Page 29 of Hero's Heart

Jakob’s eyes narrowed. “Fine. Prove it, then. Take her out and kill her yourself. Then I’ll know you’re ready to be the bossman.”

Sloane’s heart stopped. She looked up at Nikola, searching for any hint of mercy in his empty eyes.

After a long moment, Nikola nodded reluctantly. “I’ll do it.”

“Good, brother. Let’s get it over with and figure out how to clean up this mess.”

A cold sweat broke out along her spine as they turned toward the door.

Jakob’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen and cursed. “I have to take this. But go, do it now, and let’s figure out our next steps.”

She stumbled along behind as Nikola dragged her back out of the house and toward the woods surrounding the farm.

Sick terror hit her, slamming into her like a sledgehammer, as she tried to figure outanythingshe could do. There was no way she could outfight Nikola; he was way too strong for her. As they reached a secluded area, Nikola raised his gun, his hand trembling slightly.

Sloane’s survival instincts kicked in. She prayed she wasn’t about to make a huge mistake.

“Wait!” she cried out, her voice cracking. “Nikola, please. You don’t have to do this.”

His empty eyes bored into her, but she detected a flicker of hesitation. She pressed on, her words tumbling out rapidly.

“You can trick Jakob. Tell him you killed me, but lock me up instead. You’d be in control then, not him.”

Nikola’s brow furrowed, considering her words. “I…I would be outsmarting Jakob?”

“Yes.” Sloane nodded eagerly. “You’d prove you’re smarter than him. A true leader. And I would be yours.”

She buried a shudder deep inside at the thought of his hands on her. Would death be better?

No. She would survive. Survival was the most important thing.

“You would be the bossman of me.” She had no idea why he liked that ridiculous word so much, but she would use it if it kept her alive.

For a moment, she thought he might pull the trigger anyway. Then, a slow, unsettling smile spread across his face.

“I am ready to be the bossman.”

Relief flooded through her, quickly replaced by dread as Nikola marched them both rapidly back to the cellar she’d been in before. He tied her back to the chair, his large hands once again pinching her breasts and thighs. She gagged as he cupped her between her legs.

Maybe death would’ve been better. She forced her gaze to a back corner of the room, trying to disassociate herself from her own body as he continued to touch her.

“Mybábika.” His hot breath in her ear made her want to throw up.

Suddenly, the door burst open. Jakob stood there, his face contorted with rage.

“I knew I couldn’t trust you, Nikola,” he snarled. “You’re too weak. You’ll never be a leader. I’ll kill her myself.”

Callum narrowed his eyes as he slipped through the shadows of the farm compound, every nerve on high alert. Drying sweat from the miles running back sent a chill through his body in the cool night air as he crouched behind a weathered barn, but he ignored it. His eyes scanned the perimeter, searching for any sign of Sloane.

“Where are you?” he whispered, frustration and fear clawing at his insides.

Was he too late? Had the Kozak brothers killed her immediately once they realized Marissa was gone? It would make sense.

Decades of rigorous tactical training took over as his keen eyes picked up on movements all around the compound by the guards. These men were definitely not professionally trained—probably just locals who were looking to make some extra money. Still, Callum’s body tensed instinctively, ready to react as needed.

An armed, untrained guard could kill him just as dead as a trained one. Especially since Callum didn’t have any weapon of his own.

He spotted Jakob Kozak emerging from the main house, his face contorted with fury as he stormed across the yard. Callum followed. Kozak would be his best way to find Sloane, even if he had to get the information forcefully.

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