“Gideon…” Roman chokes, and I glance back in his direction. “Take it away.”
I stare at him for a brief second, trying to determine if I understand him.
The pain I see is unimaginable. His lungs are collapsing.
I nod to him, raising the gun toward my old friend, who lies helplessly before me. He stares at me with pleading eyes, asking for something from beyond life—mercy or forgiveness—but all he gets is a single bullet through the head.
The gunshot explodes in my ears like thunder and sends a shock wave through my body that reverberates in my bones until it fades away into nothingness. Roman’s body, now on the ground, lifeless as discarded trash.
My heart feels heavy in my chest.
Such a waste.
The smell of gunpowder hangs heavy in the air, its smoky tendrils lingering with regret.
I take one last look at Roman before turning away from him forever; his face is still etched with pain.
His anguish forever frozen in time.
I wish things could have been different, but nothing can erase what has happened today.
The girl.
His sister.
I need to find her.
A promise forged in blood.
The soundof my phone ringing has me shifting from my memory back into reality.
“Speak,” I answer.
“Nikolai got the information you’re looking for,” Julian tells me.
“Tell me now. There isn’t time,” I snap.
“He will only speak to you, sir.”
“Fucker. Very well, I’m coming down.”
My long strides eat up the space quickly, and before long, I’m throwing open the door to the interrogation room.
Despite the fact that Nikolai is working for us now, I’ve had my men bring him here on the off chance his intel is unreliable.
He needs to prove himself to me; only then will he be granted a job within my organization.
“Tell me what you found out.”No time for formalities. Every moment Sasha is missing is another moment where they can be hurting her.
“I have it from a reliable source that Dima is holding Sasha at a warehouse in Brighton Beach. I have the address.”
“And how reliable is this source?”
“He gave me the answer somewhere between losing his finger and me scooping out his right eyeball.”
My jaw tightens. “Is he still alive?”
“For now.”