Page 24 of Wyatt

Taking a terribly large piece of his heart with him. A loss he was still trying to figure out, not to mention cope with.

Shoot, he had vowed to himself he’d never be in this place again. Caring about someone, worrying about them, fearing someone like Gustov might hurt them.

Admittedly, it had him off-balance. Which was why, probably, he hadn’t heard Slava and Vasily get the drop on him in his safe house.

The same safe house where York had kept RJ for a week while he was trying to figure out how to save her life.

A big part of him regretted not going with RJ when she’d begged him to leave the country with her. Shoot, what was his problem—

Oh wait.

Anger.

Revenge.

Justice.

Protection.

Yeah, all very good reasons to stick around and make sure Gustov was out of the game, for good.

Then maybe he could go back to being the guy he’d always thought he’d be. The son of missionary parents. The good guy.

Except, there was that small issue with the CIA. But he’d have to face it sometime.

Until then…

“Let’s get this over, huh?” He glanced down at Slava’s foot, back at the guy, then up at the pipe above him, maybe two feet.

Vasily frowned.

Slava rose, as if to kick out the chair. Or at least threaten him.

York was tired of being threatened. Of feeling helpless, of only getting to fight back.

Now.

He leaped from the chair, both wrists finally free, and wrapped his arms around the pipe overhead, kicking away the chair.

Slava fell forward, and York grabbed him around the neck with his legs. He ripped the rope over his head, pulling himself free.

Then he dropped, slamming his fist into Vasily’s already jacksaw nose on the way down.

Vasily roared. Yeah, it hurt, didn’t it?

He landed hard with his knee in Slava’s face, turned and sent his fist into his chest, right below the sternum where he could empty Slava’s breath.

Then York turned to the raging bull.

Vasily roared, launching at him. He slammed York back, onto the grimy cement floor, and for a second, York’s head spun, the hit so hard it felt like it had turned his bones to dust.

He managed to get an arm up to protect his head from Vasily’s fists and in the meantime, lifted the knife from Vasily’s belt.

Yeah, he’d seen that, and since Vasily wasn’t using it…

Two quick stabs to the kidneys and Vasily howled, jerking back.

He ended it fast, with the knife to the man’s jugular, then pushed him away.

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