Page 79 of The Bratva's Hostage Bride

Kervyn hangs up and looks at me. “Call Rick, ask him to arrange this, and tell him he has half an hour.”

“It’s not that easy…” Danil says, but one look from Kervyn, and Danil takes his phone out and dials our family lawyer as he’s told.

I start pacing now. “What if they hurt them, Kervyn? What if Hannah loses our baby? She’ll never forgive me.”

“If you panic, you can’t help. We have to be calm and collected about this. It’s a simple exchange. We give them the casino, and they give us the girls back. After that, I will take hits out on all those fucking wankers. No one fucks with my wife.”

I continue to pace until Rick pulls up to the office fifteen minutes later. “I got the paperwork. You owe me fifty grand 'cause that’s how much it cost.”

He puts the paperwork down. “Luka, your signature here.”

I pick up a pen and sign where he indicates. “Right, they must sign this, and then this is their title deed.”

He hands all the papers over and packs up his briefcase.

Kervyn takes the documents and puts them in his front inside pocket. He straightens his tie and goes to the wall behind his chair. He moves a painting and drops a hatch. He pulls his jacket off and puts two holsters on. He loads two guns and slides each one into a holster.

“Are you allowed to carry?” Luka asks. “If the cops pull us over.”

“They won’t,” Danil says, checking his own gun.

I go over to the hatch and pick up the shotgun. “Okay, then. We do this your way.”

“Renat,” Danil calls, and he comes in. “Grab four of the boys. We’re going hunting rabbits.”

That is the code for going to kill people. Renat nods and leaves, and I holster a gun to my side before we all put our suit jackets on again.

We go outside and get into one of two cars waiting outside. The other one is filled with guards.

Danil drives us to the meet-up point, a cluster of storage units out in the middle of nowhere. The Pachecos are notorious for using this place for meetings and kidnappings. They did it to Asher’s sister, but Asher hasn’t come out here since.

We get out of the cars and stand in front of our vehicles with our guards standing behind the cars with the guns drawn.

A car pulls up, and three men get out. The head of the Pacheco family is there, with two younger brothers. Another car pulls up with Armenians in it, and they get out and draw their guns.

“Mr. Milov,” Pacheco says. “We don’t want any bloodshed. You give us the papers, and your wives are returned to you.”

Kervyn takes the papers out and holds them up. “And where are our wives? You know how this works. You bring goods, and we exchange.”

I notice one Pachero brother looking at the other nervously.

I clench the shotgun tighter. Something is wrong. They must have hurt the girls.

Kervyn slowly approaches Pacheco. “Where is my wife, Italian?”

Pacheco holds his hands up. “She’s safe, and so are the other two. They’re held at a safe house. I’ll give you the address, and you can go straight there and pick them up with my compliments. Just give me the documents to sign and hand over the deed.”

I look up and hear squealing tires.

An Audi comes racing up the road and pulls up behind our car. The girls get out of the car and run to the guards standing behind our car.

The next thing I know, I raise the shotgun while Danil and Kervyn each draw a gun, and we gun down the Pachecos without another word.

Blood splatters over us, and I reload, shooting at the Armenians. They duck down, and we turn and walk back as our guards open fire, keeping us safe.

Once we’re behind the cars, we turn around to fire again, but the Armenians are rushing into their vehicle and driving as quickly as they can out of the parking lot.

“Should we go after them?” Renat asks.

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