Page 101 of Emperor of Havoc

It hits me just how differently I’m reacting to this situation now compared to how I would have before, when she was just a means to an end. When settling the bad blood between our families was only part of my plan.

Before, a situation like this would have presented theidealscenario for me to enact my vengeance on a man who is currently completely vulnerable, knocked out on an operating table.

But now isn’t before. Now, there’s something on the line far more important to me than revenge.

Katarina.

Ihaveto get her back. And I need to do it before those motherfuckers who took her hurt her, or even think about touching her.

I jog toward the man who called me over. My gaze drops to the body he’s kneeling beside.

Li Fan, the leader of the Jade Dragons, is propped up against a stack of crates, his expensive suit soaked with blood. He’s breathing, but barely. His hand trembles as he clutches his side, his dark eyes flicking up to meet mine.

“Takeshi-san,” he wheezes.

I crouch beside him, my gaze darting over his wounds. “Who did this?” I snarl. “Bratva?”

He grits his teeth, his other hand pointing weakly. I follow the motion, frowning when I see the smear of blood he’s trying to draw my attention to.

“I tried…” He coughs, blood staining his lips. “Tried to protect her.”

His words are a punch to the gut, but I force myself to focus. “Who has her?!”

“Sergey…Vorobev.” His voice is little more than a hiss, but the words land like a bomb.

“Fuck,” I snarl.

Li Fan groans, his strength ebbing away as he lifts his arm slightly. My eyes widen when I see the numbers scrawled across his forearm in his own blood.

Fuck me, it’s a license plate number.

“Smart bastard,” I mutter, locking eyes with the fading Triad leader. I turn to the Ishida-kai man crouched next to us. “Get him help,now,” I growl. “Quickly.”

The man nods curtly as I pull away, grabbing my phone and stabbing the contact for the best hacker I know.

Luckily, she also happens to be married to my cousin.

It rings twice before she answers. “Hey, Tak?—”

“I need your help,” I growl. “Now.”

Freya sighs heavily. “Hi, Freya. Howareyou, Freya? It’s beensucha long time since I fucked off to Tokyo. Freya. We haven’t hung out since, Freya. How?—”

“FREYA!” I roar. “They have Katarina!”

The levity evaporates from her tone. “Shit, Tak,” she hisses, instantly all business. “What do you need?”

“A license plate tracked. It should be tied to Sergey Vorobev”

“Send it to me,” she says, her voice sharp.

I snap a quick photo of Li Fan’s arm and text it to her. “Quickly, Freya.”

“On it,” she replies, and the line goes dead.

I glance back at Li Fan, who’s struggling to keep his eyes open. “You did good,” I tell him gruffly, though the words feel hollow.

He grunts, smiling weakly as an Ishida-kai man applies a makeshift dressing to his wounds.

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