Page 35 of Toxic

Regina’s composure shatters. She grabs my hair, yanking my head back painfully. “You think you’re so special? You have no idea what’s coming. Viktor has plans that will destroy everything you and Hawk have built. And when it’s all over, I’ll be there to pick up the pieces.”

I meet her gaze unflinchingly, a predatory smile curving my lips. “Thank you for confirming my suspicions, Regina. You always were too easy to manipulate.”

Confusion flickers across her face, quickly replaced by horror as she realizes her mistake. She’s revealed far more than she intended.

“You won’t be so smug once Viktor arrives,” she hisses, trying to regain control of the situation. “He has plans for you that will make you wish you’d never crossed us.”

I lean forward as much as my restraints allow, my voice low and dangerous. “Bring it on. Viktor’s just another obstacle to be overcome. And whoever’s backing him? They’ve made a fatal error in underestimating me. I’ve been working for years to uncover the truth, and you’ve just handed me another piece of the puzzle.”

Regina’s eyes widen, fear replacing anger. She opens her mouth to speak, but no words come out.

I press my advantage. “Run along now, Regina. Go report to your master like a good dog.”

Regina backs away, her composure in tatters. “We’ll see,” she manages to spit out before turning and fleeing from the room.

As her footsteps fade, I immediately begin working the zip tie against the nail I spotted earlier. The abrasive surface starts to fray the plastic, but progress is agonizingly slow. I grit my teeth, focusing on the task at hand rather than the implications of what I’ve learned.

Time becomes fluid, measured only by the steady drip of water from a leaking pipe and the rasp of plastic against metal. My mind races, piecing together the fragments of information I’ve gathered over the years. Viktor is just the tip of the iceberg. There’s a larger conspiracy at play, one that threatens Hawk and I won’t allow that. Nobody hurts my man.

The distant rumble of an engine shatters the silence. Voices echo through the warehouse – Viktor’s men are drawing closer. My heart rate spikes, fingers working furiously at the restraints.

Just as panic threatens to overtake me, I feel the zip tie give way. A surge of triumph courses through me as I free my hands, quickly working to release my ankles. I may be outnumbered and unarmed, but I’m far from helpless. I take a few steps and start to feel optimistic until a group of men walk in and surround me. Fuck!

SEVENTEEN

The shattered vase lies scattered across the polished floor of my penthouse, each jagged piece a stark reminder of my failure. My eyes narrow as I replay the security footage, watching Devin slip away from her guards like a shadow melting into darkness. Fury builds within me, a cold, calculated rage directed not just at her captors, but at the incompetent fools I’d trusted with her safety.

“Find them,” I snarl at Daniel, my voice low and deadly. “Every last one of those guards. I want them brought to me.”

Daniel nods, his face grim. “Already on it. But Hawk, there’s something else you need to see.”

He pulls up another feed, and I watch as a nondescript van intercepts Devin moments after she evades her security detail. The efficiency of the operation speaks volumes. This was planned, coordinated. My hands clench into fists, knuckles white with suppressed rage.

“Regina,” I growl, the name tasting like poison on my tongue. That snake dared to touch what’s mine. I’d been playing a long game with her, letting her think she had a chance, all to uncover her connection to Kazanov. But she crossed a line, and now? Now, she’ll pay with her life.

“Mobilize everyone,” I order, my voice cutting through the air like a blade. “I want every resource and contact we have working on this. Find her. Now.”

As my team springs into action, I retreat to my private armory. Each weapon I select is a promise - of vengeance, of retribution. The familiar weight of my custom Glock settles into my palm, a cold comfort.

My phone buzzes - it’s Max, Sphinx’s enigmatic assistant. “We’ve located her,” Max’s voice crackles through the secure line. “Warehouse district. Sending coordinates now.”

Relief floods through me, quickly replaced by a laser-focused determination. “I’m on my way. Keep me updated on any movement.”

The drive to the warehouse is a blur of city lights and strategic planning. I brief my team, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. “Primary objective is Devin’s extraction. Secondary objective is the elimination of all threats. Regina and Kazanov are mine.”

As we approach the target, the scale of the operation becomes clear. Kazanov’s men swarm the area like ants, heavily armed and on high alert. A savage smile twists my lips. Good. Let them try to stop me.

“On my mark,” I murmur into the comms as we take our positions. The night air is thick with tension, the calm before the storm. “Three. Two. One. Execute.”

The world erupts into chaos. Gunfire shatters the silence, muzzle flashes illuminating the darkness in staccato bursts. I move with cold precision, each shot finding its mark with deadly accuracy. Bodies fall around me, but I barely register them. They’re obstacles, nothing more.

“East wing clear,” Daniel’s voice crackles in my ear. “Heavy resistance in the north sector.”

I change direction, cutting through the warehouse like a scythe through wheat. Two of Kazanov’s men round a corner, their eyes widening in recognition. They don’t even have time to raise their weapons before I put them down.

A burst of gunfire forces me into cover. I peek around the corner, counting targets. Five of them, well-positioned. A grenade rolls from my hand, the explosion sending shrapnel and bodies flying. I’m moving before the dust settles, stepping over the carnage without a second glance.

“Boss,” Daniel’s voice is tight with urgency. “We’ve got eyes on the primary target. Southeast corner, upper level. Regina and Kazanov are with her.”

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