Page 47 of The Bratva Queens' Kings

"Lana…" she murmurs, and my heart clenches at the name.

"Hey, Julia. I'm here, Jules."

She struggles to open her eyes, the effort monumental. "It... it wasn't supposed to be like this," she whispers, her voice cracking like a dry riverbed.

I take her hand, the skin cold and clammy, and squeeze gently. "I know, Julia. I know." The words are barely audible over the blood pounding in my ears.

“Roman… Roman didn’t…”

“He didn’t what Julia?”

Her lips part, another word teetering on the brink of being lost forever. “Roman…”

And then her eyes flutter closed, the effort too much for her battered body.

"Julia!" I give her shoulders a gentle shake. "Stay with me!"

But she's slipping away into unconsciousness again, leaving me with more questions than answers and a heart heavy with dread.

What had he done? Or what had he not done? I'm left chewing on the uncertainty, a bitter pill.

I grab the walkie-talkie from the dashboard and press it so hard the plastic creaks in protest. "Any sign of Grigori?”

My voice is strangled, almost unrecognizable to my own ears.

No answer.

My finger trembles on the button, waiting, hoping for Luca's voice to crackle through with news of Grigori. But hope is a thin thread fraying quickly in the hands of time.

I flinch as Julia stirs again next to me, her breaths shallow and uneasy. I want to comfort her, reassure her she's safe now, but the lies get stuck in my throat. We're far from safe. We're mired in the thick of it all, and God only knows if we'll come out clean on the other side.

I'm jolted from my tense wait by the cold, unmistakable press of a gun barrel against the side window. My heart slams against my ribs, a rush of adrenaline flooding my system. How did I miss the approach? Instinct screams to grab the gun stashed in the glove box, but another gun presses against the other side of the car, boxing me in. Trapped.

Then he steps into view, Perez, smug and confident as he saunters toward me, guns in his lackeys' hands ensuring I'm well and truly caught. A fierce desire surges within me to wipe that look off his face, to make him pay, consequences be damned. But the stakes aren't just my life; there's a life inside me, innocent, depending on my next move.

Perez motions with his gun, a lazy, dangerous gesture telling me to step out. I comply, stepping into the open, feeling the weight of multiple guns trained on me. My own men are outside now, weapons drawn, a silent standoff in the dim light. I throw them a look, a silent command to hold fire. This is my play to make, not theirs.

I need to buy time, need Luca, need Grigori. But more than that, I need to keep my baby safe.

"Let's hear what you want," I say.

Perez's lips curl into a snide smile, the gleam in his eyes that of a cat toying with a cornered mouse. "Lana, always so direct. I appreciate that about you." He takes a step forward, his lackeys flanking him like impudent shadows.

I don't move, don't even blink, because any sign of weakness now could spell our end. "What do you want, Perez?"

Perez's approach is slow, deliberate, his every step measured to intimidate. "Look at you, Lana, all by your lonesome," he sneers, "Where are your boytoys now? Hiding?"

I let his words roll off me, my reply sharp as shattered glass. I force a smirk, my eyes locked onto his. "They're exactly where they need to be."

Perez chuckles, the sound grating against my already frayed nerves. "You always had more guts than brains. Do you even grasp the situation you're in, querida?" Perez taunts, waving his gun with a reckless bravado that makes my skin crawl. "This isn't a game. There's no backup plan that saves you this time."

And that's the thing about the likes of him; they always assume you're playing their game, by their rules. Perez is no different. He thinks he's read all the plays, knows all the moves. But I'm not some damsel in distress waiting for a rescue. I've got my own set of rules, my own plays.” Is that right?”

Perez's smirk widens, his eyes glinting with malice. "You should've accepted my offer, Lana. Marry into my family. At least then, your baby would've had a father. Now? You're just a dying woman standing in the way of progress."

The threat hangs heavy in the air, but I stand unflinching, my response cold as the grave. "If I die here, Perez, my last order will have been very clear. Your home address, your lovely wife and kids, and let's not omit your mistress—they all become immediate targets.”

He laughs, a hollow sound that echoes mockingly around us. “You really believe those men are loyal to you? Ha! Please, they're all just waiting for a chance to get what's between your legs. And when you're gone, I'll just pay them off like I did with Roman.”

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