Page 63 of Innocently Captured By the Bratva

In typical narcissist fashion, Charlie doesn’t even bother looking in the direction of the bodyguards. In the direction of where I stand.

The bodyguards and I spread out across the room, allowing us to move as we wish without being noticed. I scan the room, and my heart nearly stops when I finally catch sight of Quinn. She's tied to a chair, her head drooping to the side, her once vibrant strawberry-blonde hair matted with blood. Even from a distance, I can see the bruises marring her delicate skin, and a white-hot rage surges through my veins.

I want to rush to her, to gather her in my arms and shield her from any further harm. But I force myself to remain still, my muscles coiled with tension. I can't risk making a move, not yet, not when Charlie's men are watching my every breath.

Quinn stirs, her green eyes fluttering open, and for a moment, our gazes lock. In that brief exchange, I try to convey everything I can't say aloud—my love, my determination, my promise to get her out of this hell.

She blinks, a flicker of recognition and hope dancing across her face before she slumps forward once again, her energy depleted.

I turn my attention back to Charlie's men, my mind racing with possible scenarios. I know we are outnumbered andoutgunned, but I refuse to let that stop me. Quinn's life hangs in the balance, and I'll be damned if I let her slip away.

“Charlie,” I hear Gavril speak first. “We hear you crossed the Zolotovs. Let the girl go.”

I watch as Charlie's face twists in anger, his eyes darting toward Quinn, who is bound in the corner. His cousins follow his gaze, and I watch as they recoil in horror at her condition.

I can see the panic flicker in Charlie’s expression before he puts on a mask of false bravado. He’s nervous that his cousins have found out, that they might not agree with his actions. Good.

“It's none of your business, Gavril. This is between me and Mark,” Charlie sneers, his voice dripping with arrogance.

But I can see the fear lurking behind his bravado, the way his eyes keep darting towards the exit. He knows he's trapped, cornered by a group he never expected to turn against him.

As Gavril and Maksim buy time, asking Charlie about his motivations for taking such an unnecessary step, the guards and I quickly pull out our silent dart guns. By my calculations, Charlie and his guards total ten. Maksim, Gavril, and we bodyguards add up to six. Each of our guns carries six needles that deliver instant unconsciousness to those shot.

I nod at the men, and we each take aim.

“Three, two, one,” I scream, and the darts fly. Six guards fall to the ground, their bodies thumping.

Now that’s what I call the element of surprise.

“What the hell?” Charlie screams.

Chaos erupts among the three remaining bodyguards as they draw their guns. I make my move, my body surging forward with a burst of adrenaline. I slam my elbow into the nearestguard's face, feeling the satisfying crunch of bone beneath my strike. He crumples to the ground, but I don't have time to savor the victory.

“Him!” Charlie points in my direction, realizing who I am and that his cousins plotted against him. The remaining two men rush towards me, their shouts echoing off the concrete walls.

I dodge a fist aimed at my head, retaliating with a swift kick to my attacker's knee. He howls in pain, but I'm already moving, my eyes locked on Quinn's tired form. I have to reach her to get her out of this nightmare.

I'm a whirlwind of motion, my fists and feet striking with deadly precision. The bodyguards join in, and together, we bring down the remaining three guards by darting them with the drug.

Good. They’ll all be out for the next hour.

As I finally leap over two fallen bodies and rush toward Quinn, I hear a slow clap echoing through the room. I turn to see Charlie stepping out from the shadows behind Quinn’s chair, a twisted grin on his face.

“Bravo, Mark,” he sneers, his eyes glinting with malice. “I must say, I'm impressed. But you didn't really think it would be that easy, did you?”

I clench my fists, my body trembling with barely contained rage. “Let her go, Charlie. This is between you and me.”

He throws his head back and laughs, the sound chilling me to the bone. “Oh, but where's the fun in that? You see, I've been waiting a long time for this moment. To see the great Mark Zolotov brought to his knees.”

He pulls out a gun and points it directly at Quinn’s head.

“Come on now, Charlie,” Maksim tries to interfere. “Don’t do anything stupid now, will you?”

I take a step forward, my voice low and dangerous. “If you hurt her, I swear to God, I'll—”

“You'll what?” Charlie cuts me off, his tone mocking. “You'll kill me? Go ahead, try. But know this: if I die, she dies with me.”

My heart clenches at his words, and I feel the true depth of his madness hit me like a physical blow. I know he's not bluffing. Charlie is a man with nothing left to lose, and that makes him all the more dangerous.

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