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Chapter 37
Misha
Just as we pull up to the bottom end of the trainyard and climb out of the SUVs, another motor brigade speeds toward us.
“Khristos,” Alek mumbles as he raises his submachine gun, taking aim. “Wait,” I mutter. Stepping forward, I hold my weapon ready as I watch
the first vehicle come to a skidding stop.
Caruso D’Angelo and Emilio Sartori climb out of the backseats, their weapons in their hands.
Blyadʹ, just what I fucking need right now.
“I’m here for Aurora,” I yell. “We can face off after the girls are safe.” It takes a second too long before he nods. “Our daughters come first.” Reluctantly, I nod.
When the women are safe, I’ll have to deal with the two men. Today there will either be a truce or bodies will drop.
I glance at Armani. “Take two men and stay behind D’Angelo and Sartori. If they make a move on us, kill them.”
He nods, and gesturing at two guards, he heads toward the enemy. D’Angelo walks closer. “One wrong move, and you’re dead.”
Is that supposed to scare me?
“Same counts for you,” I mutter as I turn around and head toward the parked wagons and carriages.
On guard, I peek through the open spaces between the wagons, and seeing a flash of black, I quickly pull back and gesture for everyone to stop walking.
I turn my head to Caruso, and with barely veiled hate, I mutter, “To our left.”
He nods. “On your signal.”
I’m surprised he’s giving me the lead, but then again, it’s probably because he doesn’t want me walking behind him.
I take a deep breath and slowly inch forward. There’s no sign of the person I saw a few seconds ago, so I take the chance and dart through the opening.
“I’m going around the other side,” Alek informs me.
He takes three men, and I watch as they split off to the left while I head to the right.
At another opening between two wagons, I see a man guarding a container.
Bingo.
I show for Caruso and the other men to wait, then crouching, I slowly creep closer.
I should’ve grabbed a silencer. Shit’s going to go down fast once I pull the trigger.
When I step over the coupler between the carriages, the man’s eyes snap in my direction, and I pull the trigger. A spray of bullets hits him, and his body rattles before he drops down to the gravel.
Darting forward, I run, and launching myself into the air, I jump onto the container and assess the situation at the speed of light.
Aurora hangs from chains. Kazuo is pointing a gun at her. There are two fuckers in my way.
It’s only a split-second as I take in everything before bullets fly.
I hear men behind me, but I focus on the fuckers in front of me as I take them out.
Kazuo chuckles. “You’re a little early.”
“Sorry I ruined your party. My invitation must’ve gotten lost in the mail,” I growl.
My eyes flick between the fucker and Aurora.
Christ, they’ve tortured her. But she’s alive.
Her lips are parted as she stares at me, her features drawn tight from pain and shock.
Caruso better not shoot me in the back.
Lowering my submachine gun, I drop it to the floor. “How do you want to do this?”
Kazuo’s eyes dart between Caruso and me. “And here I thought you’d take the opportunity to kill each other.” He shrugs. “It’s a pity my plan didn’t work. Yet.”
Suddenly Aurora kicks in Kazuo’s direction, and it draws his attention back to her. I rip the gun from where it’s tucked behind my back and take the shot.
I keep firing, riddling Kazuo with every bullet in my clip.
Quickly I drop the empty weapon, and spinning around, I pull the Heckler & Koch from the waistband of my pants and aim at Caruso.
“No!” Aurora cries. Sobs wrack through her. “Don’t shoot. Please. You might as well kill me then.”
I only realize she’s talking to her father when she says, “I love him, Father. If you kill him, you lose me.”
“Shut up!” Caruso shouts at his daughter. “The men are speaking.”
What. The. Everloving. Fuck.
“You don’t speak to my woman that way?” I snap, anger brimming in my words.
I keep the gun trained on Caruso as I edge closer to Aurora.
“Free her from the restraints,” I order the guards who are with me.
Caruso and I are stuck in a stare-off until I say, “You have two options.
Either you yield to the bratva, or you die today.”
I hear a commotion outside, then I’m surprised as fuck to see Instructor Nikolai and Director Koslov as they appear in the doorway with their guns trained on Emilio Sartori.
“I’m here on behalf of my cousin,” Nikolai says. “You’re outnumbered.
Let’s end this war, D’Angelo.”
I tilt my head, and shaking it, I lock eyes with Caruso. “What’s it going to be?”
Aurora drops to the floor, then I feel her grab hold of my leg. Having her cower on the ground rips through my heart, and I place my left hand against the side of her head, pressing her face to my knee.
“Aurora’s mine,” I mutter. “Think of your family, Caruso. Stubbornness and pride will tear you all apart.”
Caruso glances over his shoulder at Emilio, and they have a wordless conversation before Emilio nods.
Aurora’s father turns his attention back to me, then he shakes his head. “I call for a twenty-four-hour truce.”
“Viktor isn’t a patient man,” I say. “Make your decision now.”
Aurora leans against me as she climbs to her feet, and when she tries to move in front of me, I yank her back, growling, “Stay out of this.”
“Father,” she begs. “Please. Don’t make me watch you die.”
A tense minute follows before Caruso says, “What are the terms?”
Nikolai steps forward. “Fifteen percent of your profits, and you swear allegiance to the bratva.”
Caruso shakes his head, and angry, he spits on the floor.
My finger tightens on the trigger. “You’ll still live a life of luxury. Don’t give it all up because you’re fucking stubborn.”
When he still doesn’t give his answer, I add, “You’re up against the bratva and Italian mafia. You knew it was only a matter of time before it came to this.”
The air tenses dramatically, and my breath stalls, every ounce of my attention zeroed in on Caruso.
“I’ll only deal with Viktor,” Caruso demands. His eyes drift over me with disgust. “I don’t talk to mere soldiers.”
Yeah? Soon you’ll have one for a son-in-law, fucker.
Nikolai makes the call, then I hear him say, “Caruso is willing to talk.” He hands the phone to Aurora’s father, and the man’s gaze flicks to his daughter.
Disapproval flashes in his dark eyes before he glances away from her. I wrap my left arm around her shoulders and press her to my side.
“I demand to keep my position,” he tells Viktor.
The call only lasts a couple of minutes before Caruso ends it. He hands the device back to Nikolai, saying, “A tentative truce has been established.” “Thank God,” Aurora whispers. She turns, and wrapping her arms
around me, she presses her face against my armored vest and breaks down.
With the immediate threat over and Nikolai and Director Koslov taking over, I turn my attention to my woman.
“Where are you hurt.” Pulling out of her tight hold, I check her body, and when I see they’ve pulled three nails off her foot, I let out a string of curses.
I shove my weapon into her hands, ordering, “Shoot anyone who’s a threat.” Bending, I pick her up bridal style before I walk to the opening and jump off.
Turning my head to the right, I see Alek standing with Abbie cowering against him. Her face is beaten so severely there’s blood everywhere.
I carry Aurora closer to them, but when she sees her friend, she struggles out of my hold and runs to her, leaving a bloody footprint on the gravel.
“Abbie,” Aurora screams with intense relief before she rips her friend away from Alek, engulfing her in a hug. “They told me you were dead.”
Abbie doesn’t move to hold Aurora but just stands still as if she’s in a shocked daze. It takes a moment before she whimpers, “It hurts, Ra-Ra.”
Aurora pulls back, and the next moment Nikolai darts past us, sweeping Abbie up in his arms. She lets out a sob and breaks down against his chest. She wraps her arms around him as if he’s the only thing standing between her and certain death.
Okayyy?
I’m even more surprised that Caruso and Emilio don’t check on their daughters.
The fuckers.
“Let’s get them back to St. Monarch’s,” I order.
I signal for Armani to come to us before I lift Aurora into my arms. I don’t want her walking on her tortured foot.
“Where the fuck are you going with our daughters?” Caruso hollers.
Before I can tell him to fuck off, Aurora shouts, “I’m going to St. Monarch’s. Just because you made peace with the bratva doesn’t mean I’m okay with everything.”
“You will come to me,” Caruso orders.
“You’ll have to pry her from my dead arms,” I growl. When I turn around and walk toward the back of the trainyard where the vehicles are, I hear Director Koslov say, “Don’t do anything stupid, Caruso. You’re still
outnumbered. Aurora and Abbie will receive the best medical attention at St. Monarch’s.”
Done with this place, I walk toward the vehicles.
“Thank you,” Aurora breathes against my neck. “For coming to get me.”
“I’ll always come for you, moy malen’kiy olen’.”