Page 141 of Mile High Daddy

Silence.

My breath is sharp, controlled.

I turn to Lila.

She’s shaking, her lip trembling, but she’s alive.

I crouch in front of her, reaching for the rope binding her hands. “Are you hurt?” I murmur, scanning her face, her body, looking for any sign of injury.

She shakes her head quickly, but something is wrong.

She’s trembling.

Her breath shudders, her wide eyes flickering past me.

A warning.

I register the movement too late.

A sudden, brutal force slams into the side of my head.

The world spins.

Pain explodes through my skull as I hit the ground, my vision darkening at the edges.

Footsteps.

A presence looming over me.

I blink rapidly, forcing myself to focus, my instincts screaming at me to move, fight, kill.

Through the haze, a familiar voice sneers, “You didn’t think I’d let you walk away from this, did you, Mikhail?”

Evans.

That smug bastard.

Lila gasps, her voice breaking. “Dad, don’t?—”

He grabs her by the arm, yanking her away from me.

My rage ignites, sharp and deadly, cutting through the dizziness.

He put his hands on her.

I push off the floor, shaking the fog from my mind, but a boot slams into my ribs, sending a white-hot spike of pain through my side.

Evans crouches beside me, grinning. “You were always too arrogant to see it, weren’t you?”

I spit blood onto the concrete, lifting my gaze to his. I force myself upright, my ribs aching from the blow, but I don’t break eye contact with Evans.

He holds the gun casually in front of my face.

Lila struggles in his grip, her face twisted in panic.

“Let her go,” I growl, my voice rough.

Evans chuckles. “You still think you’re in control here, boy?” He jerks Lila closer, his fingers digging into her arm.

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