Page 52 of Captured By the Bratva

I stare at Anya, my heart pounding as I muster the courage to ask, “Please, Anya, let me out. I need to talk to him about all this.”

She hesitates, her eyes searching mine, sensing the desperation in my voice. “Cathy, I’m not sure this is the right time,” she says softly, but her hand drifts to the door as if she might consider it.

Just as she’s about to open it, a blaring alarm shatters the silence, piercing through the thick walls and echoing down the corridor.

Red lights begin flashing, casting an eerie glow over everything, and I hear the sound of boots pounding against the marble floors. Men are shouting, rushing toward the source of the alarm.

Anya’s hand tightens on my arm. “Stay close,” she murmurs urgently, and we slip out of the room together, joining the crowd of guards streaming down the hall.

Adrenaline surges through me as we make our way to the courtyard, the ominous flashing lights making every corner look like a shadowy threat.

When we reach the courtyard, I freeze. Chaos surrounds us, guards shouting commands, some of them pointing weapons toward a breach in the boundary wall.

There, lying on the ground, I see Nik, his hand pressed to his side, blood staining his shirt. His face is pale, his eyes clouded with pain, and Ivan kneels beside him, his face hard as stone, one hand gripping Nik’s shoulder.

Anya pulls me back as I instinctively start to step forward. “Stay back, Cathy,” she whispers, her hand steady but her voice betraying a trace of fear.

I can’t take my eyes off Ivan, though. His hands are firm, steady, as he murmurs something low and reassuring to Nik, his expression one of quiet fury and concern.

I never imagined Ivan could look so gentle. He holds Nik as if he were something precious, a loyalty and respect in his touch that catches me completely off guard.

“I’m okay, Ivan. Just a scratch,” Nik mutters through gritted teeth, trying to play down the injury, but Ivan’s face tightens further.

“Don’t try to be a hero,” Ivan replies, his voice low and dangerous. “You’ll live. We’ll make sure of it.” He turns to the guards, his voice like ice as he orders, “Get the medic team out here now.” His tone is unyielding, his authority absolute.

My gaze shifts to the jagged hole in the wall. And then I see it: my old car, parked right beyond the boundary. It’s a message, clear as day. Whoever brought the bomb brought it in my car.

Jimmy.

I spot an envelope under the windshield wiper. I pick it up only for Ivan to snatch it from me. He opens it, his face darkening as he reads the message inside.

Ivan’s voice is filled with a deadly calm as he reads aloud, “Give me back my girl, or you all burn.”

36

CATHY

Two days later…

Isit quietly beside Ivan, both of us watching Nik’s pale face on the hospital bed. His skin looks washed-out under the fluorescent lights, and his eyes, though tired, still hold that familiar glint.

He’s trying to joke, his grin crooked and forced, but his humor is a comfort in the sterile room.

“Well,” he rasps, turning to Ivan, “at least I’ll have the best prosthetic hand money can buy. You’ll be footing the bill, of course. Might make it with the middle finger pointing up.”

Ivan leans forward, and for the first time, I see his face without its usual guard. There’s a gentleness, something soft that I rarely catch glimpses of. “I should kill you” he says, his voice low. “What good’s a one armed man to me?”

Nik smirks, trying to wave it off, but the movement’s shaky, his usual strength absent. “Always wanted to be a robot. Better make sure it’s the latest model, boss.”

Ivan huffs a dry laugh, reaching out to place a steadying hand on Nik’s shoulder. “Don’t worry,” he replies, his voice containing a warmth I hadn’t expected. “I’ll get the cunt for you.”

“Get him for Elena.”

Their eyes meet, sharing something deeper than words, a bond that seems unbreakable, formed through years of loyalty and shared danger.

I watch them, struck by the contrast between the Ivan who commands respect through fear and the Ivan who sits here, devoted to the man who’s risked his life for him time and time again.

As their banter fades, I reach out, placing a hand on Nik’s arm. He looks up at me, eyes softening, a hint of amusement still in his gaze. “You keep looking at me like that, Cathy, and I’ll start to think you actually care,” he teases, winking despite his discomfort. “Now get out of here you two, I need some rest.”

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