Page 136 of Nocturne

“If you do, we will come after your kid.”

Anger. Pure, unadulterated rage fills my veins at the open threat. When I turn back, it is to pin the man who is clad in black—all of them are—but the others stand behind him. I suppose he is the leader, and he is the same one who openly threatened my kid.Mykid.

“I dare you to try.” I hiss.

There is a reason I was able to escape the clutches of the vilest man. There is a reason why I was able to run away from his guards: trained with brutality and trained not to experience pain. All those months in captivity have turned me into something I don’t recognise anymore. The torture bore witness to the depravity, and after killing many innocent women, a switch was flipped.

It took time, but when it did, a darkness enveloped my whole being. A certain darkness that transformed me into a violent person. A violent person who single-handedly killed four of Vir’s best men. The same darkness I’ve carefully tucked into a corner because the cost of unleashing it came with a price I cannot pay.

But now, it doesn’t need anyone’s permission to break free of its reins. I don’t make an effort to pull it back. If he thinks he can get to my kid, he is in for a rude awakening.

“Fiery little thing, aren’t we.” His nasal voice mocks.

I note that there are, in total, six men, not five. A bald man is in the shadows, leaning on the railing of my staircase, observing. He stands at the side as if he is not a part of the group. The leader goes to lean on the kitchen counter, crossing his hands over his chest, his eyes studying Yuri, me and his dead man beside our feet.

“Get her.” He commands.

The tension in the room is suffocating, the air thick with the threat of violence. I can barely breathe as the men step forward, closing in on Yuri. He keeps me behind him, his body a shield, every muscle tensed and coiled like a spring ready to snap.

Two men charge, but Yuri is faster, his movements sharp and calculated, every strike precise. He’s a master, no doubt. But he’s outnumbered. I watch, helpless, as one of the men lunges for Yuri’s phone, ripping it from his pocket. My heart skips a beat. That’s all it takes. The distraction is enough for the man to land a punch to Yuri’s side.

Yuri grunts but doesn’t falter. He counters with a crushing elbow to the man’s ribs, sending him sprawling. But the second attacker is already there, going for Yuri’s arm, locking it ina painful twist that forces a sickening crack to echo through the room. Yuri’s breath hisses between his teeth, but he fights through it, never once allowing his eyes to stray from the group.

He’s bleeding now, his shirt torn, and his hand hanging limply at his side. But he doesn’t give up.

I instinctively reach for my phone in my purse. My fingers are trembling as I dial Zagan’s number, desperate to reach him. But before the call can go through, a hand grips my hair, pulling me back with a brutal yank. I gasp, pain flashing across my scalp as I’m yanked away from the safety of Yuri’s back.

“Let her go!” Yuri roars, his voice thick with fury.

But there’s no stopping the man who drags me away, forcing me to stumble. I see Yuri fight with everything he has, twisting and turning, but his hand is useless now, broken. Blood slicks his skin as he draws his knife with his good hand, brandishing it with deadly intent.

He’s relentless. Each movement is filled with desperation and precision. And he’s winning. The two men step back, wary of the blade in Yuri’s hand, eyes flicking to each other, assessing the risk. But then, just as Yuri raises his knife for another strike, the bald man steps forward.

He’s bigger, stronger. He pushes the other two men aside with a single swipe of his hand, taking their place in front of Yuri. His gaze is cold, calculating.

Yuri doesn’t hesitate. He lunges, the knife flashing in the dim light. But the bald man is faster, his hand catching Yuri’s wrist mid-attack, twisting it with brutal force. A sickening crunch reverberates through the room as Yuri’s hand is broken, theknife falling from his grasp. I scream, fighting in the hands of the man who holds me.

Yuri stumbles back, gasping for air, blood dripping from his side. His breath comes in ragged gasps, but he refuses to kneel. Refusing to let them win.

“Yuri, no!” I scream, my heart threatening to tear itself from my chest.

But it’s too late. The bald man moves in, his expression cold and final. With a single fluid motion, he steps forward and drives his fist into Yuri’s chest.

Yuri gasps, his body jerking with the force of the blow. I watch, frozen, as his knees buckle beneath him, his face twisting in pain. And then he crumbles down on the floor.

I try to rush forward, to reach him, but the man still holding my hair tightens his grip, yanking me backwards with a force that leaves me gasping for breath. I can’t focus. My heart is pounding in my ears, my vision blurring with tears.

I know I have to escape. But at this moment, I feel something inside me snap.

I bring my head back with a brutal force that lands its target. I hear the crunch of a bone and a cry of pain before the grip on my hair loosens. I stumble forward, trying to reach Yuri, who lies unmoving on the floor.

No. No, no, no. I see a faint rising in his chest, but I need to make sure he is okay. I need to pull him away from them-

I yelp when a brutal kick lands on my side, sending me flying to the other side of the room. The table goes crashing with me as I skid towards the chair beside the fireplace.

“Fucking bitch.”

The pain barely registers as I try to get up when I see the man with a bleeding nose stalk towards me with murder in his eyes. His legs lift, and this time, I’m able to bring the cushion which flew from the chair between his leg and my stomach before he lands another brutal kick. This one knocks all my breath out of me, leaving me heaving and coughing.

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