Page 137 of Bratva Butcher

“No. Thank you for your help.” I promptly hung up, tucking my phone away into my back pocket and kickstarted the bike. The engine roared, loud and deep, echoing into the garage.

“Father, wait.” Lukyan stepped in my path. “I can help with whatever this is—”

“Nyet. No.”I put my helmet on and slammed the visor down.

“But I—”

The back wheel of the bike spun on the spot as I twisted the accelerator, smoke billowing into the air. Lukyan jumped out of the way when I shot forward and sped out of the garage.

Thirteen minutes.

That was how long it took for me to get there. Thirteen agonisingly long minutes.

Technically, it should have been twenty-seven, but I’d managed to cut the time in half thanks to taking the bike.

A lot could happen in thirteen minutes, which was why the pressure in my chest never eased the entire ride over. Why that all-consuming panic flooding my veins got worse every second I was on the road.

I couldn’t think about it. I had to shut it out and focus on one thing at a time, otherwise the panic was likely to take me over completely, and then I’d be fucking useless.

When I got to my destination, I found a fenced-off, one-story building that was covered in graffiti. It was located in a particularly rough neighbourhood, which just so happened to work in my favour because it meant none of the residents surrounding it were likely to call the police.

I dismounted my bike and infiltrated quickly, my assault rifle up and focus hyper-alert. The motorcycle helmet on my head made it a little more difficult to see things once I got inside, but I had no choice but to keep it on.

We had a working relationship with the DK4 Gang. If anyone saw me, it would cause problems for business, so it was better that I remain a faceless entity.

With quick, hurried steps, I made my way through the building. Blood was everywhere. On the walls. On the floor. Even on the goddamn ceiling. I’d have to ask Autumn how she accomplished that one later on.

Dead bodies lay everywhere I looked. Some hunched over furniture like couches and tables, others with limbs bent at grotesque angles and knives sticking out of their heads. The further I moved into the building, the more bodies I came across. It was a goddamn bloodbath.

I moved cautiously, watching where I put my feet as I walked, making sure to take cover and check around corners before advancing despite the fact that all I wanted to do was bolt from room to room to find Autumn. I had to be careful. I had no backup. It was just me, and the DK4 Gang was a big operation with lots of men. Mainly pawns, but still, anyone could be dangerous with a weapon in their hands.

My assault rifle moved with me, my eyes firmly locked through its scope as I cleared each space before moving onto the next. And the next and the next.

When angry voices cut through the air, I crouched down to one knee and paused, straining my ears. They were coming from myleft. Staying low, I made my way over to the wall opening that separated the room from the adjoining one and peeked over.

Autumn was in the centre of the room, cuffed to a motherfucker chair.

Son of a fucking bitch.

Anger pulsed in my body at the sight of blood running down the side of her head. She didn’t look the least bit worried about her predicament. In fact, the cocky smile on her face seemed to say she was enjoying herself.

Crazy fucking woman.

Six DK4 Gang members were glaring at her, while a seventh stood directly in front of her, holding a bloody rag to his eye.

“Who hired you?” he spat, full of anger. He was a big man, with a shaved, tattoo-covered head.

“Hired me?” Autumn replied, voice pitched with confusion. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I was just looking for a bathroom.”

He backhanded her. Autumn’s head whipped to the side. Rage pounded in my veins, dark and violent, making me see fucking red. My finger itched over the trigger of my assault rifle, the beast within me demanding that fucker’s head.

But I had to be smart. As much as I wanted to take him out, doing so would put Autumn in danger.

There were six other people in that room, and the minute that bullets started flying, there was a high probability Autumn would catch one because she was stuck in that chair. I was quick, but I couldn’t take out seven people fast enough to reduce the risk.

I needed to eliminate some of them first, quickly and quietly.

“I’ll ask you again,” Baldy said. “Who hired you?”