Page 18 of Sean Collins

Compared to the commotion on the lower level of the mansion, it is still quiet up here. I can hear sounds of struggle just then. When the double doors burst open, two thugs are hauling a snarling Elora out of the room.

Torque and Creed pounce on them in moments and knock them out. Before we can secure Elora, though, Anton, Mikhail’s right-hand man, appears. He grabs her by the hair and drags her back into the room.

“Oh, you didn’t,” I mutter under my breath and charge the room, Torque and Creed trailing behind me. The two launch themselves at Mikhail, who is still sitting up in his bed, while I make a beeline for Anton. He is vicious and loyal to a fault. He holds Elora’s neck in a bruising grip while swinging at me with the other arm. I manage to dodge it, but I grunt as he kicks my kneecap.

Just then, Torque appears with a gun to Anton’s head, and the fighting suddenly stops. I look over at the bed and see Creed holding a knife to Mikhail’s throat.

“Let her go,” I say in a measured tone to Anton.

He tightens his grip on Elora and smirks at me.

“What is going on? We had a truce. What are you doing here?” Mikhail asks, his accent thick with anger. “This means war, S.C.”

My cold eyes turn to him and see the barest hint of fear in his eyes. “We had a truce until you messed with one of ours,” I reply, nodding my head at Elora.

“She broke in here and came at me!”

His indignation makes my stomach churn, but I just shrug. “You have two choices: let her go, or we blow your buddies’ brains out, and I let Creed slit your throat. He has been aching to do it since our little encounter at the judge’s place.”

Mikhail’s eyes move to Creed, and he knows that he is good for it. “Anton, release the girl,” he orders, his voice resigned.

“Boss—” Anton tries to argue.

“Do as I say.”

Anton releases Elora, letting her drop to the floor. Her breath comes in quick pants; bruises begin to form around her neck.

“Are you alright?” I whisper in her ear as I help her up.

“I’m sorry. I should have waited,” Elora starts.

I just shake my head. “We can deal with that later. Did you get your questions answered?”

It’s Elora’s turn to shake her head, and I turn to Mikhail. “You will answer her questions, or I will kill you.”

Mikhail turns pale, knowing that this is a threat, not a promise.

“Ask what you need to ask, Elora. He will answer you now,” I tell her gently.

To my surprise, Mikhail shouts all of a sudden. “Anton, kill the girl!”

Creed reacts by carving a line down Mikhail’s face, causing him to scream in pain. Anton moves towards Elora, obviously bent on following his boss’s order. But before Torque can pull the trigger, she punches Anton in the face, the cracking of his nose breaking loud in the room.

I grin despite the circumstance.She is exactly the woman for me.

“Now, that was fun,” I say over Anton’s groan of pain and Mikhail’s whimpering. “Tell her what she wants to know.”

“Operation Sandcastle. I want to know who performed the hits,” she utters, looking straight at Mikhail.

I watch as the color drains from Anton’s face. I see now why Mikhail has been so reluctant to reveal this information to Elora. His right-hand man killed her parents.

Mikhail hesitates, and I give a cold smile. “Answer her questions now. Otherwise, I will let Creed use your face for carving practice.”

Mikhail looks back at me with hatred in his eyes. There is no way we can let him survive this. He isn’t going to lay low this time; he will do anything to destroy us after this incident.

Chapter Twenty-One

Elora

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