Page 3 of Claim

But I can see why he chose her. Hair the color of a raven smoothing around her olive skin gives a striking look.

We make it to the far wing of the house without seeing anyone.

The faint sound of yelling filters through the walls.

Fuck.

“Stay here, don’t move.” I point at her before latching the door.

It blends with the bricks making it nearly invisible.

Clever.

Striding through the corridor, I almost collide with Nikolai and his baby.

“Mikhail! What the fuck is going on?” He grabs my arm, stopping me from moving past him.

“You need to get the hell out.Now.” I grimace as his grip tightens.

I need to work out more, he’s getting too much stronger than me.

“Katerina…” He looks around at the empty room. “I have to find her.”

Lights flicker through the windows, glaring along the far wall.

Shit.

“If you want your baby to survive this, youhaveto go. That’s Ivan.” My finger stabs towards the glimmer of SUVs movingthrough the yard. “He’s surrounding us. You know as well as I do what happens when he’s angry.”

Nikolai pales, letting me go. “My wife?” He looks like he’s not sure which direction to go.

“I’ll get her. Trust me.” I hope I don’t regret those words.

His teeth grit before he turns on his heel, ducking quickly past the plate glass wall.

I run down the adjoining wing towards where I know Sergy went to find my mother.

Sergy flings open his door before I get a chance to knock.

“What’s the plan? Fighting back or running?” I look from him to where my mother sits perched on a stool near her desk. Katerina stands behind her, her knuckles white as she grips Mother’s shoulder.

Sergy shakes his head, his dark curls bouncing across his forehead. “We’d need an army to take him on.”

Holding out his hand, he shoves a piece of paper at me. “Take this. The man is an up and comer. He’ll be able to help you hide Zoya.”

I unfurl the note and memorize the name.

Enzo Testa.

Pulling out my cigar lighter, it disappears into smoke.

“Do you trust him?” I grunt, unsure what to do next.

Sergy nods. “With my life. He fought with me and the Butcher after Vanyos’s daughter was kidnapped. He knows Zoya and will keep her safe.” He grabs my arm where Nikolai had, deepening the bruises. “Go get her, we’ll escape through the passage from my suite.”

He shuts the door, leaving me standing in the hall.

The yelling is louder, I can begin to understand my father’s words.

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