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Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Lev

The car is supposed to meet us at coordinates on the east side of the city so Isabella can make a quick transfer.

But it never arrives.

Fuck.

I wait five minutes.

Ten.

Where the fuck is she? I pace a groove in the ground outside my car when a text comes in from an unknown number.

Fuck!

Warehouse, Mr. Romanov. We are waiting. Come alone or she dies.

My blood boils.

Isabella can hold her own; I know that. She's hardly a helpless female tied to train tracks waiting for me to rescue her.

But she's my wife. And she's pregnant.

I'll fucking kill them.

I get into the car, knowing I'm driving straight into a trap. I could call my brothers, but my wife is in danger. If they suspect I called anyone, they'll fuck her over.

If they hurt her… if they harm one single hair on her head…

I get there in record time, park the car, and check my weapons. I've got two semi-automatics pistols, fully loaded, and a knife in my boot. I slam the door.

"Javier!" I scream. "Come out and face me, or are you going to be a fucking pussy?" Rage boils in my veins as I stomp toward the front of the warehouse. The last time I was here, I met my wife, and I dragged her home as a traitor. This time, I'll kill the bastards who threaten her safety and bring her home as my queen.

Together, we'll rule.

The door flies open and Javier Morales himself stands with narrowed eyes, staring at me.

"How nice of you to stop by, Lev. We have a lot of catching up to do, brother-in-law."

"Yeah," I say genially. "We do." I want to see who he's brought with him. I glance around and see no one. "You bring company?"

"No!" Isabella yells from behind him. "He's alone because Carlos betrayed him, Lev."

"Shut up, bitch," he snarls at my wife. It's at that point I stop thinking with my brain.

I close the distance between us in an instant and hit him so fast and so hard, his head snaps back. He comes up, rage in his eyes, lunging at me, but I duck and evade his punch. I come back swinging. "You don't talk that way to my wife," I growl, landing the first satisfying punch to his gut. I hit him again and again. Blood pours from his nose.

I throw Isabella a knife, and she catches the handle mid-air. Pride surges through me.He gets me good, a hard jab to my abdomen. I'm doubled over, trying to catch my breath, when he snarls at me. "You were the one that turned Carlos against me."

I stare at him, too stunned to speak. "Me? I've never even met the guy."

He grits his teeth. "It's your fault. You came to visit your brother in Columbia. He works with my enemies and they promised Carlos more money and attention." He spits on the ground. "If not for you, I would've been the most powerful cartel in the entire world."

Wow. Isabella's right. This asshole is a completely delusional prick.

"Your family might," I snap, my gaze locked on his. "But with your sister in power, not you." I hit him so hard the nerves in my hand vibrate.

The man staggers back, clutching his stomach, but I don't give him a moment to recover. I reach for a metal pipe and swing it with all my might, the dull thud of the impact reverberating through the warehouse. He drops to his knees, blood dripping from a gash on his temple.

"You made a big mistake coming here," I snarl, lifting the pipe again.

Isabella slashes at the rope that binds her wrists. She comes up behind him, her eyes blazing with a mix of fear and determination. Javier tries to crawl away, but I kick him hard in the ribs, sending him sprawling.

"That's for hurting her." I lift him off the floor, only to throw him down again, hard. "No mercy," I growl, and Isabella nods, understanding the gravity of our situation. Together, we are a force of nature, brutal and unstoppable.

Javier tries to get up again, but Isabella is quicker. She slashes his arm, and he screams in pain, blood spraying from the wound. He swings wildly, catching her across the face with a backhand, but I'm already there. I bring the pipe down on his shoulder with a sickening crack, and he howls in agony.

"You don't hit my wife!" I roar.

Isabella, her cheek already swelling from the blow, moves in with cold precision. She plunges the knife into his thigh, twisting it viciously. His scream is a high-pitched wail of pure agony, and I almost feel pity for him. Almost.

"You think you can hit my wife, disrespect her, and get away with it?" I hiss, leaning close to his ear. "You think you're stronger than we are? That you've won by lying about who we are and what we've done? You're dead wrong."

He gurgles something unintelligible, blood bubbling from his lips. I grab his hair, yanking his head back and exposing his throat. "Do it," I command Isabella.

"You ruled with terror," she hisses. "Your reign is over, Javier."

Javier's body shakes furiously back and forth with the realization of what is about to happen.

Without hesitation, Isabella draws her blade across his throat in a swift, practiced motion. Blood gushes out, and his eyes widen in shock and horror. He collapses to the ground, twitching, his life draining away in a growing pool of crimson.

We stand there, panting, covered in blood, the echoes of the brutal fight still ringing in our ears. Isabella kneels in front of him. "You will die with the knowledge that I am the new head of Los Sangre Dorada. You have lost, Javier. And so has our father."

She looks at me, her face hard but her eyes softening.

"Let's get that damn map and call your brothers," she says quietly. "Before anyone else comes."

I nod, tossing the pipe aside.

We work side by side. Isabella's nimble, blood-stained fingers dance over the map, tracing paths and uncovering hidden messages while my mind maps out the strategic implications of each discovery.

Minutes pass, every second crucial. We're exhausted, but we push through. We've ended the first part of Javier's reign of terror. We have to finish it off completely.

Exhaustion tugs at our edges, but we continue, driven by the glimmer of hope our combined efforts have reignited. Finally, a breakthrough comes.

Isabella's eyes widen as she deciphers the final piece of the code. "Lev, this is it. These coordinates lead to a hidden compound. It's where they're holding prisoners and planning their next move." She shakes her head. "It was under our noses the whole time."

My eyes narrow with fierce determination. "We have to move quickly. We'll gather our forces and strike before they have a chance to retaliate."

I call Mikhail. Isabella places a hand on my arm and whispers, "We can do this. Together."

I bend and kiss her while Mikhail answers the call. I hold her gaze.

"Javier is dead. Carlos is heading to the location I'll send you."

I tap on my phone and send him the coordinates.

"Aria was close," he says with pride. "We've got our men two blocks away. Hang on, they're closing in."

My heart is beating too fast. I don't want to let her go. I came so close to losing her. If only Javier hadn't wanted me to feel the pain of her death, I would have.

In the midst of the chaos and urgency, I find strength in her. Forged by fire, through pain, I feel as if we're invincible. Together, we'll face any storm, and in the aftermath, we'll create our future together.

We leave the lifeless body of our enemy behind, stepping over the blood-soaked floor.

"We're there," Mikhail says. "Stand by." Isabella closes her eyes. We're close. So fucking close. She leans her head on my shoulder, and I slide my arm around her slender back.

"They've got Carlos in sight. Ollie and Nikko are there, and Viktor's not far behind. He has a blonde woman with him…"

Isabella's eyes fly open. "Renata! Oh my God! Be careful with her!"

Mikhail curses. The telltale sounds of a gunfight breaks out, muted by the phone, but Isabella's eyes are filled with terror. She covers her mouth with her hands and whispers a prayer in Spanish. My heart beats along with hers.

I want to give her peace. Quiet. Safety.

The keys to her kingdom.

"I've got him!" someone shouts in the background.

"That's Carlos," Isabella whispers. She closes her eyes, and a tear rolls down her cheek. "But what about Renata? My God, how could he bring her?"

He brought her because she was the last bargaining chip, I'd guess. I clench my jaw.

"And the woman?" I ask Mikhail. My heart beats faster alongside Isabella's.

No answer.

"Renata?" Isabella says, her voice choked. "Do you have her?" She cries freely now. Isabella puts on such a brave face, but when she loves, she loves deeply. She's been through so much, my brave, beautiful woman.

She holds her breath, and I hold mine along with hers. I grip her to my chest. Her breathing is ragged, but her heart beats as hard as ever.

Finally, a voice comes on the line.

"I've got her."

It's Ollie.

"You have Renata? Put her on the phone!" Isabella demands.

There's a series of rustles and low voices before a weak female voice comes on the line. "Isabella?"

"Renata! Are you alright?"

" Sí, estoy bien, no te preocupes por mí. ?Se fue? El tipo grande mató a Carlos. Gracias a Dios. Diles, Isabella ."

Isabella's eyes shine with relief and determination.

"Goddamn it, woman. What is she saying?" I demand, my voice impatient.

Isabella lets out a ragged breath. "She said she's fine. She asked if Javier was gone. She said ‘the big guy' killed Carlos, thank God. That would be Viktor." She swallows hard. "And then she said to tell them…"

"Tell us what?"

Isabella shakes her head, her eyes pained but victorious. "Tell the Los Sangre Dorado their leaders are dead. Tell them they owe their allegiance to me and you now."

In the dim light of the warehouse, she flips on her camera and flashes a triumphant grin.

"I am Isabella Morales Romanova," she declares. "And this is my husband, Lev Romanov. Javier Morales is dead. Today marks the end of an era. Tomorrow, a new one begins. I want all those loyal to the Los Sangre Dorada cartel to report to me immediately. We will convene this evening."

The message sent, she lowers the camera, her expression fierce and resolute.

"Lev. Take me home."

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