Page 39 of Relentless Refuge

“Making an agreement with a captor is a foolish move. You understand….” My eyes are trained on the door even as I hear gunfire in the hallway. If I shoot him, I get my revenge now, but I lose the shield. I can’t hold his body up in front of myself. Everything is about timing now.

My heart is racing. My palms are sweaty. I don’t even know if there is a round chambered in this gun, but he’s acting like there’s one in there, and I haven’t removed the safety, but he doesn’t know that. This is a dangerous situation for me, and nowI can’t even think straight. I have too much adrenaline pumping through my veins.

“You’re going to die today,” I tell him, but I’m not sure it’s a good idea. It would take the Bratva a while to find their new leader and recover, but they would come for us all.

“We all die someday, sweetheart.” He doesn't sound convinced that it’s okay, though, and I feel my hand shaking.

“Sir!” I hear from the door, and I swallow hard as his guard spins around the corner and stares at me. His gun is out but not pointed in my direction, and I scream at him to drop his weapon.

“Drop it or you die too!” I push the pistol into Kozlov’s temple and wait, but the guard doesn’t drop his weapon. He instead brings it up on aim and points it at me, but before anything can happen, a loud blast behind him goes off and blood flies from his head, splattering out on the carpet and wall beside him as he drops.

Marco walks into the room followed by Nicolo, Victor, and then Owen. My heart has never felt so much relief in all my days. I stand slowly, but I keep the gun trained on Kozlov.

“I knew you’d get the message,” I breathe, and he walks toward me, but Kozlov senses our distraction, and despite the several guns pointed at him now, he attempts to go for his second gun.

With lightning reflexes, I shift the barrel of the gun to point at his leg and fire one single round, blasting into his thigh. “Don’t do it,” I tell him, and instead of going for his weapon, he grips his leg and screams.

Marco points his gun at the man, and the others swarm him, taking his other gun and giving him a beating he won’t soonforget. They all know that killing him is the worst idea. We want the war to end, not to escalate.

“We have to get out of here. I’m sure they’ve called in reinforcements.” Marco takes my hand and pulls me toward the door.

Everything is rushed, moving faster than I want it to. I want my revenge for my father and brother. I have to fight to not go back and slaughter that man and anyone who comes in my way too. But Marco is right. My pounding heart needs a break from this stress, and I know it’s not good for the baby, either.

He leads me down the hallways and out the back door, past bullet holes in walls and Family members who still stand guard. They retreat after us, running toward the exit and the waiting cars. In the distance, I hear squealing tires and know more Russians are coming in as backup, and we have to get out.

But in the dark alley behind whatever building they’ve been keeping me, I see a body lying in a pool of blood. Marco acts as if we should run right past, but when I get closer, I see that it’s Chase. His breaths come out in gurgling sounds, and I see a hole in his chest and one in his shoulder.

“Come on, he’s gone,” Marco growls, but Chase is struggling to breathe. He’s not dead. And he’s my family. I can’t just leave him.

“No,” I snap, dropping to my knees. My heart is torn in two again. Chase and I grew up together. It doesn’t matter to me that he’s been insubordinate. Love is love, and we were like siblings for so long.

“Chase,” I moan, cradling his head in my lap. He’s so weak he doesn't even reach for me. But his eyes open.

“I’m… sorry,” he chokes out, and even though he’s not dead yet, I know it will come soon. He’s lost too much blood, and the hole in his chest is too large.

“Oh, God, Chase, I’m so sorry.” Tears well up, and I realize how weak I must look to these men who see death all the time, and I don't even care. What is life without someone to miss you when you finally die? “I’ll find who did this, and I’ll kill them.”

“Lead…” he says, and then his final breath pushes out blood and water. His eyes shut, and he goes limp.

“We have to get out of here now!” Marco orders, and he grabs me under the arms and hauls me to my feet. I glance one more time back at my cousin as Owen and Victor hoist him off the ground, and then I climb into Marco’s car.

They rescued me, but not without casualties. Today is a bittersweet day, even as Marco grips my knee and says, “You’re having my heir?” And my heart floods with so many emotions, I can’t contain them. They drip from my cheeks and chin and I burrow into his chest. Finally safe.

29

MARCO

Isabella curls into my side the entire drive home. I can’t let her go. She’s trembling and crying, and for the first time since I met her, I see a frail woman who needs her husband to support her and hold her together. She’s allowing me this intimacy in the aftermath of such a horrific event, but I know come tomorrow, she will glue herself back together and be the warrior she’s displayed herself as for the past few months. Everyone breaks sometimes—even me—though even in this, she does it so gracefully, the world pauses to take a breath and grieve with her.

Victor drives us from the restaurant where they took her back to my house. I’m not sure how to articulate what I’m feeling—fear may be mingled with anger over what’s happened and coupled with a strong need to ensure this never happens again. All of these sensations are new to me. Before meeting Isabella, the only thing I had on my mind was business and how to succeed. I hadn’t a care in the world for anything other than money and keeping my Family in line.

Now, I find my singular focus is her. Is she happy? Is she upset? How does she feel knowing the life inside her womb is going to grow into the head of our Family? Why hasn’t she told me yet? I have a million questions, but now isn’t the time. I have to get her home and help her feel safe again.

“You’re safe now,cara mia,” I whisper as I rub her shoulder and pull her into my chest. Her soft cries lessen to sniffles, and she clings to me. Her quick thinking on that call to alert us to her situation was genius, and the way she sent the message to her cousin so that it wasn’t detected by her captors was even smarter.

“I’m sorry…” she mutters, and I pull her back and look into her eyes. She’s frightened, but ashamed, too.

“Sorry for what, Bella? I’m the one who’s sorry. I should have been open with you about the risk. I take the blame. If you had known, you’d have stayed put.” I kiss her forehead and hug her again, grateful she’s alive and their plans for her weren’t as nefarious as we'd feared.

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