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"You're coming with me," Ahmet declares, his voice low and dangerous. "And if you give me any trouble, I won't hesitate to put you down like a rabid dog."
His grip on me is harsh and controlling. Every instinct within me screams to fight, to struggle, but the gun at my head is a clear deterrent. My mind races, searching for a way out, but Ahmet's hold is unyielding.
Ahmet starts to move, dragging me along with him. Each step feels like a march toward an unknown fate. I'm a pawn in his game, a tool to be used against Damien.
As we move through the corridors, I try to memorize the turns, the doors, and anything that might help me if I get a chance to escape. But Ahmet is careful and constantly vigilant, his attention never wavering from me.
All I can do now is comply, endure, and pray that Damien comes for me before Ahmet follows through with his threats. The cold press of the gun against my head is a constant reminder of the stakes, of the thin line between life and death that I'm now walking.
Chapter 33
Damien
Out on the balcony, the night air is sharp against my skin, and I'm surrounded by a group of men who won’t hesitate to kill me. Every guard has their gun drawn, all of them pointed at me. I can hear their heavy breathing and see the determination in their eyes. They're not messing around.
"Put your weapon down!" one of them barks in accented English. I'm outflanked on all sides. There's no play here, no angle to work. Slowly, I let my gun fall to the ground; the sound it makes hitting the concrete is painfully final.
I brace myself, every muscle tensed, ready for the bullet that will end my life once and for all. But it doesn't come. Instead, the door behind the guards opens, and Ahmet steps out onto the balcony. He's not alone. Mariya is with him, his arm gripping her tightly.
Seeing that she is alive floods me with relief, but it's short-lived. She's not out of harm’s way, not by a long shot. Her eyes meet mine, wide with fear. "Damien!" she yells, her voice laced with desperation as she tries to wriggle free.
A fury like I've never known takes hold within me. I want to leap at Ahmet, tear him apart limb from limb for what he's done, for the terror he's put her through. But I'm powerless, my hands empty, my options spent.
Ahmet smirks, a predator enjoying the sight of his trapped prey. "I'm being nice enough to allow you to see Mariya one last time," he says, his voice evil and cold, "before you're finally eliminated for good."
His words are like a knife twisting inside me. I can see the triumph in his eyes, the satisfaction of having us both exactly where he wants us. He's in control, and he knows it.
Mariya's face is a mask of dread and pain. I can see her trying to be strong, trying to hold it together, but the situation is bleak. We're both at Ahmet's mercy, and he doesn’t have an ounce of it to spare.
Ahmet's voice breaks the silence again. His words are a cruel taunt. "Say your goodbyes," he sneers. It's the last chance you're ever going to get."
Ahmet's eyes glint with malevolence as he considers another possibility, his voice dripping with cruelty. "Or maybe," he muses, "I'll kill Mariya first. Let the last sight you see before you die be your love and the baby she's carrying, both of them dying before you."
Confusion grips me. "Baby? What are you talking about?" My voice is barely a whisper, my mind reeling from his words.
Ahmet laughs, an evil sound devoid of humanity. "I didn't expect to be the one breaking the news to you." His gaze shifts to Mariya, and he raises his gun, placing it against her temple in amusement. "But here we are."
Fury, raw and consuming, courses through me. I'm ready to do whatever it takes, damn the consequences. But before I can move, before I can even take a single step, something unexpected happens.
One of the guards crumples to the ground, and a thwap sounds out in the night. Then another falls, and another. Confusion erupts among Ahmet's men, their formation breaking as they scramble to identify the threat.
I turn to look behind me and see, to my disbelief and relief, my brothers in sniper positions. Andrei, with his sharp eyes and steady hands, gives me a thumbs-up.
My brothers work swiftly and efficiently, their well-coordinated shots taking out the guards with precision. The balcony turns chaotic, the air filled with the sounds of gunfire and shouting.
A round hits the ground near Ahmet, missing him but close enough to send a clear message. The remaining guards, realizing they're outmatched, begin to flee. Panic has set in, their duties forgotten in a desperate bid for survival.
But Ahmet, ever the opportunist, seizes the moment to retreat. He grips Mariya tighter, dragging her back inside the compound. My heart lurches at the sight, and my fear for her safety overwhelms me.
I don't waste a moment. I pick up a dropped gun and sprint toward the door that Ahmet and Mariya have just disappeared through. My brothers' arrival has given me a fighting chance, a lifeline in this madness. My hope has been restored.
I burst back into the compound, adrenaline surging through my veins. The transition from the open balcony to the enclosed space hits me instantly. My brothers' sniper support is cut off here, leaving me to navigate this final stretch alone. I'm ready for it, ready to end this once and for all.
Mariya's screams guide me, her voice a beacon of fear and desperation cutting through the sprawling expanse of the compound. I follow the sound, my steps fueled by a mix of dread and determination. It leads me up to the top floor, to Ahmet's massive office.
The office is a testament to power and luxury, with a breathtaking 360-degree view of Istanbul. But the panoramic beauty of the cityscape is lost on me. I am only focused on Ahmet and Mariya.
He stands there, gripping Mariya with one hand while the other holds a gun. His face is twisted with rage and defiance. "If I'm going down," he sneers, "I'm taking you with me."
