29. Nina

29

NINA

The rope tied around my wrists burns my skin as I fight against the restraints.

I hiss through my teeth as it shreds the skin, but I don't care. If I can feel pain, it means I’m alive.

For now.

I should have known it would have been only a matter of time before my father showed up to take me away. After all, I’ve failed to complete the one task he set me, and he made his expectations extremely clear. Either I help him take out Anton Koslov, or I get sent back to Russia.

But he and I both know that there’s no way I’ll ever see beyond the four walls of this warehouse. Not unless Anton finds my note and believes the words I left for him.

I fight a sob as I realize he is my only hope of getting out of this situation alive.

The sounds of my father arguing with Akim in Russian filter through the gap beneath the door, and from his tone, I can tell he’s more than just pissed, he’s furious .

My heart rate quickens.

I know that tone all too well. It’s the one he used to use on Lev before he would beat the shit out of him right in front of me, and I was too weak to stop him.

I try not to panic. I just need to buy myself some time until Anton gets here.

I might not like the idea of being used as bait to lure him into my father’s hands, but I know Anton is smart. After all, this is what the Koslovs have wanted all along—a chance to take down my father for what he’s done to their family.

Perhaps this can be my way of repaying them for showing me such kindness.

My body shakes uncontrollably from the cold as I sit on a chair in the center of the damp back room of one of my father’s warehouses.

My skin is covered in goosebumps, but sweat coats my forehead and upper lip from the effort of trying to free my hands from the restraints.

It feels as if they’re getting tighter the more I fight against them, but I can’t give up. I won’t let my father win.

He’s already taken too much from me. I won’t let him take Anton and my child too.

“Come on, then!” I yell at the closed door. “Aren’t you going to kill me?”

My throat is dry, and my voice comes out as more of a hoarse cry, but I don’t stop. “Don’t be a fucking coward ?—”

The door flies open, and my father is almost foaming at the mouth as he glares at me.

“I thought that might get your attention.” I almost laugh.

My father’s eyes flash with anger as he stalks toward me, his towering frame barely fitting through the doorway.

“You’d do well to keep your fucking mouth shut.”

“Why? What do you plan on doing to me?” I wish my voice wouldn’t shake, but I can’t ignore the fear as my father stares down at me.

Falling in love with a Koslov is the highest form of betrayal, and my father is a smart man. He would have seen the truth in my eyes when I refused to go with him.

My mother always said I wore my heart on my sleeve, which I used to think was a good thing. But now, I’m not so sure.

My father reaches out to grip my chin and forces my head back, so I have no choice but to look at him.

I squirm at the feeling of his calloused hands on my skin.

“My own daughter is a traitor,” he growls, baring his teeth. “Did you not think I would see you on the security cameras sneaking into my office, Nina? Did you really think I was that stupid ?”

I flinch, and he drops his hand from my face.

“You might be my daughter, but betrayal is betrayal.”

My stomach sinks as I look into my father’s cold eyes.

He’s going to kill me.

“W-what about Maxim?” Panic starts to set in.

‘What about him?” Igor demands.

“T-the plan…”

“You’re not fooling anyone, Nina. If you truly cared about avenging your own brother, you never would have handed over that information to the Koslovs. You’ve shown where your loyalty lies, and now you’ll pay the price.”

“It was an accident!” The last of my hope starts to slip away. “Anton didn’t set out to kill Maxim. He was trying to save Mikhail?—”

“Is that what he told you?” Igor scoffs. “You’re a fucking fool, Nina. Of course, that’s what he’d say.”

I bite my tongue, not wanting to tell him who I heard the truth from.

I can’t risk Pyotr like that and ultimately, my father doesn’t care how Maxim died. All he cares about is the fact that Anton was the one that pulled the trigger.

“I never should have trusted you,” Igor spits, looking at me in disgust.

I cower under his gaze, and it’s like I’m five years old all over again.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve gone and fallen in love with him.”

I say nothing, though the tears that start to stream down my cheeks say it all.

“Take care of her,” my father mutters to Akim who hovers in the doorway, and I know it’s now or never. If I have any chance of ever seeing Anton again, I need to use the only card that I have up my sleeve that could make my father reconsider.

“I’m pregnant!”

My father pauses, and I catch Akim rolling his eyes.

“I-it’s true. Anton, he…he doesn’t care about me, but he cares about this child. I-if you kill me now, you’ll lose your opportunity to get revenge.”

I sound hysterical and not in the least bit convincing, but I know how much my father wanted to make Anton suffer like he did when Maxim died, so I have to hope that he’ll halt his plans long enough to confirm the truth.

He looks over his shoulder at me, and I do my best to hold his gaze.

“Organize a doctor. I want this pregnancy confirmed.” He storms out of the room.

Akim sneers at me before slamming the door closed behind him.

I breathe a sigh of relief at the knowledge that I’ve bought myself some time. It might not be much, but it might just be enough to save my baby’s life.

Pulling against the ropes, I let out a cry of frustration.

The fact that my father believes I would be a threat if I wasn’t tied up is laughable. The truth is I’m exhausted and hungry, and I want nothing more than to fall asleep and pray that this has all been some terrible nightmare. That I’ll wake up back in Anton’s bed, with his arms around me, listening to the sound of his breathing as he sleeps beside me?—

Gunshots explode on the other side of the door followed by shouts and the sound of footsteps pounding against concrete.

I catch the sound of my father’s voice, but then more shots are fired, and all hell seems to break loose, and I lose all track of what’s happening.

If my father is being ambushed, there’s no way I’m getting out of this alive.

I’m completely trapped with no way of defending myself. Panic sets in, and my lungs scream for air as I forget to breathe.

But then I hear him.

Anton.

“FIND NINA!”

I choke on a sob.

“Anton!” I cry, though there’s no way he’ll be able to hear me over the sound of gunfire. “Anton!”

The ropes around my wrists and ankles are caked in blood as I fight and pull against them.

The commotion outside the door is getting louder, and I can only hope that he’ll get close enough to hear me.

“Help!” I scream. “Someone please ?—”

The door flies open, and I let out a strangled sob as Anton comes into view.

His shirt is caked in blood, and there’s a nasty-looking cut along his cheek, but he looks otherwise unharmed.

“Nina,” he breathes.

The sound of my name on his lips has the last of my strength evaporating.

My body is overcome with sobs of relief as he hurries over to me and gets to work untying my wrists.

“I’m sorry, lapochka , I’m so sorry.” He gently slices through the ropes with a knife. “I never should have kicked you out. I should have listened, I should have?—”

The moment my arms are free, I fling them around his neck, almost knocking him off balance.

“You came for me,” I sob, burying my face in his neck.

“I’m never letting you go.” He tightens his arms around my trembling body. “I’ve got you, Nina.”

I can barely catch my breath as I sob into Anton’s shoulder.

I can’t quite believe that he’s actually here, holding me in his arms, and that makes me cling to him tighter.

“H-he wants to kill…” I shake my head, not able to speak the words out loud.

Anton’s eyes darken with fury as I pull back and put my hands protectively over my stomach.

“He won’t touch you ever again, Nina.” His voice like steel as he tries to control his rage.

I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat.

I want to believe him, more than anything, but there’s only one way to know for certain whether our child will be truly safe.

“Is he…”

“Igor’s out cold.” He takes my face in his hands. “Once I’ve got you out of here, I’m going to take care of him.”

“Anton,” I sob, my eyes fluttering closed as he rubs his calloused thumbs over my cheeks.

“He won’t hurt you or our baby, I promise.”

“How did you find me?”

“That list came in very handy.” Anton bends down to gently brush his lips against mine.

“And before anything else, I need you to know I love you,” he whispers against my lips.

I can’t speak past the lump in my throat, so I just kiss him back, hoping that it’s enough to show him how much I love him too.

“Let’s get you out of here.” He reaches under my thighs, lifting me into his arms.

I lean against his warm body, sinking my fingers into his shirt as he carries me out into the main warehouse.

I gasp at all the blood staining the floor and the dozen or so lifeless bodies that litter the floor.

“Keep your eyes closed, Nina.” Anton holds my head against his chest. “You don’t need to see this.”

I do as he says, screwing my eyes shut and burying my face in his chest.

He smells of sweat and blood, but I don’t care. All I care about is the fact that he came back for me, for our child.

That realization has fresh tears stinging my eyes and by the time Anton sets me back down on the ground, I’m overcome with sobs once more.

“Stay here with her.” Anton opens up the passenger door of a blacked-out SUV.

I glance inside, and Mikhail sits behind the wheel. His hair is caked in blood, and he has a nasty bruise blooming on his cheek.

“Nina.” Mikhail dips his chin at me.

I don’t know Mikhail well at all, but I’m hoping this is his way of calling a truce.

“I’ll be right back.” Anton presses a kiss to my forehead. “Stay with Mikhail?—”

Anton doesn’t have a chance to finish his sentence.

One minute I’m about to climb into the passenger seat of the car, and the next I’m thrown to the floor, and Anton is shielding me with his body as the warehouse explodes right in front of us.

I cry out, clinging to Anton as my ears start to ring.

Scraps of metal rain down around us, and the smell of smoke hits my nose as a rush of heat swarms us from the flames.

“Anton,” I whimper.

“I’ve got you.” He holds my head against his chest, covering my ears from the noise.

I try to focus on the beat of his heart in my hand, using the rhythm to stay calm, to reassure myself that he’s alive and breathing.

For a moment, everything goes quiet except for the ringing in my ears. It’s as if someone pressed pause on the world, and my body is trying to catch up to the reality of what just happened.

I’m alive.

I pull back from Anton to see that the entire structure of the warehouse has collapsed.

I clutch my throat as I realize how close Anton and I came to being caught in that explosion.

Whoever set it off likely did it to ensure that there would be no survivors.

“Oh my god,” I breathe as I slowly climb to my feet.

Men who managed to get out in time start shouting and running toward the wreck.

I catch the sound of Mikhail’s voice as he yells at Anton, but it’s like they are underwater.

“Nina.” It’s Anton garbled voice, but I barely hear him as I stare wide-eyed at the warehouse that has been engulfed by flames. The warehouse where my father was passed out.