Page 102 of City of Salvation

“She doesn’t fucking know this is all a plan,” I roared, slamming my fists down on the counter, splitting the skin on my knuckles. The pain helped keep my head clear.

Niko was the one to speak this time, his large hand landing on my shoulder.

For a big fucker, he sure was silent when he moved.

“It was the only way. I know Yuri well, my family reported to him. If he sensed at all that her reaction was disingenuous, he’d put a bullet in her brain right there.” I opened my mouth to protest, but he ignored me and continued. “And there was no way we were going to get anywhere near him otherwise. The man has no moral code. He would have sent man after man to get her back, killed without discrimination. Your entire MC brotherhood would have been wiped out,” he said, his face showing no sign of deceit.

In for four, out for four.

In for four, out for four.

Numbness slipped over me, my heart rate back under control. This was who Nikki needed, the collected killer who knew how to handle the stress of a dire situation. I wouldn’t succumb to my emotions the way I had with Kell.

I’d save Nikki.

“Okay,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest and widening my stance. “What’s the plan?”

Gunner slid next to me, adopting the same stance, and warmth bloomed in my chest for the asshole. Brothers through and through—regardless of when we fought or fucked up, we’d always have each other’s backs.

“Andrei is bringing her to Yuri under the guise of betraying her. He said he’d try his best to give her clues that this was all a plan, but he can’t be too obvious and risk her not reacting. She’s got a tracker on her, so we can see where Yuri takes her. From there, we ambush the place,” Scar said.

My dislike for Andrei took on a new life. “What’s he getting out of this?” I bit out. There was no way the plan was as simple as that, not that it really was simple. We’d have to pose an attack on enemy territory with very little planning and even less intel.

Scar shrugged a shoulder. “Who knows? He said he had something to ask of Yuri that was believable enough to make the Bratva leader think Andrei really was turning her in. Which he is—Yuri doesn’t know about the double cross.”

Gunner spoke this time, his voice curt. “You didn’t ask him what he wanted from this?”

Caleb stepped forward, his usual pissed-off look even more prominent. “Listen, law enforcement,” he spat. “Welcome to the big leagues. We don’t give a shit what he’s getting out of this as long as we get ours. That’s how it works here. We stay out of people’s shit.”

Scar grinned like the cat that ate the canary. “Or you at least let them think you’re staying out of their shit until you need to step in.” The grin slipped slightly. “But as it turns out, Andrei has quite a bit more power than we knew about. In this case, it’s better to be a friend than a foe.” She looked at her wristwatch before pulling her phone out and typing something.

My phone vibrated, my heart doing a flip when a pin drop came through. “Nikki sent me her location,” I said, laying my phone down on the counter.

“She sent it a while ago,” Scar said offhandedly, her attentionstill on her phone. “I just unjammed her phone, so anything she tried to send is just now coming through.”

“How the hell do you even have that kind of pull?” Gunner asked.

“I stopped asking a long time ago. She won’t answer,” Ryan commented, not sounding the least bit concerned about the situation.

Ryan’s reaction actually helped me tamp down my anger toward Scar. If she was willing to trust these four, I would too. Truth was, Scar was probably the reason Nikki was going to live, because she was willing to act without emotions clouding her judgment.

“Nikki’s on the move. Andrei has already made the trade.” Scar looked up at us. “He says he left about five minutes ago. Niko.”

The giant of a man placed a massive duffle bag I’d missed onto the counter, pulling out three ballistic vests and enough firearms to make me come.

“Close your mouth, Dex. You’re drooling,” Gunner joked weakly as he reached for a rifle.

“Put them on and pick your poison,” Scar said.

Ryan smirked. “Well, well, well, don’t these look familiar.”

“I’ve got a good source. She can be a bitch, though.”

Niko tossed a vest over to Ryan, who was flipping off Scar.

“I’ve narrowed down where they’re going to two potential locations. Both are shit, but we’ll make due,” he said.

“Warehouse,” Scar called out, focusing back on her phone. “They’re making their way toward the warehouse.”

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