Page 107 of Sinful Promise

I want to strangle him with my bare hands.

Now I understand why Dasha feared him. She must have listened to her gut instinct. There is nothing redeemable in Andrian.

Another guard announces a kill, bringing the total to six.

There are four more. I need to buy time.

We’re now standing on opposite sides of a long folding table.

“The Volkovs aren’t easy, you know that,” I say. “My father was better than you. Do you think he didn’t teach his sons how to live in this world?”

“If your father knew so much, he would still be here.” He beams at me, and I see his yellow teeth. He’s like a rabid dog, a dog that needs to be taken down.

“We still haven’t hit Albert,” Dmitry says. “Did anyone kill him and not identify him?”

There are noes from my team.

At this point, I don’t know if I’m being double-crossed. Where the hell is Albert?

“Vlad, who is your friend?” I ask so my team knows there are two men here.

“Oh, you like the fact I have two men with me, and you only have Dasha? I said come alone, and you listened.” He laughs, and the guard to his left chuckles. By this time, Irina has the gun in her hand behind her because I feel it on my cock.

“You’re an asshole, Andrian. You want a piece of this?” I hug Irina to me. “You need to transfer the million now.”

“Settle down, let’s negotiate. I need to know if she’s still a virgin. I have to stick my dick in her and find out for myself. Then we’ll talk.”

“I don’t think so,” I reply in a make-my-day tone.

And with that, Vlad falls back, shooting Andrian’s guard in the head.

The gunshot echoes off the metal walls, and Andrian’s eyes grow wide as brain matter splatters his face. He stares into my eyes, realization dawning. The moment is brief but entirely too long in some ways.

Irina fires her gun, hitting Andrian in the chest. Pulling my 9mm Glock from the holster in the back of my jeans, I shoot Andrian in the head before he hits the ground.

He relied on his henchmen to do his dirty work. Now I understand why Dad hated him. He’s a coward. Dad told us we had to know how to do everything in business, and to always stack the odds in our favor if possible. He also told us to take care of our men. We can’t make them happy all the time, but they all have to be happy some of the time.

I hear gunshots outside and hope my brothers are alive.

Nikolay and Dmitry enter from the front, and I step to Vlad and shake his hand. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure. I hated him. Has anyone found Albert? He was supposed to be at the entrance of the warehouse.”

I turn to the back door and see Alex heading toward me. “How many men were out front?”

“Two, why?” Nikolay asks.

“We’re missing two!” Chills run over my body as if I’m burning from a fever, and I start to sweat.

“Fuck!” Alex exclaims as we all run out of the building.

“Francesca, come in. Do you copy?” I yell into the coms, hoping we’re not too late.

37

ROMAN

I’m behind the wheel of the SUV, and my foot is heavy on the pedal. I press the accelerator to the floor.

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