Page 109 of Savage Reign

Fear flickers in his eyes as he struggles against the restraints. “There’s no one left!” he roars. “You got everyone who could help me. I swear it.”

I lower the drill to hover over his abdomen. “How the hell did you know about my marriage to Sofiya? How did you know to threaten her? And don’t feed me bullshit.”

His head lolls forward, his breath coming in shallow pants. “You think I’m the villain here, Zhukov? You’re blind. The real enemy is staring you in the fucking face, and you don’t see who’s playing you.”

My vision blurs with rage as I shove the drill into his side, the bit piercing flesh. Tural screams, his body jerking violently, blood blooming like a dark flower on his shirt.

“Who?” I roar, yanking the drill back. “Tell me, or I’ll go deeper.”

“Who do you think?” he gasps, his face twisting in pain.

Igor.

Fuck me. Everything locks into place, the realization so sharp it feels like I’ve been gutted.

He was under my nose the whole time, and I didn’t see it. My breathing slows, the drill suddenly heavy in my hand as Tural watches my expression.

“Figured it out, didn’t you?” he wheezes.

I swallow hard, forcing the bile back down my throat. My mind races through every interaction, every warning sign I ignored. The uneasy feeling I’ve brushed off too many times.

I power up the drill and press it into his flesh, harder this time. His screams are raw and guttural. Blood spills, dripping onto the floor. So much for keeping this shirt clean.

“Why? What does Igor want from me?” I demand. Tural groans, his head slumping forward, but I yank his chin up. “Speak.”

“How the fuck should I know? He didn’t tell me his plan, he just tipped me off about your location the day of the attack. Said you’d lost sight of your priorities and needed help finding your way. All I wanted was getting a better cut on our deal, but you were too fucking stubborn.”

His eyes roll back, lids fluttering. He’s on the verge of passing out.

“Stay with me,” I growl, slapping him across the face. His head jerks to the side.

“Igor has bigger plans for you,” he taunts, his voice faint. “You have no idea what’s coming. He’s… he’s working with s-someone powerful…”

His head slumps forward, the light in his eyes fading as he loses consciousness.

“Fuck!” I slap his face harder this time, but he’s lost too much blood.

What does that mean… Bigger plans. Someone powerful? I’ve been blind, thinking I was always one step ahead. But Igor’s been setting the board, and I’ve been playing right into his hands.

My phone vibrates, and I pull it from my pocket.

Eva’s calling and I swipe to answer. “What is it?”

Her voice is tight with urgency. “Emil never came back to the estate. He’s gone—and so is Sofiya.”

The phone slips from my grasp, my pulse pounding in my ears. Everything inside me goes cold.

CHAPTER

FORTY-THREE

SOFIYA

I come to slowly,the world around me swimming in and out of focus. My head throbs, and there’s a bitter taste in my mouth that makes me gag.

A sharp ache in my shoulders pulls me back to reality, accompanied by the burning sting of the rope cutting into my wrists. My arms are pinned behind me, bound tightly to a wooden chair. I blink hard, trying to take in my surroundings. The room is small, with peeling paint, a cracked tile floor, and a single dim bulb swinging overhead.

My throat tightens as my eyes land on Emil crouching at my feet.

---