Page 109 of Stolen Seconds

Luca

When Roman woke me up by calling and texting repeatedly that Irina was at his house, I didn’t hesitate before rushing here.

I turned my head in the direction of where the sound came from, my pulse racing.

And now I had no idea what I’d just walked into.

With steady strides, I made my way toward the sound, unease swirling in the pit of my stomach.

I’d made it past the main stairs when hushed voices reached me. Unfamiliar voices.

I hid behind the nearest wall and waited, cold sweat sliding down my spine.

Something wasn’t right. I could feel the eerie tension in the air as I peered around the corner.

A group of men walked down the corridor, strapped in guns and covered in what appeared to be bulletproof vests.

I pulled back, pressing myself against the wall, my breathing turning shallow at the clarity of the situation.

Fuck. I didn’t know how it was possible with the extensive security Roman had around his property, but whoever these people were had managed to breach them.

The house had gone quiet, too quiet but there was no chance that Irina and the rest hadn’t heard the bang minutes ago.

I needed to find them and fast.

Careful of my surroundings, I went up the stairs with ease, watchful with my gaze until I landed at the top.

Irritation toward my best friend brewed. Did the bastard really need to have an abnormally large house? Where the fuck was I supposed to look first?

I started opening doors, each room empty, causing my heart to speed up with adrenaline.

The floorboard creaked beneath my feet, the hairs on the back of my neck rising when I felt the presence of someone.

I’d never been wrong when it came to my intuition, even now as I shifted around, coming face to face with one of the men.

A fist came flying toward my face, but I dodged it, ducking to the side before gripping their head and twisting it in a quick motion. The crunch of bone brushed against my palms. I laid him down on the floor, peering around to see if there were any others before I removed the gun strapped to him.

I’d gone through the other rooms without being spotted but when I opened the last door, my heart stilled.

Irina’s eyes whisked to me, widening a fraction as if she were silently telling me to leave.

I shifted my gaze to the other side and saw why.

Without hesitation, I lifted my arms, taking aim at the fucker.

“You shoot me,” Viktor said, his voice slicing through the air as he gazed at me while taking the safety off his gun. “And it’ll only take a second for me to put a bullet through her pretty little head.”

The last thing I expected to see was Viktor holding his cousin at gunpoint, but it only made me believe that he’d be true to his word.

“Drop it.”

I peered at Irina, adrenaline strumming through my veins from her vulnerable position. If I could divert Viktor’s attention, I might be able to disarm him.

“Now!”

“Alright.” I slowly set the gun down before raising my hands and stepping further into the room.

“Why are you doing this?” Irina asked, her tone laced with disbelief.

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