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Volkov chuckled darkly. “What I’ve always wanted, old friend. The codes to your offshore accounts. The location of your hidden caches. And most importantly, that beautiful woman there.” He looked at me, and I felt like throwing up. “I’ll be keeping you for myself.”
“Like fuck you will,” Rory growled, half rising off the bench. I pulled him back down beside me asVolkov tsk’d.
“Aww, how sweet. You better listen to my woman there Hennessy. You wouldn’t want to get yourself shot trying to play the gallant hero now, would you?”
The tension was palpable, like a taut wire ready to snap at any moment. I could feel Rory’s body coiled with barely contained rage beside me. A muscle twitches along his jaw from clenching it so tightly that I feared his teeth might crack.
Volkov’s eyes gleamed with malicious glee as he savored the power he held over us. “Now then, Tomas, shall we begin? The codes, if you please.”
Tomas’s gaze flickered to Rory and me, a lost look in his eyes. “I... I can’t,” he said, his voice hoarse.
Volkov sighed dramatically. “I was afraid you might say that.” In one fluid motion, he swung the gun away from Tomas and aimed it directly at me as he put a phone to his ear and muttered something in Russian. “Perhaps this will motivate you.”
Time seemed to slow as I stared down the barrel of the gun. My heart pounded in my ears, drowning out Rory’s shout of protest. Just as Volkov’s finger tightened on the trigger, five SUVs surrounded us.
I barely had time to register what was happening as the doors flew open and a flood of men in dark suits poured out of the vehicles, their faces cold and emotionless. Before I could even think to react, rough hands grabbed my arms, yanking me off the bench.
“No!” I heard Rory shout, his voice raw with panic.
In the commotion, I heard him yell at Connor as he struggled against two burly men, “Get Tomas to the panic room!”
As much as I hated the thought of re-injuring my leg, I spun around in the air and delivered a devastating roundhouse kick to both of my assailants. A slight twinge ran up my leg as both men crumpled to the ground, but I landed on both my feet. Seeing Connor usher Tomas inside, I scanned the grounds for Rory. My heart lurched painfully in my chest when I saw him go down thanks to a blow to the back of his head. “Rory!” I screamed, but my voice was lost in the chaos as Volkov started yelling something in Russian. No sooner were the words out of his mouth and his men ran for their vehicles.
I noticed only one of the Russian’s cars remained as I rushed over to Rory’s side and helped him sit up. “Where the hell did they all go?” He asked, looking bewildered.
I glanced around, half expecting Volkov to be standing behind me, but when he wasn’t, I shook my head, “I don’t know. It doesn’t matter.”
Just then, the SUV that was left behind exploded, and I was torn from Rory’s arms, flying through the air.
Chapter 25
Rory
I cradled Kat’s limp form in my arms, my heart pounding frantically. Her face was pale, a trickle of blood running from a gash on her forehead.
“Kat, come on darlin’, open those beautiful eyes for me,” I pleaded, gently patting her cheek. Her skin felt cool under my touch, and I could see a nasty gash on her forehead. “Don’t you dare leave me now, not after everything we’ve been through.”
The car was fully engulfed with flames, casting an eerie orange glow. Smoke stung my eyes and filled my lungs, but I gathered her closer, readying myself to pick her up. That’s when I heard footsteps approaching from behind and a wave of relief washed over me. It must be Declan and Connor. We could get Kat to safety, get her the medical attention she desperately needed.
“Over here!” I yelled, my voice raw from the smoke and the sting of unshed tears. “She’s hurt, weneed to—”
And that’s when I remembered Declan wasn’t back yet. The words died in my throat as I turned and found myself staring down the barrel of a gun. The man holding it was built like a brick shithouse, with a face that looked like it had been carved from granite. His cold blue eyes regarded me with detached interest, like I was an insect he was about to squash.
“Well, well,” he drawled in a thick Russian accent. “What do we have here?”
I tightened my grip on Kat, my mind racing. What the hell was taking Declan and Wren so long to get back? “Why the fuck didn’t you leave with the rest?” I asked.
“Because the boss has plans for her.” He grinned at me, and I wanted nothing more than to smash my fist in his mouth but didn’t.
“With that car exploding, you could have killed her,” I spat between clenched teeth.
He shrugged. “Meh, but we didn’t.”
“Look, man,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “We don’t want any trouble. Just go.”
The Russian’s lips curled into a cruel smile. “Oh, but I think we do want trouble, Mr. Hennessy. Or rather, my boss does. Like I said he wants her.”
A chill ran down my spine. This wasn’t somerandom thug – this was one of Volkov’s men.
