Several men in black patrol the whole area like some special agent soldiers.
I don’t hear footsteps, but I hear Annika’s shriek as I’m hit from behind.
Pain explodes in the back of my neck and I fall to my knees. My wrists are wrung behind my back as a Russian-accented voice mutters, “Got him, Boss.”
When I lift my head, I find none other than the man who murdered my childhood and bathed in its blood.
The man who gave Annika life.
Adrian Volkov.
And he’s holding a gun to my temple.
39
ANNIKA
It’s strange how the world can flip upside down in a matter of minutes.
A few moments ago, I started hoping again, pining, dreaming of convincing Creighton to give up on his vendetta.
And that was after two days of nightmarish, bleak surrender. Due to his complete inflexibility, my heart broke to pieces. I lost all hope and became a shell of my former self.
The thought of him turning into this heartless person who only sees vengeance has been ripping me apart and I couldn’t withstand the torture. So imagine my surprise when he finally listened.
He stood there and heard me out.
He didn’t attempt to antagonize me. He was even…scared. It was the first time I’ve seen that fear in his eyes.
Hell, even when I pointed a gun at him, he wasn’t afraid. He was more like resigned.
He said he’d let me go home.
He embraced me in his safe arms and danced with me under the rain.
We were going somewhere and now we aren’t.
Now, he’s being held down by Kolya’s massive hand as he stands like a wall behind him and Papa points a gun at his forehead.
And the worst part is, he looks ready to kill him, and not just in a normal way, no. This is the second time I’ve witnessed Papa’s detached murderous face. The first was during my attempted kidnapping. His face is set, lips thinned, and his eyes are so dark, they’re unable to reflect the light.
I’ve always known Papa killed people, but this is the first time I’ve seen him as a killer.
A cold-blooded, ruthless killer.
His men circle us with methodical stratagem, all tall, dressed in black, and with assault rifles slung over their chests. It’s like they’re out to snuff out a rival organization, not a simple college student.
I search every face, but there’s no sign of Yan or Boris—the only two who might get on my side. They were probably left behind to protect Mom.
“You have the audacity to kidnap my daughter?” Papa’s calm words reverberate in the gloomy air, but the amount of rage that bubbles beneath the surface leaves me panting.
Creighton stares him straight in the face, his gorgeous features sharpening, showing no hint of backing down.
Grown men beg and implore in his position, especially if they know who Adrian Volkov is and what he’s capable of.
Not only is Creighton not panicked, but he also apparently has a death wish. Because he says, “Just like you had the audacity to take her from me in the first place.”
Papa hits him with the butt of the gun, sending his face flying sideways, and blood explodes from his lips.