Page 59 of Mission Shift

And the worst part? A part of me wanted to let go.

Wouldn’t it be easier to just…die?

The thought whispered to me, dark and insidious.

I blinked into the darkness of my cell, my gaze sweeping over every inch.

No weapons. No sheets. No clothes.

Nothing to tie myself to, even if I’d had the means.

A dry, humorless chuckle scraped my throat.

Maybe I’ll freeze to death in my sleep.

I doubted I’d get so lucky.

I let out a slow breath, my entire body trembling from something far worse than the cold.

Rage.

White-hot, soul-burning rage.

It curled inside me, dangerous and all-consuming. The kind of anger that shattered restraint.The kind that erased reason. The kind that sought destruction.

If I ever got the chance—if I ever laid eyes on that man again—I would take pleasure in ending him.

And I wouldn’t do it quickly.

No, I’d take my time.

I’d make sure he felt every fucking second of it.

My hands curled into fists, my nails biting into my palms as my body rocked forward and back. Self-soothing. I hadn’t even realized I was doing it.

Count, Daria.

See the numbers in your mind.

One. Two. Three.

Focus on them.

Four. Five. Six.

Let them pull you away.

Escape.

Just escape.

Chapter eighteen

The SUV rolled to a stop in front of the pre-revolutionary building in the heart of Pechersk that Nik called home. The place was a relic of Kyiv’s imperial past, its facade a testament to old-world elegance. Ornate balconies and intricate stonework adorned the yellow and white exterior. It wasn’t the kind of place you would think someone like Nik Volkov lived, and to the untrained eye it looked like any other historic luxury residence.

But if you knew where to look, subtle details told a different story—cameras along the perimeter, facial and retinal scanners beside the doors, men dressed in black observing from a distance.

The eyes behind security cameras followed our every move. Even before we reached the front door, Nik was recognized, and the outer doorway unlocked with a soft mechanical click.

---