Page 70 of Paid for By the Bratva

Which is why, in this moment, I love her even more than I thought I could.

Ten minutes later, I can feel the blood pounding in my ears as I listen to their conversation through the in-ear monitor, swallowing the knot of anxiety lodged in my throat.

Suddenly, the noise from the in-ear monitor cuts off, leaving me with an eerie silence that sets my heart racing. Panic flares within me like wildfire, my mind conjuring up the worst-case scenarios.

"Shit," I mutter under my breath, feeling the icy grip of fear tighten around my chest. "What happened?"

“I…I don’t know,” Fedor says, panic rising in his voice.

“Listen,” I tell him, the door of the van already open for me. “You stay in here and try to get the audio back up. I’m going to go and see if I can find the girls.”

Fedor nods, his fingers twitching over buttons I can hardly make sense of.

It could be a malfunction, or they just moved out of range,I think, as I enter the security.

But the thought does little to assuage my growing dread. Sofia and Lara might be in danger, and I won't let anything happen to them on my watch.

***

I reach the top floor, running to room 316. I put my ear to the door but hear nothing inside. Panicking and knowing that there’s no time to involve hotel security, I swing my leg and kick open the door, bursting through like the adrenaline coursing through me.

My eyes dart around, taking in every detail of the scene before me—a broken bottle of champagne, a messy bed. Marv, lying on the floor, unconscious.

What the actual fuck?

Sofia and Lara stand together over his body, breathing heavily but unharmed.

"Are you two okay?" I demand, my voice tight with concern as I step forward and bend down, securing Marv’s hands together with a piece of plastic tie-wrap I have in my pocket, the kind people use at airports on luggage; they’re harder to get out of than one thinks, and always comes in handy.

"Dima," Sofia says, her voice soft but urgent. "We had to act fast. He tried to drug us and take advantage."

“We managed to put him down,” Lara says, her voice trembling. In her hand, I notice she’s still holding a brass vase, blood trickling down it. I walk past Sofia, giving her a kiss on the cheek, before reaching Lara’s side.

"Nice timing, though," Lara adds slowly, a hint of a smile playing on her lips as I get closer. She knows I'm always ready to jump in and protect them, even when they don't need it.

I take the vase from her hand, drop it to the floor, and take her into my arms. "Thank God you're alright," I murmur into her hair, my voice trembling with barely contained emotion. "I was so afraid when the audio cut out."

"I know," she whispers back, her warm breath brushing against my neck. "But we had it under control, Dima. You need to trust us more."

I take long, measured breaths, calming myself down. She’s right. I do need to trust them more. I was worrying all night when this whole time, they had everything under control.

I step away from Lara, clutching her cheeks in my palms to give her a quick kiss before turning to my sister.

“So, I wasn’t needed here all this time?” I ask wryly.

"Better safe than sorry," Sofia interrupts, understanding my fears. "Right?"

"Exactly," I agree, relieved to see them unharmed. Their resourcefulness tonight has impressed me beyond measure.

And so, I do the right thing.

I turn to Lara, who planned this whole thing so far as it is, and ask, “What’s next?”

Chapter 25 - Lara

The moment I've been waiting for is finally here. Marv stirs, his eyes flickering open as consciousness returns. Beside me, Dima and Sofia sit motionless, predators waiting for the right moment to strike.

I lean forward, my voice low and steady. "Welcome back, Marv. I hope you slept well."

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