I’m doing my best to stay calm. To keep my head in the game. Because I have to find my girl before something terrible happens to her. I don’t trust Stepanov not to kill her the moment he’s in a place he can dispose a body. And out here in this sparsely populated industrial area, it would be very easy to dig a grave or bury someone in concrete.
“They must have a signal jammer,” Dima grumbles, swiping across his iPad. “I’ve got nothing. I lost all GPS information.”
Adrian points across me. “I see a runway. Must be a private airstrip over there.”
I slam on the brakes, causing Oleg to swerve to the right behind me to avoid a collision.
Spinning the steering wheel, I adjust my direction and peel out to the left, in the direction Adrian pointed, then I step on the gas. I get the Ford Bronco up to 90 mph, only slowing when Adrian points to the right.
I swing around a curve, and we zoom in to an industrial warehouse area where there's a hangar. A small plane stands on a runway. Around it men move quickly, packing crates into the cargo area.
When one of them draws a gun and fires at us, I know we found the right place. I throw the car into park as all three of us duck our heads to avoid being shot. We tumble out the doors crouched, guns drawn. I fire around my door and take out two men.
The other two vehicles slam into formation around us, forming a barricade of sorts. The cars are all bulletproof.
Gunfire rains from both sides. Bodies drop. None from our side.
I'm scanning the area for Kira, terrified she'll get caught in the fire. Of course, she knows how to handle herself. She would know to stay down. Or, use her own weapon, if it wasn't taken from her.
I don't wait for the gunfire to stop. I run, away from the safety of the vehicles, toward the airplane. I'm praying the whole time I will find Kira inside. Alive. Gospodi, please let her be alive.
“Kuznets is mine,” I hear Ravil growl. He must have sighted him.
I still don't see Kira anywhere. I dash behind a crate to crouch, then run for the stairs to the airplane just as a shot is fired inside.
Fuck, no. Kira!
But, of course, my little warrior is not playing the victim. Her gun is held expertly in both hands, arms straight out, a look of determination blazing in those sky-blue eyes. At her feet lies Stepanov, a neat bullet hole in the center of his forehead.
“Kira!” I hold out my hand to help her step over her boss’ body.
“Are they–”
I stop to listen. There’s no gunfire. In my comms, Ravil is barking orders like we’ve won the battle.
“It’s over,” I confirm, pulling her roughly into my arms.
Thank fuck she’s all right. Unharmed. Back where she’s supposed to be: with me.
There will be much to do. Adrian has his job as cleaner cut out for him for the second time in two days. But I need to get Kira out of here.
“Permission to take Kira back?” I ask into the comms.
“Granted. Is she all right?” Ravil asks.
“She’s safe. She killed Stepanov,” I tell him, so he never questions her loyalty again.
“Good. Take care of your woman,” Ravil says.
I cup the side of Kira’s face and stroke my thumb over her soft skin. “I intend to.”
She rises to her tiptoes to press a firm victory kiss against my lips.
I remove the comms unit from my ear and turn it off. “Come on, my beautiful Valkyrie. I need to get you out of here. I nearly died thinking of the things they might do to you.” I take her hand and hurry her off the plane and into my Bronco still running on the tarmac.
I climb in beside her. The moment we’re alone together, I’m satisfied.
Kira looks over and laughs.
I smile back. “What is it?”
“Nothing. Just…lightness. For the first time in my life, I have this feeling that everything is all right.”
A sense of victory pumps through me, knowing that I’m a part of that lightness.
“Mika’s safe and happy. My sister is…well, she’s gone to rest, if you believe that’s how death works. And the Chicago bratva have won their battle.”
“Is that all?” I arch a brow.
Her smile widens. “No, that’s not all. There’s you.”
“What about me?” I prompt.
“You’re mine.”
I pull away, desperate to get her home and underneath me. “So, you’re keeping me?”
“Well, technically, I was hoping you’d keep me. You see, I don’t have a job here or anything.”
I let out a soft chuckle of satisfaction. She’s staying. With me.
She’s mine to keep.
“Valkiriya, I’m never letting you go.” I reach out to catch her hand and hold it. “From the first moment I got you in my apartment, I was figuring out a way to keep you there forever.”