Page 82 of Season of Wrath

It’s come down to a violent showdown, one I’ve spent years desperately hoping to avoid. I know we will lose good men over it and we could far more easily end up in jail for our crimes if this becomes a bloodbath. But I’ll accept whatever fate awaits me as long as Heidi makes it out alive.

The tires of my car screech in protest as I pull into the casino’s parking lot. My hands shake with unbridled fury as I yank the keys from the ignition and jump out of the vehicle. There’s no time to waste, no room for hesitation. Every second counts.

As soon as I close my car door, I’m surrounded by a group of armed men, Aleksandr’s men. Their faces are masked with a brutal stoicism, their presence a tangible reminder of the gravity of the situation.

Silently, one man steps forward to warily pat me down, checking to ensure I came unarmed before they escort me through the ruined casino’s front doors at gunpoint. The tension in the air is suffocating, an invisible vise that constricts my chest and squeezes my heart.

Still, I feel a sense of pride at seeing the level of destruction we wrought on Aleksandr’s favorite cash cow. The Starlight Lounge is little more than a ruin now, a scorched shell containing graveyards of melted slot machines and broken card tables. It’s amazing what a little accelerant and a flame thrower can do.

By the time the police arrived, and the fire engine, there was little they could do.

Aleksandr’s men lead me down winding corridors, past the ash-covered slot machines and the scorched roulette tables, toward the epicenter of the casino. My pulse quickens with every step, knowing that Heidi’s life hangs in the balance, her fate determined by the relentless march of time.

As we approach the room where Aleksandr is holding her, I can hear his voice dripping with sadistic delight. My blood runs cold as he taunts her, seeming to savor her fear.

“Well, my dear, it seems you might be right after all. Maksim must not love you because it’s been an hour and he’s not here. Which means you’re out of time.”

“Wait, wait!” she cries. “If I mean so little to him, why do you need to kill me? Couldn’t you just let me go?”

Aleksandr laughs cruelly. “And miss the opportunity to hang your mangled corpse in the lobby of his new hotel? I don’t think so. Even if he doesn’t care enough to try and save you, I’m sure he won’t like your dead body frightening off his guests.”

“Please don’t,” Heidi sobs, her voice growing frantic.

My stomach drops, and I move more urgently toward the door at the sound of Heidi’s terrified plea.

But Aleksandr sounds completely unaffected as he delivers a horrifying ultimatum. “Would you rather I shoot you or your daughter first?”

I barely have time to process his question before Heidi’s horrible choking sob drives me into desperation.

“No,please,” she begs, the panic in her voice piercing through me.

The urgency of the situation grows unbearable, and true fear surges through me.What if I’m just seconds too late?I can’t stand the thought. I can’t fail Heidi, not now, not ever.

Panicking, I shove my way past the guards surrounding me and burst into the room. “I’m here,” I growl, drawing all eyes to me in an instant. “You can aim the gun at me, Aleksandr, where that bullet belongs.”

A malevolent smile plays across Aleksandr’s lips as he turns to face me, his finger still poised on the trigger.

And because I can’t help myself, I spare a glance toward Heidi. The scene that greets me is one of pure horror. Her face is streaked with tears, and I can see the start of a purple bruise coloring one cheekbone. She stands trembling with little Sarah, the innocent child I met at Heidi’s office yesterday, clinging to her, eyes wide with terror.

Why would Sarah be with Heidi?

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I register the fact that Aleksandr called the little girl Heidi’s daughter. A horrible, sinking feeling settles in my gut. But I don’t have time to process that now.

“Ah, Maksim,” Aleksandr purrs, his gaze icy as my eyes shift to look at him once more. “You finally decided to show up. I thought you might not come after all.”

The room feels like it’s closing in on me, like the walls are moving in, slowly squeezing the life out of us all. Every instinct in my body screams for me to act, to protect Heidi and her daughter at any cost. But I keep my hands visible, my palms open in a sign of surrender, even as my heart races.

What I need is to stall until I find an opening.

“Well, I did come,” I reply, my voice steady, though the turmoil inside me threatens to explode. “Let them go, Aleksandr. You have me. You’ve won.”

Heidi’s round hazel eyes lock onto mine, gratitude and fear mingling in their depths. The room is charged with tension, the silence as heavy as death. I’ve put my life on the line, offered myself up as the ultimate pawn in this twisted game, all for her sake. And I can only pray that my plan works.

Then Aleksandr’s smile widens, revealing the predator within. He’s a man who revels in his power. He flaunts it and soaks up the fear that his reign of terror creates. There won’t be a way out of this one.

Not for all of us, anyway.

39

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