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“She called me.” Konstantin glances from me to James. “Is that all? Because I don’t have much time.”
James steps forward, his voice tight and angry, but he’s grabbed and yanked back by one of the men behind us. “Where are Marco and Ivan? We know you took them.”
Konstantin’s expression remains impassive. “I didn’t. But my men will find them.”
“Back off, Konstantin,” James snaps. “It’s not your business, and I don’t believe you don’t have them.”
Konstantin’s eyes flash with cold amusement. “I don’t care what you believe. It’s the truth. And I want them found as much as you do.”
“Why? So you can kill them?” I growl, stepping closer, and a beefy hand reminds me I’m a hostage, not a guest.
Konstantin shrugs again, the movement casual. “There are scores to settle.”
“Listen to me, Konstantin,” I warn, my anger barely contained. “If you kill Marco and Ivan, it will only put more bad blood between us. And I swear I’ll be the one to kill you.”
“You can try.” Konstantin doesn’t seem perturbed, and his calm demeanor is starting to piss me off. “Stay out of what’s between the Zhukov, Marco, and Ivan,” he warns, his voice cold and unyielding. “Focus on keeping your organizations stable. You’ll need a united front when the storm that’s coming hits.”
“Is that a threat?” I ask, my eyes narrowing.
“No,” Konstantin says, his voice a whisper of menace. “It’s a warning. The clouds have already started to gather, and they’re turning dark around you.” His gaze flickers from me to James. “And from what I’ve seen, you are far from ready for it.”
Before I can say anything more, Konstantin signals his men. “You know what to do.”
In the blink of an eye, something stings my neck. I look at James, his eyes mirroring my disbelief before the world goes black.
“Wait!” Konstantin walks closer to me. “I wouldn’t move right now. You’re a doctor, so you know what could happen to that needle in your neck.”
I start to feel light-headed, while my body feels like a stone. If the man behind weren’t holding me up, my legs would’ve given in.
“Things aren’t always what they seem, Andrey,” Konstantin’s face wobbles and distorts in front of mine. “Open your eyes and take stock of everyone around you. You and James both. You can trust my cousin, and I can see he is loyal to you. Don’t break that trust or loyalty by being tricked or coerced, and you’re going to need him. To make our world as safe as you can if you ever want my sister to come home to you willingly.”
“What are you talking about?” I slur. “She chose you.” Fuck did I just say that. I can’t seem to control what I’m saying.
“No, Andrey. You, Marco, and your father drove her to me,“ Konstantin tells me. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep her safe. You need to strengthen your alliances and do some spring cleaning of your team.” He nods. “A word of advice, cousin, if you ever want to stand a chance with my sister, you need to learn to care for her, not possess her. Teach her, don’t control her. Let her make her own decisions. My sister is one of a kind—just like our mother was.”
Those are the last words I hear before the world goes black.
Chapter 25
ANDREY
“Andrey!” Someone who wants to be killed is shaking me awake. “For fuck sake, wake up, man.”
“Someone better be attacking us, or I swear to God…” Blinding pain rips through my head when I sit up, and my throat feels as dry as a desert. “Fuck, do I have a hangover?”
“Sort of.” James’s voice seems to boom painfully through the room. “I’ve left you sleeping for hours.”
“Hours?” My brow creases, causing even more pain in my head.”Did we go drinking?”
“What’s the last thing you remember?” James asks, looking at me with concern.
“I…” My memory is a blur. “My mother is in the hospital.”
“No, that was the day before yesterday.” His words make my brows shoot up in alarm. “Let me jog your memory. We went to get Isabella, but our mission failed. Her brother, my dickhead cousin, caught us and knocked us out with something.”
“NeuroVeil?”
“I don’t know.” James shakes his head. “This was injected.”
