Page 108 of Caged

“Tyler? What are you doing?” Mila asks over my head.

“Making sure I live through this,” he replies gruffly as he grabs my coat off the ground and begins to sprint with his helmet on.

“Fuck.” I don’t know if I should get up or stay to keep her covered.

“Go,” Mila says as she scrambles to grab at the hem of her leggings.

Clamoring to my feet, my leg rebels in pain from where she stabbed me yesterday. I stumble before getting upright, but by then, I can hear the sound of his motorcycle kicking off.

“I can’t believe he did that.” She hops as she pulls her shoe back on.

“Who is that guy?” I growl. “I’m gonna kill him.”

“That’s my cousin, Tyler. He’s a chicken shit, not a bad one at heart. But, I won’t argue if you want to kick his ass.” She runs past me. “Come on, I got my bike parked just ahead.”

We cut around the corner of the church, and nearly crash into a group of armed men.

FORTY-SEVEN

MILA

Shit.

“Nikolai.” A well dressed man with slick hair steps from the group, his pistol aimed low at Nikolai’s hips.

He better not shoot him there, that’s mine.

Nikolai presses me against his side, just like he did that night in the club when we met.

Well, officially.

“Vlad. Still my father’s lackey, I see?” Nikolai spits, waving his own gun to keep the men at bay.

Vlad calmly approaches. He might as well be at a bar ordering a drink, as nonchalantly as he’s acting.

I guess when you’re used to working with Ivan, there isn’t much that can phase you.

“You’re not in any position to be casting stones, Nikolai.” Vlad’s dark eyes shift to me.

My chin tilts all on its own in defiance.

“Your handler said you stabbed him and went off grid. Ivan will be happy to see you.” Vlad reaches for me, but Nikolai slaps his arm away.

“You’re going to regret that.” Vlad raises a finger, and all of the weapons pointed as us raise.

No.

I can’t let Nikolai die here. He has a bigger responsibility than me in his little girl.

“Let them take me, Niki. Think of Elena. No one needs me, not really.”

He growls before he turns, grabbing my face in his hot palm. “I fucking do. More than anything in this world.”

Dmitri clears his throat. “Well. Isn’t that…sickening.” He takes a step back behind the row of men. “Take them. Alive.”

Fuck.

Movement behind me makes me turn around as an overly burly guy launches himself at me.

---