Blood splatters me, staining my body, but the taste of freedom fuels me.
I’m standing here with the gun in my hand, Aleksander dead on the floor, and a look to my left confirms Sophia has to be dead, too. Her eyes are wide open, and she’s not moving.
No one has come in.
Realizing this is my chance to flee, I feel adrenaline move my body and run to the door, yanking it open.
I run through into the hallway, my legs propelling me forward on the concrete floor.
I barrel ahead only to collide with a massive wall of a chest. A hand curls around my throat, lifting me off the ground.
I meet Ivan’s death glare and gasp for breath when he hoists me higher into the air.
“What the fuck have you done!” he shouts in my face.
I try to raise the gun, but I can’t. I can’t breathe. His grip is so tight that stars speckle my vision and everything begins to blur around me.
He relieves me of the gun effortlessly while I gasp, feeling like I might pass out.
The guards enter the room, and seconds later, one of them returns, glaring at me.
“They’re dead,” he informs Ivan. “Aleksander and Sophia are dead.”
Ivan growls and throws me against the wall. I scream when my shoulder smashes into the hard surface.
“You little bitch. You killed my aunt. You will pay for that.” He hits me with the back of his hand. Blood spurts from my nose.
My face feels like it’s on fire, and I heave, but he hits me again, striking my other cheek.
I scream from the pain, yelping as he hauls me up again by my throat and secures a grip around my arm.
God, it feels like he’s going to tear off my arm.
“Let’s fucking go and get this over with. Then I’ll deal with you properly.” He moves with me down the hall, hustling me forward with his guards on either side.
More come—ten more—and I realize how foolish I was to think I could escape.
I was never going to, but at least I know I tried.
This is bigger than me.
Ivan is going to kill me, too, when he’s done with me. I can feel it. He’ll kill me to get revenge for Sophia.
We reach a meeting hall, where I face the same men I faced nearly two months ago in this same position.
Back then I was at the mercy of a man who changed my world.
This man is not like that man, and that man is no more.
“Welcome, amigos,” Ivan says, pulling me closer and pressing his face to mine. “Here she is. The princess. Raul’s daughter. The reason we’re here today. My brother is dead, so I will be marrying his wife and taking over. I am the new Pakhan, and you will swear your allegiance in blood to me.”
A gunshot sounds, making me jump out of my skin. It came from the balcony at the other end of the room and took down the guard next to us.
All the men scramble to their feet, guns raised, but a host of men appears on the balcony.
I, however, have my eyes focused on one man.
The man I thought I’d never see again.
