Page 75 of Hostage of the Russian
“I’m collecting on a debt, sweetheart.” He pulled up another chair, sitting close enough that she could smell the stale cigarettes on his breath. “Your husband tried to kill me. Put abullet in my shoulder, left me to bleed out in some godforsaken alley. All because I couldn’t pay what I owed.”
“You already paid.” The words came out stronger than she felt. “Through me. That was the deal.”
Danny laughed, the sound echoing off the warehouse walls. “See, that’s where you’re wrong. I paid Kostya back by giving him something valuable. You. But then the bastard got greedy, wanted more than what was owed. Started hunting me like some kind of animal.”
“Because you betrayed him.” Azriel pulled against the restraints, feeling the plastic cut deeper. “You worked with his enemies.”
“I worked with whoever would keep me alive.” Danny’s voice hardened. “Your precious husband doesn’t understand the concept of mercy. He thinks he’s some kind of god, deciding who lives and dies. Well, now he’s going to learn what it feels like to have something taken from him.”
The pieces fell into place with sickening clarity. Her father had orchestrated this whole thing, used her as bait to draw Kostya out. The phone call, the timing, everything had been calculated to cause maximum damage.
“You used me.” The words came out flat, empty of the hurt she’d expected to feel. “Again.”
“I used what I had.” Danny shrugged. “And what I had was a daughter who apparently means something to Kostya Nikolai. Who would have thought? The girl I couldn’t give away if I tried, and she ends up being worth her weight in gold.”
Something cold settled in Azriel’s chest, a numbness that spread outward like frost. This man had never loved her, had never seen her as anything more than a tool to be used. She’dknown it intellectually, had spent years in therapy trying to process it, but hearing him say it so casually was like a knife to whatever small part of her had still hoped.
“He’s going to kill you.” She met his eyes steadily. “When Kostya finds us, he’s going to kill you, and you deserve it.”
Danny’s hand cracked across her face, the sound echoing through the warehouse. Her head snapped to the side, stars exploding behind her eyes, but she didn’t cry out. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
“You always were a mouthy little bitch.” He flexed his fingers, preparing to hit her again. “Maybe I should have done this years ago. Taught you some respect.”
“You tried.” Azriel turned back to face him, tasting blood where her teeth had cut her lip. “But you’re too weak to break me. You always were.”
The rage that flashed across his face was familiar, the same expression that had preceded the worst beatings of her childhood. But this time, she wasn’t a helpless little girl. This time, she could see him for what he really was, a pathetic man who’d never grown beyond his own selfishness.
“You want to know what your husband did to me?” Danny leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “He shot me in the shoulder, then left me to crawl through the mud like an animal. Me. Your own father. But he’s going to pay for that. Through you.”
“He’s not my father.” The words came out with absolute certainty. “A father protects his children. A father loves them. You’re nothing but a stranger who shares my DNA.”
Danny raised his hand again, but before he could strike, a new voice cut through the air.
“Movement on the perimeter. Three vehicles, maybe more.”
One of the men stationed by the windows lowered his binoculars, his face tight with worry. “Black SUVs. Military grade. It’s them.”
Danny smiled, his expression predatory. “Perfect. Right on schedule.” He turned back to Azriel, his eyes gleaming. “Your husband’s here, sweetheart. Time for the real show to begin.”
The warehouse erupted in activity. Men scrambled for positions, checking weapons and setting up defensive positions behind concrete pillars and machinery. Danny produced a pistol from inside his jacket, the metal gleaming dully in the filtered light.
Azriel’s heart hammered as she recognized the orchestrated nature of it all. This wasn’t just revenge, it was a trap. Danny had counted on Kostya coming for her, had planned for it. How many men did he have? How many weapons?
“You’re going to get him killed.” The realization hit her like a physical blow. “This is suicide.”
“Maybe.” Danny checked his clip with practiced ease. “But if I’m going down, I’m taking that bastard with me. And you’re going to watch.”
The first explosion shook the building, and dust rained down from the ceiling. Somewhere in the distance, she could hear the staccato burst of automatic weapons fire. Shouting. Screaming. The sounds of war.
Kostya was here. And he was walking into hell.
“Please.” The word escaped before she could stop it. “Let me go. This is between you and him.”
“No, sweetheart.” Danny grabbed her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. “This is exactly where you need to be. Right in the middle of it all.”
Another explosion, closer this time. The windows along the far wall shattered, sending glass cascading to the floor. Through the jagged openings, she could see muzzle flashes in the growing darkness, brief strobes of light that illuminated running figures.
The battle was moving closer.
