Page 83 of Masked Seduction
Abram is in kingpin mode, devoid of emotion. “No, Nico. Flavor of the month, like you said. Send her out with the riffraff, and we’ll talk like gentlemen.”
Translation: I’m expendable. His words sting even though I know it’s pure strategy.
Nico sneers, pure shark. “You lie well, Vasiliev, but not well enough.” He switches his gaze to me. “How long have you been fucking your boss, sweetheart? Three weeks? Four? Bet the benefits are great. A bit cliché, isn’t it?”
I offer him my best homicidal glare and say nothing. He laughs like it’s the funniest thing in the world.
Abram counters. “Almost as cliché as the loser son who can’t wait to succeed his father.”
Abram is baiting him. Why? My nerves teeter at the edge of panic. I want to trust he’s got a plan, but the plan looks a lot like lighting a fuse and daring the bomb to blow.
Nico’s grin fractures. He raises the pistol straight at me. I stop breathing. One misstep and we’re both done for.
The man’s eyes glitter. He chuckles as he lowers the gun, then snaps his fingers. Two of his gorillas close ranks and grab my arms.
“Hey!” I jerk hard, digging my heel into his ankle. He growls. He’s as solid as a brick wall.
Abram pivots, driving his fist into the nearest thug’s jaw. I hear a crunch. The guy folds like wet newspaper. The second bodyguard whips a pistol out so fast the muzzle almost hits my temple.
Abram’s voice is lethal. “We don’t involve women or children. You know that. Let her go.”
Nico strolls forward, inspecting me like I’m property. He strokes a knuckle down my cheek. I snap my teeth at him, almost landing it. His laughter is pure malice. Then he slaps me—open-handed and sharp enough to sting my eardrum. Bright stars speckle my vision.
Abram erupts, lunging. Three more men tackle him, pinning his arms. He’s all muscle and fury, but he’s also outnumbered. They hammer their fists into his ribs while Nico watches, delighted.
I scream, my voice cracking, “Stop! Leave him alone!”
Nico lifts a hand. The pummeling ceases, but the look he gives Abram is pure evil. “See,” Nico says, smug. “Negotiation requires leverage, and she,” he flicks the gun barrel my way, “is leverage. You behave, she remains breathing. Simple.”
Abram’s chest heaves. “Touch her again and I’ll carve your heart out.”
Nico beams. “Romantic.” Then he jerks his chin to his men. “Get her out of here.”
The men drag me backward. My heels scramble against the floor, trying to find traction. My mind spins. Abram shouts something in Russian, raw and desperate. I’m able to twist just enough to catch his eyes. Dark blue ice, wide with worry.
“I’ll find you!” he promises. “I swear it.”
I nod as tears blur my view. The love in his stare guts me.
I pass by Nico, his eyes narrowed in my direction as the goons drag me away. He grins.“I’m going to have a lot of fun with you, bella.”
Something about his tone, the way he looks at me causes me to snap. I wrench my arm free and pull it back, slapping him hard across the face. The air is still for a long moment as he faces away from me, his hand on his mouth. Then, he turns slowly. Blood trickles down his chin from where my slap split his lip.
Another grin. He’s amused by it.
I catch a smirk forming on Abram’s face. He’s proud of me.
“You’ll pay for that one,” Nico says, wiping the blood away with his knuckle. “But later. Later.” He nods to his men. “Get her out of here.”
The men comply, grabbing me tighter, making sure I can’t get free this time. I scream bloody hell as they drag me out.
We clear the doorway to the foyer, the marble floor littered with abandoned purses, smashed wineglasses, and shiny silverware. Suddenly, a gunshot pierces the air. Deafening. My stomach drops to the floor.
I have no idea who fired.
“Abram!” My scream is ragged as I fall apart inside.
Pain explodes across the back of my skull. Darkness swallows the glitter of the chandelier, the gleam of the marble floor. I fall, out cold, Abram’s name echoing against the blackness.
