Page 68 of Between Us

That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to cash in the favor—Roman didn’t actually think the man had used his many connections out of the goodness of his heart,ifhe even had one. What it meant was that he was going to collect when the right time called for it, and Roman had to deliver, whatever that favor might entail. But he didn’t care and he wasn’t going to think about it now. All that he cared about was getting to Alessandra before it was too late.

As he hung up, Roman took a moment to look at the men sitting around his living room, waiting for news. “They've taken her to Englewood.”

“Englewood?” Stepan shot to his feet, the expression on his face matching Roman’s thoughts. It was bad and about to get worse. “That's Armenian territory.”

“I don't know if Davit has anything to do with this, but if he's involved, he's a dead man walking.” Grabbing the duffle bag with a few extra guns and ammunition, Roman headed for the door. “Let's go. We're already at least an hour behind.”

It took them under twenty minutes to get to the location Damir had sent. As they came to a stop in the mouth of a dirty alleyway, the two vehicles parked in front of the abandoned building immediately got everyone’s attention.

Dimitri swore under his breath but quickly followedafter Roman when he got out of the car.

“That’s Boris’s BMW,” Stepan noted, climbing out of the passenger seat of Andrei’s car.

Now they had confirmation both Ivan and Boris were there, if not more men from their ranks. Maybe some Armenians too.

“You think this is a trap?” Andrei asked, watching the dilapidated building with a frown.

“I don't fucking know,” Roman muttered, opening his trunk to get the duffle bag with the ammunition. “Even if it is, I'm going inside.”

“We're going with you,” Stepan said.

Roman gave a slight nod, feeling grateful for their presence. Stepan didn't answer to him, and they were acting without Vitaly’s orders or his knowledge. But he didn’t have time for that, knowing it was only going to delay them further.

They took a minute to load their guns and grab extra ammunition. Removing the safety on his 9 mm, Roman glanced at his younger brother. “Stay behind me.”

Alek looked like he wanted to argue, though he didn’t. His own gun drawn, he followed quietly, as did the others.

Roman was the first to step inside. Keeping his gun in front of him, he carefully scanned the area for any sign of activity. Slowly advancing inside one by one, the men looked around, hands on their guns and minds on high alert.

The sound of low voices reached Roman’s ears. Glancing up, he realized the sounds were coming from above them. He raised his hand, silently ordering everyone to stop as he listened. He couldn’t make out any words, so he advanced again until he was standingat the bottom of the stairs. Broken sentences bounced off the concrete walls.

“... took you long enough... get rid of the bitch.”

“Had some issues with... couldn't get away.”

“... think he knows?”

“Nah... too wrapped up with...”

“How the fuck did he…”

“… willing to close his eyes…”

One steady foot in front of the other, Roman climbed the stairs with Stepan at his back. Instinct had him glancing over his shoulder to make sure his brother was covered. They hadn’t had time to prepare with bulletproof vests, but seeing that his men had pushed Alek to the back of their murderous procession made him feel slightly better.

“On your right,” Stepan whispered once they were on the first floor landing, pointing to a dark corner that would keep them hidden long enough to get the upper hand. It was some sort of alcove, marred by ugly graffiti. An identical one sat on the opposite wall. Between the alcoves, a room with large windows and a tall ceiling stretched to unknown lengths.

Roman nodded, moving that way. Shrouded in darkness, he was finally able to see into the room, and his heart nearly stilled inside his chest. Ivan was standing near the windows, his back to them and his arms crossed over his chest. Boris and his loyal dog Sasha were off to the side, talking. And right between them, Alessandra was tied to a chair, her mouth covered with a dirty cloth. There was no sign of Armenians or other Bratva men.

Roman watched his wife for a moment, unable to tear his gaze away, and his blood boiled at the sight.Even from a distance, he could see that she’d been crying, her eyes bloodshot and mascara streaks coloring her cheeks. Even with her beautiful tan, she lookedpale. Afraid. Fucking terrified.

He was going to murder every single one of those sons of bitches and take pleasure from it.

Turning to the men, he gestured that Stepan and Alek should stay with him on the right side. Andrei and Dimitri were to move to the left when he gave the signal, to cover both sides and create an ambush.

“Watch out for Alessandra,” he mouthed.

Roman raised his fingers, counting down from three. When the last finger went down, he and Stepan walked out of the shadows, guns raised and ready to shoot. Andrei and Dimitri rushed to the other side.

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