Page 63 of Lethal Alliance

“Surely he wouldn’t be that stupid?” Dima makes a disgusted sound. “Borovsky will fucking slaughter him.”

“Borovsky will slaughter him regardless.” Alexei’s voice is cold and dispassionate. “Either way, it makes little difference to Orlov. If Borovsky’s dead, he can’t hurt Orlov anyway. If he lives, he might murder Orlov with his bare hands, but he will still be too late to undo the damage Orlov has done to his girls. I know Orlov. I know how the sick fuck thinks.”

“Jesus.” Dima sounds appalled. “What are you going to do?”

“There’s nothing I can do. We have to ride this to the end, or we’re dead men and it’s all been for nothing.” In the dim light, I see Alexei’s grim expression. “I’m likely dead either way. I can’t see Borovsky forgiving the man who took a knife to his only child.”

Dima clicks his tongue. “If it wasn’t for you, she’d have been raped on day one, and you know it. The only reason Orlov’s kept his hands off that girl is because he gets even more of a thrill out of making you cut her.”

“Well, I can’t hold him off much longer. Even his men are starting to eyeball her.” Alexei shakes his head abruptly. “Look, Dima. If this goes down and I take a bullet—”

“You won’t.”

“I fucking might. You know it as well as I do.” Even as a whisper, I can hear the hard note of realism in his voice. “If I do, I need to know you’ll get those girls to safety. Promise me.”

“You know I will, Alexei. You have my word.” The man’s answer comes immediately.

There’s a pause. I barely dare breathe for fear they realize I’m listening. Finally Dima breaks the silence.

“About Ofelia. What will you do if Orlov orders you to...” He leaves the sentence hanging, but I don’t need him to finish it.

“I don’t know.” Alexei’s head drops into his hands, the butt of his rifle rubbing tiredly over his head. “I have no goddamn idea, Dima. I just hope he doesn’t.”

“But that’s the problem, isn’t it?” Dima rubs a hand over his face. “That bastard has been playing his games with you for so long, he knows exactly what buttons to push. Be careful, Alexei. If he gets even the smallest idea how much the thought of raping that girl sickens you, it will be the best fucking game he’s ever played.”

Alexei stands up abruptly. “Don’t you think I know that?” he hisses. “Don’t you think I fuckingknow?”

A long, tense silence ensues. It’s broken in the end when Dima touches Alexei’s shoulder briefly. “We’ll be ready, brother. You have my word.”

He leaves the room, and I lie on the floor, my heart thudding, listening to Alexei’s uncharacteristically harsh breathing.

It’s all I can do to stop myself from crossing the room to offer him what little comfort I can.

The utter irony in feeling the urge to comfort my possible future rapist is not lost on me at all.

Nor is the fact that instead of feeling horror at the thought of Alexei taking my body, I feel a strange, uneasy excitement.

I shiver beneath the thin blanket and wonder what the hell is wrong with me.

20

ROMAN

By the time we leave the lab, shock has solidified into an ice-cold killing fury that consumes every cell of my body.

I sent Dimitry to the warehouse to speak to Nikolai. At this stage, I’ll take any information I can get, even if it comes from that little fuck. I need some space.

From Dimitry. From the tech kids. From Mickey’s devastated eyes.

I don’t need anyone telling me just how bad this is.

Darya is silent in the passenger seat. The dark horror in her eyes only makes it worse. I’m not sure what broke her more: seeing the girls in that place, the fact that it’s her brother who is standing guard over them, or the brightly colored Orlov tattoo on Alexei’s hand.

I know she wanted to believe that Alexei is an ally. That he used that code knowing she would crack it.

Maybe part of her still wants to believe that.

I don’t share her faith.

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