Page 55 of Ruby Menace

“I already had you, remember?” Kirill smirks. “And was glad to see the back of you.”

Something flickers in Zoya’s icy eyes, and I half-expect her to snap back at him, but she keeps her composure. “Well, that’s too bad, my love.” She huffs. “Either way, I’ll be the one who takes over your empire and stamps out your legacy once and for all. I spent too many years hating the life you forced me into.”

“I never forced you into anything. You chose to run.” Kirill’s nostrils flare. “As for my legacy… what about my son?”

“Who Stepan?” she scoffs. “He’s not your son, you idiot. He’s just a kid Vlad pulled out of one of his slave shipments. He was my ticket back to you and it worked better than I thought! You didn’t think twice about letting us right into your home. And you?” She looks over at me. “Stupid girl. You were so fucking easy to manipulate.”

Petrov snorts out a laugh from where he’s still sitting behind the desk. “I have to admit, I wasn’t sure that would work, lyubimaya. But sure enough, the minute we got our hands on her, he went charging off like some fucking knight in shining armor, taking every good man he had available.”

I don’t say anything. Maybe Zoya is right. Maybe I was too naive to believe her and run away from Kirill. And the thought that my stupidity put us all in danger is now weighing down on me. I should have seen it coming. I can’t believe they tricked me like that. And now we’re here to face the consequences.

“It was always going to work, glupaya devchonka.” Zoya snorts and she looks at me. “Just look at this naive little girl. It only took a convincing transcript to set her on her way, like a stupid donkey following a carrot.”

“You people are fucking animals!” I spit the words out. I know it probably doesn’t mean anything to them, but I can’t stay quiet anymore. Kirill squeezes my hand, and I snap my mouth shut.

“What do you want, Petrov?” He fixes the man with a stare.

“What do you think?” Vlad Petrov is up and walking over to Kirill, his features turning grim. He only stops when his face is inches away from Kirill’s. “I want your fucking life, Vyronov.” He sneers. “But first, I will take the life of your pregnant bitch. You watch my men rape her over and over again. You will watch as we carve your fucking offspring our of her. And you will-” He raises his hand in a half gesture and points at me, but he doesn’t get to finish his sentence, because of a loud thud coming from outside interrupts him.

Less than a second later, there is another thud. Then another. Then, the door flies open.

And then all hell breaks loose.

I spin around, and the first fase I see is Dima’s. He hurtles in, raining bullets in an arc, taking out Petrov’s two guards stationed by the door. He’s followed by a contingent of men, all of them armed to the teeth. They waste no time opening fire on Petrov’s mercenaries. The room erupts into chaos as bullets fly and bodies drop to the floor.

I don’t even get the time to panic. Before my mind could fully register what’s going on, I’m being yanked backward, out of the line of fire.

“Stay here!” Kirill barks, shoving me down as he dives for a fallen gun. I do as he says, crouching behind the heavy desk for cover as bullets whiz overhead. My heart pounds in my chest so hard I can feel it in my ears, drowning out everything else around me.

The air is thick with cordite and blood as Dima, Kirill, and his men engage Petrov’s team and it’s complete chaos. The sounds of gunfire are deafening, ricocheting off the marble walls and high ceilings of the study. I huddle in a ball, praying I won’t be taken out by a stray bullet, and flinching every time the wood around me splinters when a shell hits it.

It’s okay, babies!

It’s okay!

From the corner of my eye, I spot Kirill moving in a blur of smoke and limbs, too fast for me to follow. So, I squeeze my eyes shut and pray that he stays safe somehow.

Moments later, I’m being hauled to my feet and I feel an arm being hooked around my neck. I gasp as a cold blade presses against my stomach. The arm around my throat is smooth and slender. Too feminine for a Russian mobster.

Zoya!

“Do as I say,” she hisses in my ear, her breath hot against my skin. “One wrong move and you’re both going to die.” My breath catches in my throat. I stay still like a statue, not daring to breathe in fear that the knife may pierce my skin. It is aimed at the soft swell of my belly.

“Drop your fucking weapons!” Zoya screams, her voice shrill enough to cut through the gunfire. “Drop them! Or I’ll kill her and that fucking baby!”

The fighting dies down in an instant and the chaos of the room turns into an uneasy silence. The only sound I hear is the metallic clatter of surrendering weapons as Kirill’s men disarm themselves.

“Clever girl.” Petrov emerges from where he’s been lurking behind a filing cabinet.

I can feel Kirill’s eyes on us, his expression a mix of fury and apprehension. He too lowers his gun to the floor, followed by Dima and some of the remaining men. I catch a glimpse of their grim faces before Zoya yanks me backward, using me as a human shield.

“You won’t get away with this.” Kirill growls through gritted teeth.

Zoya laughs, manic glee in her eyes as she drags me across the room. “Oh really? Guess who has your precious whore and your unborn brat at knifepoint.”

She presses the blade harder against my stomach, and I bite back a whimper. Fear coils in my stomach like a live wire as I meet Kirill’s eyes. His expression is thunderous but also resigned – he knows he’s cornered. Slowly, he raises his hands in surrender while Dima and the others follow suit reluctantly.

“That’s better.” Zoya’s breath gusts over my cheek, and I shudder. “Now. Let’s get back to business, shall we?”

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