Rage crawls up the back of my neck with each second his gaze stays on my girl. I need to divert his attention away from Leah and get the hell out of here before I do something stupid that ends up getting us both killed.
“Patience, Mikhail. There’s no rush. Unless you have somewhere more important to be.”
“I do,” I deadpan.
Isaac belts out a laugh. “I’m sure you do. Though I don’t blame you; I’d be in a hurry to get the fuck out of here, too, if I had that sweet piece of ass waiting for me.”
I suck in a sharp breath, my muscles tensing. “Don’t,” I grit out between clenched teeth. He chuckles, idly staring at his cigar, then points it at me as he speaks. “The big, bad Mikhail Petrov thinks he has some kind of power here. But unfortunately for you, you don’t have the upper hand, friend. So I suggest you relax, and we can all go home when this is over.”
The Beretta at my side is heavy and hot, and the urge to put a hole through his face is making my hands shake with anticipation.
“Now, I just need to know who I’m doing business with. That’s all,” he says as he moves toward Leah.
I ball my fist, jaw so tight I’m one ounce of pressure away from cracking teeth.
“I haven’t heard you say a single word, sweetheart. A little too pretty for this line of work. But given that you’re here, I’m assuming there’s a reason.”
Leah doesn’t break. She maintains eye contact and slow blinks at his remarks.
“What’s your name, bella?”
He reaches a hand up, as if intending to caress her face, but she dodges his touch and levels him with a cold glare.
“Cut the bullshit. Your product is all there. Confirm so we can end this.”
A grin so wide I see his capped molars splits his face. He twists around. “I like her. Must be a little firecracker in the sheets—”
“Enough!” I growl, leaning in his direction. A chorus of chambering bullets follows. “Relax, Mikhail,” he warns. “All I wanted to say is that you are one lucky son of a bitch to bag yourself the daughter of Emilio Castellanos.”
Hearing her father’s name finally breaks her mask of indifference. Her eyebrows knit together in confusion.
“You know I’m a businessman, Petrov. I don’t keep emotional ties with anyone outside my circle. I owe you and your father nothing. So when Yuri Kosovich rings and makes me an offer, who am I to refuse?”
“Son of a bitch.”
“I won’t deny that,” he says with a chuckle. “But wait, it gets better. Imagine my surprise when Emilio himself doubles that offer in exchange for your head and the return of his precious little Leah.”
In the next second, Leah’s gun is pressed against Isaac’s forehead.
A gesture that only widens his smile. “If you think that’s wise, I encourage you to pull the trigger.”
“Fuck you. I’d rather die.”
“Well, I’m glad we’re on the same page, bella, because the moment you walked in, I knew, without a doubt, I was going to keep you for myself.”
“The hell you are,” I roar, reaching for my gun as the barrels of five others train on me.
“On your knees, Petrov. Do as you’re told, and this will be quick and painless. Otherwise, I can be creative.”
Leah lowers her weapon and shifts her wary gaze to me, shaking her head. “I’ll go with you. Wherever you want, just don’t hurt him.”
“No, fuck that! You touch her, I’ll take your goddamn head.”
“Mikhail, no,” she counters. “Please, for me.”
Isaac disarms her and chuckles. “How touching. But I’m not here to negotiate, and you may be pretty as sin, but you don’t set the terms here.”
He motions to two of his men, and they approach Leah. I lunge for her but drop to the ground when Isaac presses his Glock to her temple.
“I have more wet cunt waiting for me at home than you can imagine. I’m not too invested here. Pussy is pussy, so don’t test me.” He digs the barrel harder against her skull. “Knees, now.”
Despair grips my heart, and I fall to my knees.
“Take her to the car.”
Leah locks eyes with me, and where I expect to see tears, there’s fire.
“I love you,” she says, twisting the gun out of Isaac’s hand and rapid-firing two bullets into the two men at her side. They hit the ground, and the warehouse descends into chaos.
My men, previously standing like useless bastards, begin firing their weapons as I crawl behind a metal beam, sending gunfire into the crowd.
“Leah!” Calling out to her is sure to give away my position, but I don’t give a damn.
Nothing matters to me but her safety.
What feels like a metal pipe connects to the side of my head, and pain ripples across my face. One of Isaac’s men is on me in the next beat and clocks me with a solid right hook before I can get my bearings. Blood spills inside my mouth as another hit splits my lip. As he comes in for the finishing blow, I wrap my hands around his throat and squeeze, but he pulls a knife, aiming for my face.
The sound of a single gunshot blares in my ear when it pierces the side of his head, and he slumps over.
