Page 108 of Lethal Alliance

The guard with his back to us has his machine gun pointing directly into their faces.

“Dima!” Vilnus bangs on the door, and the guard turns around. I’m oddly relieved to see it isn’t Alexei Petrovsky. “Get Petrovsky,” Vilnus orders. The man slips through the door, closing it behind him before I have a chance to get inside the room.

“Alexei spent several days getting to know your daughter before I took him off guard duty.” Vilnus is clearly enjoying himself. “He took a great deal of pleasure in cutting that dress away, piece by piece.”

“Keep him talking.”Mak’s voice crackles in my ear. “We still don’t have Fedorov.”

“Fatherhood doesn’t suit you, Vilnus.” My voice is as cold and hard as the concrete walls. Not a chance I’m showing this fucker the barest twitch of emotion. “Does Inger know you’re trading your own daughter for the vault?”

“I should think so. It was her idea.” His smile stretches wider. “And I have plenty of daughters, Borovsky. You’re welcome to that little hellcat. But until that vault is open, both of them stay exactly where they are.”

“That’s not going to work, Orlov. The vault isn’t opening until the girls are safely out of here.”

“No.” Vilnus wags his finger in front of my face. “You can go inside and check the girls yourself, but only briefly. In a moment, my man will bring Petrovsky here. He can look at this imprint of yours. If he agrees it will open the vault, you will be permitted to station one of your own men inside the room with the girls until we open the vault together. When the door is open, and only then, you can leave.”

“Fine.” My mind is racing, but my voice is calm and even. “Open the fucking door.”

He punches in a code, and the door to the girls’ cell clicks as it unlocks.

I step inside.

35

DARYA

It’s just past one in the morning when Bryce knocks on the door.

“Come in!” Rosa and I leap out of our seats as he enters the room. “Is there news?”

He shakes his head. “Not yet, I’m sorry. They’ve made it to the compound and gone inside. That’s all I know. It’s something else.”

“What?” We both sink back into our chairs. My heart is thudding.

“It’s Inger. She’s at the front gate.”

I stare at him in surprise. It’s the last thing I expected.

“She’s not in a good state.” Bryce’s face is hard. “She’s barely conscious. She’s been badly beaten.”

“Then she needs a hospital.” I fold my arms across my belly. I don’t care about Inger right now.

“I agree.” He looks uncomfortable. “But she’s insisting on talking to you. She said the girls’ lives depend on it. I’d call Roman, but—”

“No, no. They’re in the middle of it all. We can handle this.” I tap the chair arm. “Get her on the phone. But she doesn’t come through that gate, Bryce. And when she goes to the hospital, she stays under guard at all times.”

He punches a number into his phone, and someone answers at the other end. “Put her on the phone,” he snaps, then hands his phone to me.

“Inger,” I say coldly.

“Darya!” Her voice is quavery and weak. “I need to talk to you.”

“Not a fucking chance.” I’m gripping the phone so hard it’s a wonder the screen doesn’t crack. “Say whatever it is you came to say.”

“It’s about Ilyan. Ilyan Fedorov. He’s a friend of Vilnus Orlov.”

“I know who he is.” I cut her off. “I also know you’ve been staying in his house.”

“They took us there. Nikolai and me. I didn’t know... Vilnus said...” Her voice trails off pathetically.

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