Page 118 of Savage Reign

“Caught you.” His voice drips with triumph as he grabs my arm and shoves me back down when I try to rise. My knees hit the concrete again, pain shooting up my legs. “Now, I get to break you.”

He wraps an arm around my waist and hauls me to my feet. I thrash, kicking wildly. My foot connects with his shin. He grunts but doesn’t let go.

“Bitch,” he growls. I twist harder, driving my heel into his knee. He stumbles, and I slam my head back into his face.

There’s a sickening crack, and hot blood sprays across my neck and shoulders. He curses, staggering back. I don’t think—I just run, using everything I have to put as much distance between us as possible.

I round a corner and press into the shadows. It’s quiet, but I know it won’t last. I’m out of options. Running and hiding is only delaying the inevitable. Giving up crosses my mind, but no. Niko wouldn’t want me to. He’d tell me to fight. He always said I was stubborn. Now I need to prove him right.

He’s closing in, his heavy breaths getting louder. I push myself to run faster, but he’s right behind me. Seconds later, he grabs my hair, yanking me back. I spin around before he slams me into the side of a container, pain ricocheting through my body.

His face is twisted with fury, blood running from his nose. “You’re going to regret that, you stupid cunt. I’m done playing nice.”

A scream bursts from my throat, the sound echoing around me.

If this is it, I won’t go down without a fight.

CHAPTER

FORTY-NINE

NIKOLAI

The metallic tangof rust fills my nose as I slide between two shipping containers, the narrow space cloaked in darkness. Sweat beads along my back, my body humming with adrenaline. My pistol is cocked and ready, my grip so tight it makes my knuckles ache.

Dark thoughts churn in my mind. Sofiya could be locked away in one of these containers, her screams muffled by steel walls. Or she could be out here, running for her life while Igor stalks her like prey. The thought makes me see red, but I push it aside to focus on what I need to do.

I grit my teeth and scan the next row. Again, nothing.

“Anything from the drone?” I whisper.

“Negative,” Vadim replies. “There’s a structure blocking my view in the west corner. Can’t see a thing.”

Roman’s voice cuts in. “We’re circling back. Nothing on our end.”

Something shifts in the distance. My pulse spikes, and I freeze. It’s quick—a shadow darting between two containers—but it’s enough. I move forward, every nerve on edge as I close in, my focus trained on the faint sound of movement ahead.

Then I hear it—“You’re going to regret that, you stupid cunt. I’m done playing nice.” Igor’s words are followed by a female scream.

My heart leaps into my throat and I take off running. The sounds echo through the rows of containers.

“I’m moving in!” I bark into the comms.

A gunshot rings out, knocking the air from my lungs. Shit, Sofiya!

I round a corner, my legs pumping, dread clawing at me. Then I see her—Sofiya slumped against a container, her whole body trembling as she sobs. Blood spreads beneath her, stark against the concrete.

My stomach drops. Am I too late?

I dash toward her, but my foot catches on something solid, nearly sending me sprawling. It’s Igor’s body. Blood seeps from his chest, pooling beneath him.

It takes me a second to realize it’s his blood on the ground under Sofiya, not hers. Thank fuck. Igor deserved a far worse end, but right now, the only thing I care about is that Sofiya’s alive.

I drop to my knees in front of her, gently cupping her tear-streaked face in my hands.

“Sofiya,” I murmur. “It’s me, Niko. You’re safe now.”

Her lips tremble, and a tearful smile appears. “You came for me.”

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