Page 39 of Till Death Saves Me

It's clear the other guys aren't sure what to do. Glancing at us and seeing us tied up and helpless, they decide to head for the door.

Once they are gone, I spot my chance. There's a nail sticking out of a nearby board of the shoddy warehouse wall. As fast as I can manage, I drag myself to it, working my bindings against it until they fray and break. I feel them loosen slightly, along with the bite from where the damn thing cut into my skin. But I can ignore that for now.

Heart pounding, I work my wrists back and forth, ignoring the pain as the zip ties dig into my skin.

"Anya," I whisper urgently. "Can you move?"

She shakes her head, frustration evident in her eyes. I redouble my efforts, twisting my hands and using the nail until I feel something give. With a final, painful wrench, I'm free.

I don't waste a second. Lunging forward, I grab a knife from a nearby table. My hands shake as I saw through Anya's restraints.

"Go!" I hiss, hauling her to her feet.

We sprint towards the back of the warehouse, ducking behind crates and machinery. The sounds of fighting grow louder, but I don't dare look back. All I can think about is getting us out of here, getting back to Ivan.

Because I'm not going to sit around and find out who that was or why they are pissed.

My legs burn as we run, every step jarring my bruised ribs. But the pain barely registers through the adrenaline coursing through my veins. I clutch Anya's hand tightly, pulling her along when she stumbles.

We burst through a side door into the fading daylight. The fresh air hits my lungs, and for a moment, I'm dizzy with relief. But we're not safe yet.

"This way," Anya gasps, tugging me towards a line of parked cars.

I follow without hesitation, my mind racing. We need to get as far away as possible, then find a way to contact Ivan. The thought of him spurs me on, lending strength to my battered body.

As we reach the cars, I hear shouts behind us. They've realized we're gone. Panic claws at my throat, but I push it down. We've come too far to fail now.

Anya makes quick work of hotwiring a car, and I send up a silent thank you for her less-than-legal skills. As we peel awayfrom the warehouse, I allow myself a moment of hope. We're going to make it.

19

IVAN

Blood coats my hands and face, but I'm nowhere near done. I snagged another Red Serpent, and this one is less inclined to talk…which makes my job all the more fun.

But suddenly, the buzz of my phone interrupts my process. I grit my teeth, weighing my options, but I know I can't ignore it. If it's Nikoali or Lev…or Virginia, I need to know.

I step away from him toward the side of the warehouse, my jaw clenched tight. This better be fucking important. The guy in there is close to breaking, and I don't need any goddamn interruptions.

Quickly rinsing off my hands, I rip my phone out. "What?" I bark into the speaker.

Lev's voice comes through, tense and urgent. "Ivan, we've got a situation."

Something in his tone makes my skin prickle. I press the phone closer to my ear, pacing.

"What is it?" I ask, trying to keep my voice calm.

"One of your home security guys was found outside some boutique. He was barely conscious, but he managed to tell us?—"

Lev hesitates, and in that split second, I know. I fucking know, and it feels like the ground's dropping out from under me.

"The Red Serpents took Anya and Virginia."

The words hit me like a sledgehammer to the chest. For a moment, I can't breathe. Can't think. Then it all comes rushing back, and with it, a rage so potent it threatens to consume me.

"What the fuck do you mean, they took them?" I snarl, my free hand clenching into a fist. "How the fuck did this happen?"

Lev's explaining something about an ambush, about how they overwhelmed the security detail, but I'm barely listening. All I can think about is Virginia in the hands of those fucking snakes. And Anya... Christ, Anya too.

---