Chapter 245 247

Chapter 245 247
DEMYEN

We make our way across the forklift road toward the darkened section Eva indicated. No one voices any concern, but I won’t be surprised if each of us is wondering if her information is accurate. Or trustworthy.

She may not be Yakuza, but we’re not exactly the Peace Corps.

And yet on we go. Fear fucks up the mind. It pushes us to do stupid shit.

We hear banging. It’s sporadic, with no set pattern, but it sounds like a hollow clang of metal against metal coming from inside one of the containers.

Please, God. No.

Not like this.

I move faster. Pray for another sound to guide us to her, but also pray that whatever I’m hearing has nothing to do with her. That Martin isn’t in the middle of beating her to death.

That I haven’t already lost her.

We round a corner, guns ready. My body smacks into someone else.

Pavel yanks me out of the way seconds before a crowbar would’ve lobbed my head clean off. I duck and ready myself to block it on the follow-up swing… but it never comes.

Because it’s Clara.

She stands there, eyes wide and mouth gaping at me. Her chest heaves with exertion and what is undoubtedly adrenaline, because she’s covered head to toe with blood spray and a smattering of darkening bruises.

“Demyen?”

I grab the crowbar to tug her to me. I don’t care that she tastes like blood—she’s alive, she’s here, and she’s in my arms. I crush her lips with mine and sweep my tongue in a longing, grateful caress along hers because my God, I am so relieved to find her.

Someone clears their throat behind me.

I don’t fucking care. I’ll shoot the next man who tries to interrupt me reuniting with my woman.

Clara clings to me just as tight. She trembles in my arms but I know, somehow I can just feel, it’s not from fear. She’s just as relieved as I am.

I wrench my mouth from hers only so I can kiss her eyes and brow and hold her to my chest like I was so scared I wasn’t going to be able to do it ever again.

“I’m here. I’m here, baby. I’ve got you.”

Whatever she says is muffled against my shirt. I gently ease her back just enough to tip her face up to look at me. My thumbs caress her cheeks as my eyes drink her in, but I’m also checking for any injuries I’ll need to take out on whoever did this to her.

“He’s dead,” she blurts out.

I freeze. “Who?”

“Martin.” The name flies from her lips and her entire body slumps into mine like it’s a weight suddenly thrown from her chest and shoulders. “Martin’s dead. I… I killed him.”

I can tell this is not a proud moment for her. That she’s shaken, that she can’t believe she just killed a man with what I’m guessing is the crowbar she nearly decapitated me with.

So I hold back from letting her know just how fucking proud I am of her.

“Where?” is all I say, and I quickly nod to Pavel and Tolya to go check things out ahead of us when she points at the container two spots away. They dart ahead. I keep her pinned close to my side as we make our way over in their wake.

The door has a few dents where she must’ve wrenched herself free. Pavel eases it open and steps inside.

He whistles low. “Shit. Fuck. I mean… goddamn.”

Clara winces and steps back. I keep her close and kiss the top of her head to reassure her. “It’s okay,” I remind her. “You did what you needed to survive.”

“And then some,” Pavel echoes from inside the container. He can’t see my glare but I’m pretty sure he knows I’m sending him one.

Tolya’s eyebrow hitches with curiosity. He pokes his head around the door but doesn’t step inside. “Holy shit.” He leans back out and gives her a small bow of respect. “Remind me to never, ever get on your bad side. Ever.”

Pavel reemerges from the container and nudges the door close with his foot. “He’s definitely dead. Leave him.”

I hold Clara at arm’s length and scan her body for signs of any major injuries. I want to do a far more thorough search, but we don’t have time. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

She nods. “He tried. I stopped him.”

“Painted the walls with him,” Pavel mutters as he walks by, checking his ammo.

Shouts echo from the other side of the depot. I’m pulled from my relief as I realize we still have to get her out of here—which means there’s still a chance I could lose her. One stray bullet, one rogue shot…

“We gotta go, baby.” I kiss her face and press my spare gun into her hand. “Stay close. Hide when you can. I can’t⁠—”

Clara hushes me with a finger to my lips when she hears my voice catch. “I’m here. I’m with you. I can handle this.”

I kiss her again. If it’s the last kiss we ever share, I want to make it worthwhile.

Tolya clears his throat again and motions for us to get going. Reluctantly, I tear myself away from my fierce and beautiful woman to lead the way back toward the main gates.

But then Clara steps to the side, aims at the lock of a container, and pulls the trigger.

Thank God I still have a silencer on the thing. “Clara!” I hiss as it spits and the lock clangs loudly. “The fuck are you doing?”

She ignores me and swings the crowbar at the decimated lock. It smashes what’s left of it to bits and she yanks the metal door open.

Dozens of terrified eyes stare out at us from the darkness within.

Fuck.

“Go.” I wave my arm, as do Tolya and Pavel, so the women know they can and should absolutely leave their metal prison. “Go. You need to go.”

Clara moves to the next container and repeats the process.

Shoots the lock.

Smashes it open.

Another dozen or so young women pour out, wide-eyed and barely clothed and huddled against each other for comfort and warmth.

We don’t have time for this, but I don’t have the heart to stop her. She’s a woman on a mission and after everything we’ve both endured, I don’t blame her. I glance over at Pavel and see him messaging Mako and the rest of the team. The extraction process needs to start sooner rather than later.

I reach for Clara and pull her to me again once it seems she’s emptied out all the containers holding women hostage.

“Thank you,” she whispers.

I give her a quick nod. I’m still too on edge to delve into the intense feelings she keeps stirring inside me—pride most of all.

The captives quickly obey Tolya’s gesture to follow the shadows toward the outer edge of the depot, where my team awaits to ferry them to safety. I want Clara to go with them, but I don’t want to lose her again. I can’t guarantee she’ll be okay unless she’s next to me.

Hell, even then, nothing is guaranteed.

She sticks to my side, gun in one hand and crowbar in the other. I don’t have time to tell her how fucking incredible she is, or how insanely hot she looks when she’s bracing for battle.

She’s Bratva, through and through. There’s no denying that now.

We round a corner and should be in the clear to make a steady run for the main gates. Just a short sprint until⁠—

Well, perhaps not.

Because just as I get ready to run, I’m met with a barrel aimed at my forehead.

And a shot blasts in my ears.