Page 45 of Mission Shift

Because of me.

Her gaze kept darting to where I was struggling, disrupting her focus. And every time she glanced my way, another fist connected or another boot plowed into her.

Guilt lodged deep in my chest, sharp as a knife.

I was a fucking distraction. I was making this worse for her.

A man twice her size rammed the butt of his rifle into her stomach. She staggered, but she didn’t fall. God, she was tough. She swung out an arm, slamming her elbow into his throat, but another man was already on her, kicking her knee out from under her. She hit the ground hard, gritting her teeth as she tried to push herself up.

All the while, I fought like hell, trying to break free, but the bastards dragging me toward the SUV were well trained. A knee drove into my gut. An elbow cracked against my jaw. My ears rang as they pinned my arms behind me, hauling me backward.

“Daria!”

She turned just as the butt of a rifle came down on the back of her head.

She crumpled.

Something inside me snapped.

I lost it.

A raw, feral rage tore through me, and suddenly, I was throwing my entire body forward, breaking free from the grip of the men holding me. A hand snatched at the rucksack, ripping it clean off my shoulders, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop.

Daria’s body was limp, her blonde hair shimmering in the sun as they lifted her like she weighed nothing and shoved her into the SUV.

“NO!”

I sprinted toward them, ignoring the sharp crack of gunfire pinging in the dirt by my feet. Ignoring their warning shots, I barreled forward.

The SUV roared to life.

I pushed harder, my legs burning, my heart hammering as the tires spun, kicking up a cloud of dust.

I was too fucking slow.

The SUV tore down the dirt road, taking Daria with it, leaving me with nothing but a mouthful of dust and regret.

Whipping around, I charged straight at the man responsible for her death sentence—Nikolai Volkov.

It was all too clear—he’d orchestrated a trade, me for her. I didn’t know how he’d found me, but this outcome was unacceptable.

“You arrogant motherfucker!” My fist was already cocked back.

Nik’s men reacted instantly, stepping in, blocking me, but I didn’t care.

“You absolute fucking idiot!” I roared, dragging his lackeys along with me as I continued propelling myself toward him. “You never think about the consequences, do you? You never think about what your actions cost other people!”

Nik was eerily calm, brushing dirt off his shirt like none of this mattered.

I lunged forward, yanking free from the men who were trying to hold me back. “She was one of Ukraine’s greatest fucking assets, and you just got her killed!”

Nik’s expression darkened, something flickering in his icy blue eyes, but I didn’t stop.

“You react without thinking! Reckless! Careless! You assume because you’re fucking mafia, part of the Volkovi Notchi, you can do whatever the fuck you want, without caring about the fallout! You don’t give a shit about who pays the price for your goddamn impulsiveness!”

His jaw twitched, his stance shifting slightly, but he still didn’t respond.

“She was a double agent, you stupid son of a bitch! She was feeding intel to Ukrainian officials!Russian battle plans, weak points, positions.She was saving lives! She’s a fucking hero!”

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