Page 46 of Dark Promise

Cassio looks like he wants to argue, his jaw tight. “If they lay a hand on her—”

“They won’t,” I cut him off, my voice cold as steel. “I’ll make sure of it.”

Luca claps Cassio on the shoulder, a silent order to stand down. With one last glance at the cabin, they slip into the shadows, their movements soundless despite the snow.

Moments later, I hear a soft, high-pitched chirp to the north, one of the sensors alerting me to unwanted company. I crouch low, my pulse steady as I scan the tree line. Shadows shift among the pines. Four figures, moving in tight formation.

The Vasilievs.

They move with purpose, their posture confident. Arrogant. They don’t even bother to try and mask the sounds of their arrival. They think they’ve caught me off guard. They’re wrong.

These men are used to taking what they want, unchallenged. It’s their first mistake.

The snow carries their sounds to me—the crunch of boots, the faint clink of weapons. They think the storm masks their approach, but I’ve been listening to the wilderness for days now. I know every sound it makes and when something doesn’t belong. The break in the weather allowed them to get here, but it also cleared the air, making them easier to track. Sloppy.

They’re moving toward the cabin—

Wait…now I see only three dark shapes between the trees. Where the fuck is the fourth man?

I slip back toward the cabin, keeping low. I circle to the opposite side, my mind racing. I need to get Sabina out of sight, to pull her to safety—

The front door of the cabin bursts open with a crash, the sound splitting the air like a gunshot. My heart seizes as I hear Sabina’s startled cry, followed by the heavy shuffle of boots.

“Where is he, bitch?” one of the men snarls, his voice rough and filled with sadistic glee.

Rage burns through me, hot and suffocating. I flatten myself against the cabin’s wall, forcing myself to breathe, to think. Charging in now would be suicide. I need to wait for the right moment.

The thugs drag Sabina into the snow, their hands gripping her arms like she’s a trophy. She struggles, her movements sharp and furious, but they’re too strong. One of them shoves her forward, and she stumbles but doesn’t fall. Her defiance makes my chest swell with a twisted pride. That’s my goddess.

But pride won’t save her.

I shift my gaze to the tree line where Luca and Cassio are in position, their weapons drawn, their faces grim. I raise my hand in a subtle signal, my body coiled tight as I wait.

The leader of the group steps forward. His voice carries through the clearing, mocking and cruel.

“Nikolai Ivanov!” he booms. “Come out, or the girl gets a bullet in her head!”

The girl.He has no idea who she is. Good.

Sabina glares at him.

“When he comes for you, you’ll wish you were dead,” she says, her voice sharp and unyielding.

Her words send a jolt through me, a mix of rage and admiration. Even now, even surrounded, she doesn’t back down. That’s my Sabina.

The leader laughs, cold and callous. He grabs her chin roughly, forcing her face toward him.

“Feisty,” he sneers. “I like that. Maybe I’ll keep you for myself after I deal with your boyfriend.”

Every muscle in my body locks, my vision narrowing. I don’t hear the wind or feel the cold. All I can see is his hand on her, his smug grin. He doesn’t know he’s signed his death warrant.

I give another subtle signal to Luca and Cassio. Their weapons shift slightly, their focus zeroing in. They’re waiting for my lead, but their tension is palpable. They’re ready.

The leader jerks Sabina by the arm, dragging her to her knees in the snow. Her breath puffs white in the cold air, sharp and uneven, but her eyes stay locked on him, unflinching. She’s afraid, but she doesn’t show it. She knows I’m here. She trusts me.

I’m not going to let her down.

The leader presses his gun to Sabina’s temple, his smirk widening.

---