Page 119 of Savage Reign

“Always, moya sladost. I’ll always come for you.”

A sharp intake of breath pulls my attention. Emil stands a few feet away, a pistol in his hand. I’m guessing it’s the one he just used to kill Igor. His haunted eyes meet mine, and I tense.

Emil might have saved Sofiya, but that doesn’t mean he won’t turn the gun on me.

Screw it. If he wants to kill me, so be it. I need to make sure my wife is okay.

I turn back to her. Her skin is cold, her eyes wide and glassy. Her dress is torn, knees scraped, and feet raw and blistered. A dried streak of blood stains the corner of her mouth, and a bruise marks her cheek.

Her arms are tied behind her back, and I quickly cut through the ropes. Her wrists are raw and red, the sight of them making my jaw clench. Darkness clouds my thoughts as I take in her condition.

Roman and Pavel appear at my side, and I give them a brief nod, confirming Sofiya is battered and bruised but otherwise unharmed. With a flick of my head, I signal for them to disarm and cuff Emil, who hasn’t moved a muscle.

My wife is my priority; I’ll deal with Emil later.

I gently press my forehead against hers. “I’m so sorry. So fucking sorry. I should’ve figured out how dangerous Igor was before you got involved. If I’d realized what he was capable of earlier, you wouldn’t be in this mess.”

She shakes her head weakly and rests a hand against my cheek. “It’s not your fault Igor was a monster.”

Pavel kneels beside Igor’s lifeless body, checking his pulse. With a shake of his head, he confirms Igor is gone. Fury blazes through me at losing the chance to make him suffer for what he did, but at least he can’t hurt her anymore. I spit on his corpse.

Carefully, I lift her into my arms. Her head falls against my shoulder, and I feel the soft puff of her breaths against my neck. “I’m going to get you out of here,” I promise.

The screech of tires announces Vadim and Eva’s arrival. Eva leaps out of her car, worry etched across her face. “Is she hurt? Do we need a hospital?”

“No hospital,” Sofiya insists.

“Call Dr. Safin to meet us at the estate,” I instruct Eva.

She’s already pulling out her phone when Vadim approaches.

“We’ve got to move,” he says. “Our men spotted activity nearby.”

Emil looks up from where Roman has him in cuffs. “Black Company soldiers,” he warns. “They’re on the way.”

Red colors my vision when I look at Emil. He made the right choice in the end, but there are certain betrayals you can’t come back from.

Sofiya stirs in my arms as I cradle her closer. “You ready to go home?” I ask, my voice low enough for only her to hear.

She tilts her head up, her swollen lips curling into a small smile. “I’m ready. My home for a long time, I hope.”

My lungs constrict, and I brush the hair from her face. “It was always yours, Sofiya. My home, my heart, my soul—they belong to you and always have. As long as I have you, I’ll never need anything else.”

She pulls my face to hers, gently pressing her lips to mine. I can’t kiss her the way I want to because of her injuries, but even with the barest touch, the kiss is full of raw emotion.

When we pull apart, Roman and Pavel stand nearby, watching us.

“Roman? Wait—what are you guys doing here?” Sofiya shakes her head in disbelief.

Roman’s expression softens as he leans in to press a kiss to the top of her head. “You think we’d miss out on all the fun?”

Pavel squeezes her arm. “It’s good to see you safe, Sofiya.”

“Let’s wrap up this little reunion in the vehicles,” Eva urges, scanning the area.

I carry Sofiya into the Humvee and strap her in. As I come around to the other side, I cast a final glance at Igor’s lifeless body, his blood staining the ground beneath him. Vadim looks at me in question.

“Let him rot,” I answer. “Right where his new partners can find him.”

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