Page 64 of His Hold

“Basement. Locked up. I’ll take you.”

“Lead,” I order, jerking my head.

We pull up to Roman’s hideout, a beat-up warehouse reeking of grease and decay. He points to a trapdoor inside, and I kick it wide, dropping down. Fortunately, unlike the outside of the building, inside here is actually inhabitable. He provided her with basic human conditions and from the environment, you can tell this place is cleaned regularly.

Irina’s there, chained to a bed, and her eyes flick to mine with curiosity.

“You’re Katya’s sister,” I say, smashing the lock with my gun. “I’m getting you out.”

She nods, shaky, and I pull her up. We climb out, the kid tagging along, and I shove him toward the trees. “Run. Don’t look back.”

He scrambles off, and I half-drag Irina to my car, the warehouse crumbling in flames behind us.

I direct one of my men to take her home.

The heat warms my back as I head toward where Pavel waits with the second escape vehicle. Roman Druzhinin is no longer a threat, and I have successfully gotten Katya's sister back. Now we just need to deal with the mole.

My phone buzzes with a message from Kirill: “Is it done?”

I stare at the screen, thinking of all the ways he betrayed me. Sold me out to Roman. Left me and my men to die in an ambush. The pieces fell into place during the fight because, even though I didn’t tell him, only Kirill would have been able to find out and know our exact position and timing.

I type back: “It’s done. Roman won’t be a problem anymore. I’ve avenged Alina as promised.”

Three dots appear as Kirill types his response: “Good. Thank you for your service again, Nikolai. We will discuss it when I get back.”

“Can’t see you just yet, I’m afraid,” I reply. “Need to tie up one loose end first.”

“What loose end?”

My fingers hover over the screen. “The one hiding in that safehouse on 27th Street. The one who thought I wouldn’t find out who tipped Roman off.”

No response for thirty seconds. Then: “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Check the basement window. You might want to run.”

I switch to my conversation with Rurik and type two words: “Set it off.”

The reply comes ten seconds later: “Done.”

Pavel glances at me from the driver’s seat. “All good?”

I nod, picturing Kirill’s face as he reads my text. The panic. The realization. The desperate scramble will come too late. My lips curve up when I picture the building exploding. I want his last thought to be of betrayal.

“Rurik confirms it’s handled,” I say.

“So that’s it? Roman and Kirill both gone?” Pavel asks, pulling onto the main road.

“Two rivals who destroyed each other. That’s how everyone will see it.” I pocket my phone, feeling lighter than I have in years. “The power vacuum will need filling.”

“By you?”

I look out the window at the passing trees. “Maybe. First, I have someone waiting for me.”

The thought of Katya brings the first genuine smile to my face. For the first time, I can offer Katya more than shadows and half-truths. I can offer her a future.

“Take me home,” I tell Pavel.

As we drive away from the chaos I’ve created, I feel no regret. Only certainty. Some men need to fall so others can live in peace.

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