Page 134 of Lies He Told Me (Bratva Crime Syndicate 1)

Another door. I open it, peer inside. Nothing. Just before I turn to resume my search, my phone vibrates. I pull it out.

A text from Maksim, the lieutenant I assigned to follow me in case we needed a quick escape.Spotted Walsh with Joy. Driving away. Hurry.

“Fuck,” I curse again. Time is running out.

34

Gavril

The darkness deepens, until at some point, it breaks. I’ve been sleeping, but am awoken by light.

It’s Ludmil.

“Boss!” he’s whispering.

“How …”

He strides to my side in several fluid steps, crouching to cut my bonds. “We don’t have long. I followed you. I know, I know—yell at me later. Point is, I’m here to get you out of here. Fuck, you don’t look good.”

He eyes me warily, then resumes slicing my restraints free.

I seize his forearm in my weakened grasp. He stops again to look me in the eye soberly.

Even without him saying it, I know. “You didn’t find Joy, did you?”

“No. But Maksim saw Walsh driving away with her.”

I lunge upright. “Headed where?”

“Not sure. Probably driving to that lair of his. The creepy one on the waterfront we’ve tried breaking into a handful of times.”

“You brought the van with our bikes?” I ask him.

He nods.

I clamber up, head for the door without saying another word.

“Where you going?” Ludmil calls after me.

I don’t bother replying. My head is swollen. I’m bleeding. None of that matters.

I have to get her back.

35

Joy

“Only a few more minutes now.” Walsh is looking at me with a slimy smile I wish I could throw out the window and drive a couple times over with a truck.

If only Gavril was here …

Uh, hello—you betrayed Gavril, remember? He’s not coming to save you.

Richard’s free hand sidles over into my lap. I’m still in chains, still woozy. Whatever drug Osip injected me with, it’s the good stuff.

Too bad for that sick fuck Walsh it’s not good enough to avoid me doing this—

I jerk my whole body away, then forward, hitting him in the shoulder. The car swerves.

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