

Donovan’s relief is palpable. So is Lucy’s. Niko is still a little keyed up, but me, I’m on the fucking edge.

“I need to get Kate to a safe location.” I need to get her away from all this. Away from me.

“Take Lucia’s car. It should get past any Bratva looking for you,” Niko says.

“The Russian is in it. Zip-tied and belted in. He might still be unconscious. Oh, and he has a gunshot to the shoulder and one to the knee.”

I’d be impressed by Lucy’s quick thinking and willingness to take action, but I’ve got more important things to worry about.

“I’ll deal with it,” I say, guiding Kate through the warehouse where I can see Giovanni Fiori dead on the floor.

“Keys are in the car,” Lucy says.

I shove the unconscious man in the car into the back and help Kate into the passenger seat.

“Do you need a hospital?” The question sounds lame. What she needs is lifelong therapy, probably.

“No.” Her voice is shaky. I should comfort her. Take her hand, at least. But I don’t. I can’t. Not if I’m going to do what’s best for her.

As we drive, I make a few calls, the first to one of the only other men I trust in the FBI.

“Jesus fuck, Rostova… are you with the Mafia?”

I close my eyes for a second, wondering how my colleague knows. “I need a safehouse.”

“You need to come in and explain what’s going on. You’re undercover, right?”

Fuck. I’m on my own. I hang up and drive to Nowheresville, New Jersey and find a hotel.

“You’ll stay here for now,” I tell Kate once I’ve rented the room under a fake name and pay cash.

“You’re leaving me?” She panicks again.

I shove my hands into my pockets instead of holding her like I want to. “You’ll be safe. Fiori and Igor are dead. I need to make arrangements, and then you’ll never be in danger again, okay?”

She nods, and I see trust in her eyes. Trust I don’t deserve.

“Rest. I’ll be in touch.”

Leaving her alone is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

As I return to the car, shoot my passenger, and find a place to offload him, I vow to keep my promise to Kate.

She’ll never be in danger again. Even if I have to burn the world down to save her, I will.