Page 72 of Wicked Arrangement

He rushes toward me, “Kim, it’s okay, I’m here now!” he says, his voice thick with relief.

As he approaches, I can make out his handsome, concerned face and I can’t hold back the tears any longer. Hekisses them away, cupping my face gently in my hands and surveying me for injuries as another man I hadn’t noticed before begins cutting me free.

“It’s okay, you’re safe. Did they hurt you?” he asks.

I shake my head, “No, at least I don’t think so. Where’s Marta? Did you find her?” I query, desperate to know if she’s alright.

With my limbs now freed, Yaroslav picks me up with ease, kissing my head and breathing in deeply.

“We’ve located her elsewhere in the building, my men are on the way to her now. But first, we have to get you out of here. Can you walk?” he asks.

As safe as I feel in his arms and as weak as I am, I want to say no, but I know carrying me puts him at risk if someone attacks us. “Yes, I can walk,” I reply, more confidently than I feel.

He reluctantly puts me down and my legs shake, threatening to buckle underneath me but I force myself to stand. I take a couple of steps before they give out, but Yaroslav is there to catch me. He scoops me up as if I weigh nothing and we stride out of the door. In the corridor, more men are waiting for us, as we walk, I can hear the sounds of fighting up ahead. A man comes running down the corridor toward us, his footsteps pounding on the concrete floor.

“Pakhan, we need backup, and Artem and his team aren’t here yet. There was a group of men waiting for us on the way to where Marta’s being held. We can’t get to her,” he says breathlessly.

“Alright, Kim you’re going to go with my man here and wait for us someplace safe, the rest of us are going to go get Marta,” Yaroslav says, placing me down and looking into my eyes.

“No, you can’t leave me!” I reply, terrified of losing him.

“I have to get Marta,” he reasons. “I’ll be right back for you, I promise.”

I know he’s right but still, I have to force myself to be rational, to not cling to him like a small child and refuse to let him out of my sight.

I take a deep breath, “Okay. But you’d better come back and find me. And don’t get yourself hurt,” I warn tearfully.

“I promise,” he says before kissing me.

There’s no time for long goodbyes. Too soon, he breaks away and runs off. The man tasked with rescuing me nervously asks, “Do you need me to carry you?”

“No, I’ll be fine,” I reply gesturing for him to lead the way. I feel dizzy and I can barely see through my tears, shock, and disorientation. All around me, there’s a cacophony of noise and fighting. I can hear the sounds of gunfire followed by men crying out in agony and the scent of blood and gunpowder fills the air. I stick close to the man in front of me, praying we will remain undetected and make it to safety.

Before long, we’re outside of the building, the cool night air like a welcome caress on my skin.

“See those vehicles up ahead?” the man asks me.

“Yes,” I reply with a nod.

“I want you to run, as fast as you can toward them, get inside one and duck down. Lock the doors and wait until we come for you. Artem and backup should arrive soon. Can you do that?” he asks me.

“What about you?” I ask, scared to go alone.

“I’ll be right behind you, I need to cover us in case someone shoots at us. Whatever happens, keep going, don’t look back,” he says. It’s both reassuring and not at the same time.

“Okay,” I reply, my voice wavering.

He nods and I start to run, I can hear him following behind as promised. But then I hear him come to a grinding stop and the sound of men running toward us.

“Where’s Volkov? Where’s the Pakhan?” they shout, and I stop in my tracks.

Ignoring my instructions, I turn to see some of Yaroslav’s men running toward us.

“He’s on his way to back you up from the enemy ambush,” the man replies, confused.

“Shit, it might be another trap! They all just turned tail and ran a moment ago. A few of us followed while the rest stayed behind to get to Marta. We lost sight of them, they could be doubling back,” one of them says before turning and heading back toward the building.

“What do you mean a trap?” I cry out, desperate for answers.

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