Page 83 of Dark Desires
I sit up slowly, wincing as pain shoots through my back and head. My apartment looks like a damn war zone. The early morning wind howls through the shattered glass from the balcony door, rattling what’s left of my living room.
I step into the elevator, briefly wondering how in the hell they got into my apartment in the first place. I punch the button to the roof and step out onto the pad. The horizon glows with the first rays of sunrise. My fists clench as rage fills me.
I failed her. I failedthem.
I go back down to the wreck of my apartment.
I don’t have time to dwell on my failure. The soft ding of the elevator pulls me back to the present. My gun’s in my hand before I even think about it, aimed at the door.
The adrenaline surges again.
The doors slide open, and relief hits me as I see who steps out: Lev, Luk, Yuri, and Grigori. Their eyes sweep over the wreckage.
“Holy hell,” Lev says. “Elena’s alarm system pinged us about a break-in. We came as soon as we could.”
I lower my weapon. “He took her.”
“Who?” Luk asks.
“De la Rosa.” My grip tightens on the gun as I fight to keep control. “He took Isabella.”
Yuri curses under his breath, and Grigori’s face darkens.
“And the cops,” Grigori says. “We saw them downstairs. We barely beat them to the elevator.”
“Cops?” I ask.
Grigori nods. “Agent Patterson and Detective Barnes, along with a small team of officers, are in the lobby. I’m guessing they’re here for you—or this.”
He gestures to the destruction around us.
The rage boiling in my chest is almost unbearable. I slam my fist against the wall.
“The war isn’t coming. It’s here.”
Luk steps closer. “We’ll handle the cops. You focus. Where would De la Rosa take her?”
I shake my head, trying to force my brain to work through the haze of anger and pain. “He has connections everywhere. His compounds are scattered. We need intel.”
Grigori steps forward. “And we need it fast. If he took her, it’s not just personal—it’s leverage. He knows how important she is to you.”
“I take it you figured it out by now,” I mutter.
“Notice how none of us asked what Isabella was doing here in the first place,” Luk shoots back with a wink.
Important doesn’t even begin to cover it. She’s carrying my child. My fists tighten. De la Rosa crossed a line he can’t uncross.
“We can deal with Patterson and Barnes,” Yuri says. “You need to get your head straight and plan your next move.”
I nod. “We’re not waiting for their permission to act. The Feds want to play their game, let them. We’ll play ours.”
Lev smirks grimly. “Damn straight.”
The grim truth settles over all of us. This is the beginning of an all-out war.
And De la Rosa made the mistake of making it personal.
The elevator dings again, and I turn my attention to the doors. Patterson strides out with Barnes on her heels, followed by a small squad of uniformed cops. Their boots crunch over the shattered glass.
