Page 88 of Mistaken
“This bitch is mine,” she snarls.
My brother shrugs. Heshrugs.“I don’t care as long as she’s alive and serving in the Red Trade as agreed. The video of the wife of the mighty Maksim Morozov in a whorehouse will shame the Morozov Bratva and weaken their position. There’s no respect for a man who can’t protect his wife. There needs to be an example set.”
I stare up at the ceiling. It’s concrete, and there’s a crack with a water stain shaped like a turtle. I wish I had a hard shell like a turtle. Maybe it wouldn’t feel like I was bleeding to death inside. I wish I was, but I’m pretty sure Katya knows how to make things hurt for a long time without letting me die. But I wish I could. Tania would move on with her life, away from people who would hurt her because of me. And there’s nobody else who matters.
I thought Maksim might matter, for a while. That his family could be mine. Well, not his mother, but…
I stare at the ceiling while they discuss what they’re going to do to me.
Maksim…
The night lights up in flares of red and orange and I’m listening to the chatter as I mow down two more soldiers. The defunct office building Katya is holed up in is surrounded by a big, empty parking lot, unfortunately making their visibility excellent. Two well-aimed grenades take out the men on the roof, and we race toward the building, shooting out the windows of our cars to take down as many as we can before we jump from the protection they offer and move into close combat.
“There are far more men here than the intel showed,” Alexi shouts, “I see a dozen headed for the southwest corner, I’m guessing that’s the entrance to the lower level.”
Growling, I reverse course and head in that direction.
Katya won’t kill her,I think,she’ll want to do it in front of me. I’ve got time. A little time to find her.
The gunfire is slowing down as our soldiers take over more ground in and around the building. “Don’t let anyone get out!” I’m shouting, desperate to make sure they can’t take Ella away. The entryway to this corner of the building is in shreds, the broken doors riddled with bullets and hanging from their hinges. Ivan is keeping pace along with me, slightly ahead to take out any threats, but I want to shove him aside. I have to get to Ella.
A bullet hits me like a vicious punch to my ribs - one or two are likely broken - but the bulletproof vest does its job. I’m in the open as I’m heading for the lower level and another bullet tunnels through my shoulder. I remember Ella carefully bandaging the opposite shoulder the last time I was shot and grinned foolishly.
Ella…
There’s shouting and I open my eyes to see Katya shoving at her husband, screaming, “She’s not getting out of this! She is dead before I let thatsvolochhave her back!”
Charles is yelling back, “She’s our human shield! He’s not going to shoot us if we have a gun to her head!”
“You’re such an asshole…” I mumble, “no wonder Mom and Dad loved me more.”
I didn’t even think he heard me but he whirls on me, his furious red face close enough that he’s spitting on me while he screams at me. “You were supposed to die with them in that accident, why can’t you ever do what you’re supposed to!”
I laugh, tasting something metallic in my throat. “They still loved me more.”
“Where are the gas canisters!” Vasily is roaring at Katya and she doesn’t look so happy anymore.
“The formula takes at least twenty-four hours to create,” she stammered.
I make an agreeing sort of noise. “I could have told you that.”
There’s a thunderous crash and part of the ceiling in the corner caves in. Katya is screaming and it’s just killing my head. I’m pretty sure I’m hallucinating when I hear Maksim’s voice.
“Take me! I will take my wife’s place. I’m coming down, my hands are empty!”
There are footsteps, loud and chunks of concrete are clattering down the stairs, too.
Oh, sweetie,I think,they’re just going to kill you too, but thank you for coming to get me.
Maksim’s in full Pakhan mode, blood staining his shoulder, hands up, and looking cold and powerful. “I’m unarmed,” he repeats, “let my wife go, I will take her place and guarantee you safe passage out of here.” He’s looking at Charles for a moment, brow furrowed in that“do I know you?”way.
“You have no bargaining power here!” Katya is screaming, trying to lunge at him but her husband is holding her back. He’s the one with the survival instinct. “I’m going to kill thisbespoleznaya sukawhile you beg me to let you live!”
Maksim ignores her, looking at Vasily and then Charles. “Your only way out of here alive is with me. Take my wife off that table and she will leave first. Then you can put a gun to my head and get out of here.”
I can see it before my husband does, this evil cow isn’t letting me live. Kayta’s hand is shaking, clutching a gun that sweeps between him and me, over and over with her finger absently tapping the trigger.
“No!” she’s screaming, her fancy hair is down and snarled around her face, she has sweat stains under the arms of her fancy suit and stupidly, it just makes me so happy.
