Page 46 of Captive Prize

“I don’t know,” Pavel admitted. “But this shook them. I was grabbed very close—too close—to the compound. Gregor’s doubled security. Artem’s talking about buying a helicopter. I caught Kostya trying to teach Marina how to shoot.”

“How’d that go?”

He winced. “Let’s just say, if she ever cooks for you—you love it. And she’s too damn good for him.”

“Is her aim that bad?”

“I don’t want to find out.”

He shifted, his tone dropping. “Gregor and Artem want a message sent. Soon. They’re not the only ones out for blood on this.”

I nodded. “You get anything off Mateo during your interrogation?”

“He was high and pissed off he had to answer to a woman. Apparently, that was my fault. The fucker wasn’t even asking questions.”

“She didn’t order the beating,” I muttered.

“I know. Doesn’t change anything. They worked for her. She’s not innocent.”

“I never said she was.” I raised my hands. “Give me a little time. I’ll break her.”

“Time’s not something we have. Not with how close this attack hit.”

“Then I better get to work,” I said, clapping him on the shoulder.

He cursed and flipped me off as I walked away.

Tension coiled tightly in my gut.

I understood Pavel. I understood the need for revenge.

Hell, I encouraged it.

Messages only mattered when they were brutal and absolute.

But I didn’t want to break Zoya.

I wanted to tame her.

Keep the fire, the fury—but bend it tome.

Let her fight when it suited me. Submit when it suited me more.

But there wasn’t time for that.

This would have to be fast.

It would have to be brutal.

Zoya was running out of time.

And there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to stop it.

CHAPTER 13

ZOYA

I’d been screaming for the last hour, and no one bothered to come in.

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