Page 68 of Innocently Imprisoned By the Bratva

"I don't think so." I pull the trigger, blood and brain matter splattering the floor. One less problem to deal with. How dare he kidnap our women? Fuck the money he stole from us. That is something I could have let him get away with. This? Never.

I bring together Boris, Damien and a few men and tell them what Lenny said about the basement.

We sprint for the basement steps, my heart thudding the whole time. Almost there, Baby. Just hang on a little longer…

Suddenly, a hail of bullets forces me back. We're surrounded, pinned down on all sides by the rival mafia. My brothers and I exchange glances. This could get ugly.

“You killed the bastard who owes us!” one of them shouts at us. “Now, you’ll pay the price.”

Clearly, we really pissed off the mafia by killing off Lenny.

Taking cover behind an overturned table, I exchange fire with the enemies. The crack of gunshots is deafening, drowning out the screams of the wounded and dying. My clip empties and I slam in another, picking off two more goons.

We're outnumbered but not outgunned. I won't stop until every last one of them is dead or we find the girls. Whichever comes first.

I peer over the table, scanning for any sign of Pippa or Anoushka amidst the chaos. Bullets whiz past my head as I duck back down, cursing under my breath. Where could they be?

Mikhail covers me, spraying bullets across the room. I hear a few satisfying grunts and thuds as bodies hit the floor. We're making progress, but it's not enough.

Suddenly, an explosion rocks the building, throwing me to the ground. My ears ring from the blast as dust and debris rain down. Through the haze, I see some of our enemies fleeing out the back, but a hardcore group remains, determined to fight to the bitter end.

I struggle to my feet, shaking off the dizziness. The battle rages on as both sides empty round after round. My men are skilled, but we're badly outnumbered now. We have to end this soon.

I motion at three of my men at the grenade I spot on the floor near the rival gang. My men pass on the message for safety. Lunging forward, I grab it and hurl it at them before diving behind a sturdy pillar. The Bratva all take cover. The explosion leaves my enemies screaming in agony, some blown to bits.

I peer around the pillar. Only a handful remain on their feet. My brothers and I advance, guns leveled, fingers on triggers.

We’re here to win it, for without us, Anoushka and Pippa don’t stand a chance. There’s no other choice.

***

My heart pounds against my ribs as the last of the rival gang members fall to the ground. The warehouse is eerily quiet now, only the groans of the wounded and dying breaking the silence.

“Spare the wounded innocent,” Boris tells our men. “Get them medical aid if they need it.”

Our men disperse, working out Boris’s orders.

Boris, Mikhail, and I run down to the basement to see if we can find Anoushka and Pippa. We hunt down every corner, turn every table, open every door. Only to find…nothing.

They’re gone.

My heart drops into my boots as we stare at the empty basement. I begin to imagine the worst.

“Perhaps they escaped?” Boris suggests. I can hear the worry in his voice.

We head back upstairs. I scan the carnage desperately, looking for any sign of Pippa or Anoushka. But there's nothing. No trace of them at all.

Panic seizes me in its icy grip. Where could they be? Were we too late? Have we lost them both?

No. I can't think like that. I need to focus. But I can’t move. I’m paralyzed, frozen in place.

"Fan out!" Boris barks at his men. "Search every inch of this place. Find them!"

Everyone’s panicking now.

I'm nearly frantic now, images of Pippa hurt or worse flashing through my mind. Images of Anoushka being tortured, dead somewhere grip my heart with an iron fist. I should never have gone for this mission. I should have protected them better.

Just as I'm about to completely lose hope, my phone rings. I fumble to answer it, hands shaking.

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