Page 117 of Ruthless Reign
Maxim scoffs. “There’s no one left alive to report back to him, but either way, we’re handling it on our end. Don’t worry about what’s happening here. Focus on what you need to.”
Fuck, easier said than done. Maxim doesn’t know everything that’s gone down with Liza and me, and now is not the time to tell him.
“How’s Kira?” I ask.
“She’s out of her mind with worry about Liza. I don’t like it. It’s not good for the baby.”
“Tell her I’m not leaving this island without Liza. I’d die before I let anything happen to her.”
“She knows that. We both do.” There's a heavy silence on the other end of the line. “There’s more to this story, I presume.”
I close my eyes and pace the little stone path in front of the cottage. I don’t know how or what he knows, but when the time is right, I’ll need to fill him in.
“There is,” I admit. “We have a lot to catch up on.”
Maxim clears his throat. “Before I go, what’s the deal with Nikolai Zhukov? Do you trust him?”
I pause, my gaze shifting inside to catch a glimpse of Nikolai setting up some computer monitors with Viktor. “I trust him enough to see this mission through. When this is all said and done, he’ll take his rightful place as the head of the Zhukov Bratva, and he’ll have to decide if he remains our ally or becomes an enemy.”
“If he has half a brain, and it seems he does, he'll stay on our good side,” Maxim points out.
Nikolai is definitely smart, but as far as I can tell, the man is devoid of emotion. Whatever his family history, Nikolai hasn’t shown an ounce of remorse about blowing his brother’s brains out, even though it was deserved.
“I'll let you go. Be smart. Don't let emotion cloud your judgment. You have a job to do.”
My chest tightens with a deep, uneasy pain. This is no routine mission. Today, everything is on the line. If I pull this off, I walk away with the woman I love. But if I fail... Fuck, I can’t even let myself think about that. So I won’t.
I say goodbye to Maxim and stare at the flask in my hand. Vodka is not going to help. At this point, nothing will, except finding Liza and Sofiya safe and sound. I toss the flask aside and head into the cottage.
Nikolai looks up at me, his icy, blue gaze intense. “You came back just in time,” he tells me. “I just messaged Anatoly to let him know I'm on the island.”
“And?” I prompt, just as Sergey’s phone rings in Nikolai's hand.
He smirks. “I guess we’ll find out.” Nikolai puts the phone on speaker and answers.
"Where are you?" Anatoly snaps from the other end.
“Just arrived. Charming little island, isn’t it?” Nikolai alters his voice to be less gravelly, like Sergey’s was.
“We don’t have all day. Hurry the fuck up. We need to get back to Moscow and take out any members of the Belov Syndicate still alive.”
Nikolai sneers. “What, I won’t get the wedding night I was promised with my young bride?”
Anatoly exhales sharply. “You’ll have time to break her in after the ceremony. Just make it quick.”
Disgust rolls through me. He's talking about raping a teenager. He'll definitely be experiencing my drill through his dick for that one.
“Where should I meet you?” Nikolai rasps.
“There's a little chapel on the coast. I'll send you the coordinates. It's surrounded by nothing but cliffs and goats. If your bride gets cold feet, the only escape is a steep drop.”
Nikolai forces a dark laugh. “Perfect.” A ding sounds from his phone, and he swipes a few times. “Got it. I’ll be there in half an hour.”
“Good. Everything’s set. Start without me. I need time alone with my soon-to-be wife first. She spread her legs for another man, and I think she needs a little lesson before she dares wear white in a church.”
That fucking mudak.
Tension locks my jaw, and my hands clench into fists. It’s all I can do not to erupt in a rage. Fuck that. It’s not just his dick that will experience my drill but every orifice in his body.