Page 109 of Cruel Honor

Abram slowly lowers his gun. “Fine. You win, Dimitri. You already killed one of my daughters. I won’t let you kill the other one.”

“Tell your men to lower their guns.”

After a long beat, he nods at them, and they do as he instructs. “There. Now, give me my daughter back.”

“No.” I motion to the floor with my gun. “Get on your fucking knees.”

“I’m shocked, Dimitri. I wouldn’t have imagined you’d want this to go so easily. I would’ve thought you’d want a fight.”

“I’m done fighting. I just want this war to end.” The moment the words leave me, I realize how true they are. I know I started this war over how I treated Tatiana. But I’m done with it.

I just want Evie back in my arms. I just want to make her fully mine for the first time.

“But then you’ll kill me,” Abram says.

“I will. It’s the only way your daughter survives, Abram. You know it. I know it. Even Maxim knows it. So, let this be done.”

He huffs, and a dark gleam enters his eye. “You think this will just end? Think again?”

And then he fires.

But not at me.

At Maxim.

The bullet hits Maxim in the arm, making him stumble back, but Maxim is quick and aims his gun at Abram, who throws himself behind one of his guards. That guard gets shot in the head though the shot was meant for Abram.

I pick Maria up and run out of the warehouse. I can’t lose the little bit of leverage I have.

“Dimitri!” Maxim shouts. I know he’s asking for my help.

But I don’t give it.

I leave him behind to finish fighting my fight.

EVIE

Dima roughly grabs my arm as he forces me into his murder house. The urge to beg him for my life is on the tip of my tongue, but I hold it back. I’m not going to beg Dima for anything.

I’m going to find a way to end him.

He can’t continue killing women without facing the consequences, and it’s clear the police are no longer any help. I have to do this on my own.

“Come along,” he growls, pushing me toward a door. I slam into it, feeling the hard doorknob hit my stomach. I cry out, and I hate how weak it sounds. I hate how much power Dima and Abram and even Dimitri have over me.

Ripping the door open, he shoves me again. I stumble down a set of stairs, landing at the bottom with a huff. All the air leaves me. Pain covers my entire body.

But I’m alive. That’s what matters.

Dima smirks as he approaches me. He thinks he has this in the bag.

What he seems to have forgotten is that we’ve been here before. I’m ready for him this time.

Just like his previous house, this basement has a table in the middle of the room with another table next to it filled with scalpels and knifes and scissors.

Using all my strength, I surge to my feet and grab a scalpel off the table.

Dima hesitates just long enough for me to attack.

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