Page 89 of Deceptive Vows
Thea stared back, a piece of sharp metal held tightly in her hand, face half-shadowed in crimson light. Disbelief and hope warred in her eyes.
“Nazar?” Her voice came as a whisper, fragile with uncertainty.
My gun dropped to my side as relief flooded through me. “Thea.”
Her name escaped as a raw confession. She crashed into me, knife clattering to the floor. I caught her by instinct, not strength. My knees buckled. Her arms were fierce around my waist. A tremor ran through her body as her hands rose to cup my face, her thumbs tracing my jaw with wonder.
“I saw you die,” she whispered, her eyessearching mine.
I pressed my forehead to hers, our breath mingling in the space between us.
“Not yet,” I rasped. “Nyet,tyomnyy angel. I made you a vow.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
THEA
Nazar’s armslocked around me, unyielding, even with the blood streaking down his face and the way he swayed slightly on his feet. His breath rasped against my hair, rough with relief that matched the tremor in my limbs. He was here. Alive.
He looked both terrible and wonderful. My fingers traced his jaw, finding his skin fever-warm and his pulse racing beneath my touch.
Our rings caught the emergency light as our fingers intertwined, the soft glow a stark contrast to the chaos around us. Behind me, the women huddled together, tense and afraid.
Lex appeared, rifle ready, relief softening his expression. “Thea?—”
“Four guards remaining down here,” I interrupted, keeping Nazar’s hand in mine. “The others are down that hall. We need to move now.”
Dimitris approached with a cigarette tucked behind his ear, a grim smile playing on his lips. “Lead on, sis.”
With a grunt, Nazar straightened. “North exit’s closest,” he said. “Transport’s waiting.”
We formed a ragged line with Nazar and me at the front. Lex and Dimitris covered the women, while Elena supported Alexa. The corridor stretched ahead, concrete floors slick with condensation and mold. Distant gunfire echoed through the facility as Lucas’s diversion held the main force at bay.
“Almost there,” Nazar murmured, his grip tightening on his weapon and then on my hand.
Multiple footsteps suddenly echoed ahead of us. Lucas’s radio crackled with urgent static.
“East side compromised,” a voice reported. “Gray Wolf reinforcements arriving. Need immediate backup!”
Lucas cursed under his breath. “They’re flanking us.” He exchanged quickglances with Lex and Dimitris. “We need to secure that side, or we’ll be trapped.”
“Go,” Nazar ordered. “We’ll get the women out through the north exit.”
Lucas hesitated, his protective instinct visibly warring with tactical necessity. “Thea?—”
“I’ve got this,” I assured him. “These women need protection more than I do. Secure our escape.”
After a moment’s consideration, Lucas nodded sharply. “Lex, with me. Dimitris, cover the west corridor. Make sure no one cuts them off from behind.” He gripped Nazar’s shoulder. “Get them out.”
“You have my word,” Nazar replied.
My brothers vanished down separate corridors with swift purpose. I knew it pained Lucas to leave me, but he understood the reality—without secured escape routes, no one would make it out.
We had taken barely a dozen steps when a massive figure rounded the corner ahead. Marco’s enforcer gripped a shotgun in his meaty fists, flanked by another bodyguard. Between them stood Marco Moretti himself, cold fury etched into his face, a pistol already in his hand.
His eyes met mine briefly, then flicked toNazar, widening in surprise. The realization hit, and they narrowed with cold calculation. “Nazar Volkov,” he said, voice smooth and venomous. “I was told you’d been taken care of permanently. And Mrs. Volkov... how touching.”
“Your mistake,” I spat, positioning myself between him and Nazar.
