Page 83 of Ruthless Royalty

Dmitri sighs, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. “If anything happens to her?—”

“It won’t,” I cut him off, meeting his gaze with as much determination as I can muster. “But we need your help, sir. We need men, firepower—whatever you can spare. I’m not going in there half-cocked, not with her life on the line.”

For a moment, Dmitri just stares at me, his expression unreadable. Then he nods, a quick, decisive motion.

“You’ll have it. I’ll send a few with you—my best men. They’ll be at your command.” He turns to Mihai and Connor. “You two are going in with them. Keep things tight and get Chiara back. Understood?”

Mihai grins, though there’s no humor in his eyes. “Understood, Dmitri.”

“No problem, boss. We’ll make sure she’s safe and sound,” Connor mutters,

Dmitri turns to Nikolai. “Make the arrangements. I want them armed to the teeth. We’re not taking any chances with this.”

Nikolai nods and steps out to make the necessary calls, his voice low and urgent as he barks orders into his phone. Meanwhile, Dmitri turns back to me, his expression softening just a fraction.

“Giovanni,” he says quietly, and there’s a note of something like regret in his voice. “I know this isn’t easy for you. But you need to understand … Chiara’s more than just a girl you care about. She’s part of this world now, and it seems like word has spread. You have to be ready to do whatever it takes to protect her. We can’t wait for her to make up her mind anymore.”

I grit my teeth, hating that he’s right. I’ve been trying to protect her, but the truth is, she’s already in it—neck-deep—and pretending otherwise won’t do either of us any good.

“I know,” I say, my voice rough. “That’s why I’m here.”

Dmitri studies me for a moment longer, then nods. “Good. Because if you fail her, there will be no place on this earth where you’ll be safe from me. Do you understand?”

I meet his gaze head-on, letting him see the fire in my eyes. “I won’t fail her.”

“See that you don’t,” Dmitri says, then turns as Nikolai re-enters the room, phone in hand.

“They’re ready,” Nikolai announces. “We leave in five.”

Dmitri looks between the four of us, his expression hardening. “Bring her back, Giovanni. Whatever it takes.”

“I will,” I promise, then turn and follow Nikolai out of the room.

The air outside the study is thick with tension, but there’s no time to dwell on it. We move quickly, heading to the front of theestate where a convoy of black SUVs is already waiting, Dmitri’s men loading up weapons and gear.

It’s a well-oiled machine, a testament to the efficiency of the Mikhailov Bratva. These men know what they’re doing, and they’re prepared for anything.

As we approach, Nikolai steps closer to me, his voice low. “You sure about this, G? We’re walking into a war zone, and Chiara … she’s not trained for this shit.”

“I know,” I say, my jaw tight. “But she’s also smart, and she’s got more guts than half the men in that convoy. We’ll find her, and we’ll get her out.”

Connor chuckles darkly from behind me. “Always the optimist, eh?”

I don’t bother responding to that, my mind already racing with thoughts of how to approach the situation. I have to get her out—failure is not an option.

We load into the SUVs, the team Dmitri promised trailing behind us, and I grip the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turn white.

“She’s in your territory,” Nikolai says from the passenger seat, his voice hard. “This is on you.”

I glance over at him, my jaw tight. “And I’ll fix it.”

Mihai leans forward from the back seat, his voice low. “We’re not going in blind. We know the layout of the docks, we know who we’re dealing with. We just need to stay sharp.”

Connor, always the cocky one, grins. “And hope they’re as dumb as they look.”

Nikolai shoots him a look. “We’re not banking on luck here.”

“I know, I know,” Connor mutters, still grinning. “But a little Irish luck never hurt anyone. That’s why I’m here.”

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