Page 39 of Kept By the Bratva

Over my dead body.

“You done wasting our time here?” Dmitri sneered.

“You tell your brother.” The leader focused on me. “You explain this to him. Your Bratva is weak, going through a change of power, but Diego will not wait. He will not stop until he has what he’s bought.”

If I hadn’t seen the fear and respect all these violent men had for that old creep, I wouldn’t have believed this power play. I knew not to take this man’s warnings lightly. They had an entire organization to run, but Diego posed a threat severe enough that they were worried.

My worry for Amy skyrocketed, but with it, my anger burned hotter and fiercer.

There was no fucking way on earth Diego was getting Amy. I didn’t care how much he’d paid for her. She would not end up as his possession.

I didn’t have a chance to explain that to the Cartel members within this room. Gunfire peppered through the silence, coming nearer and nearer until the metal door was kicked in.

Valkov men swept into the room, firing at the Cartel members.

The leader hid behind his men, sneaking away, and I knew Ivan would be livid that one escaped.

“Hurry,” he told me and Dmitri as more Valkov soldiers cut the ropes at our hands. Once we were free, he handed us both guns, and we ran out of there.

I wasn’t shocked that he’d found us. We both had trackers on us, small devices that Alek had all five of us wear just in case. Only the six of us—Mila included—knew of the locating software. It was only a matter of time until he’d come for us. Ivan was at the Harrow’s fire, and when Dmitri and I were taken, he’d probably arranged a team to chase after us and get us out.

He didn’t need to urge me to hurry. I knew I had togo. Limping and running, I fled the building and joined the Valkov forces rushing toward the cars. I threw myself into the car with Ivan, yelling at him to step on it. Dmitri climbed into the back.

“Nik.” Dmitri groaned as he shifted in the backseat. “They were talking about the one?—”

“I know!” I shouted back at him.

“—the one you took. Where did you stash her?” Dmitri asked.

“I—Don’t worry about it.”

Dmitri smashed his hand to the back of the headrest, sending me forward. “Don’t worry? Fuck that.”

“I’ll explain.”

“Where is she?” Dmitri asked.

I wouldn’t say. He couldnotbe thinking about giving her over. “I said I’ll fucking explain. She’s at the mansion. Safe. In my protection and custody.”

He snorted. “Don’t try to tell me to keep this from Alek, Nik. I won’t.”

I glowered out the windshield. “I don’t expect you to. Tell him.” In fact, that was better. Dmitri could start explaining to Alek while I went to my wing and found her. I had to see her.Now. “Fucking go, Ivan!” I yelled, angry that the drive was taking so long.

“We’re going.” He scowled at me, breathing hard from the exertion of that run. “Are you shot?”

I shook my head. “They wanted us alive. They have a message for Alek.”

He nodded, grim-faced and speeding home. “What do they want?”

Even though I would need to report to Alek, I could tell my brother here in the car. We didn’t hide intel from each other. We operated with Alek as ourPakhan, but we were always a team, just like our father would have wanted.

Dmitri scoffed. “Simple. One of the women from the warehouse was already bought. And they want her back.”

I shook my head.They can’t have her. Diego will never have her.“I…”

“Breathe, Brother. Breathe.” Ivan shrugged out of his jacket as he drove, tossing it to me to compress the bleeding at the gash on my head.

I couldn’t. I felt like I wouldn’t drag in enough air to fuel my lungs until I saw Amy again. Only once I saw her and held her in my arms would I be able to reset my brain from this stark panic. The idea of losing her was terrible, but the thought of that sick fucker getting her was abominable.