Page 26 of Hunted By the Masked BRATVA
I claw at his grip, but he's stronger. Older, yes, but still strong enough to kill me with his bare hands.
Black spots dance across my vision.
Then the apartment door crashes open.
Konstantin stands in the doorway, gun drawn, and his expression is murder.
"Get your hands off her," he says quietly.
Troskoy tightens his grip. "Or what, Grinevsky? You'll shoot me? You're already a dead man. Leonid knows everything."
"I know." Konstantin's aim doesn't waver. "I told him myself. Right before I told him where to find your offshore accounts in the Caymans. The ones you didn't think anyone knew about."
Troskoy's face goes pale.
"That's right," Konstantin continues. "The accounts you've been skimming from the Reznikovs for the last three years. Leonid's very interested in discussing that with you."
"You're lying."
"Am I?" Konstantin smiles, cold and vicious. "Check your phone. I'll wait."
Troskoy's grip loosens slightly. I gasp in air, my throat burning.
One of his men pulls out a phone, checks something, then whispers urgently to Troskoy.
Troskoy's expression shifts from fury to fear.
"Leonid's on his way here," Konstantin says. "With half the Reznikov family. You have about three minutes to decide if you want to die fighting me, or if you want to try explaining to Leonid why you've been stealing from him."
Troskoy releases me completely. I slide down the wall, coughing.
"This isn't over," Troskoy says.
"Yes," Konstantin replies. "It is."
Troskoy and his men leave, shoving past Konstantin in their rush to escape.
The moment they're gone, Konstantin's at my side, hands gentle as he examines my throat.
"Are you okay?" His voice shakes. "Did he hurt you?"
"I'm fine." My voice is raspy. "The files. I sent them. All of them."
"I know. I got the alert." He pulls me against his chest, and I can feel his heart pounding. "Jesus Christ, Emilia. When I walked in and saw his hands on you..."
"You saved me." I wrap my arms around him. "Again."
"Always." He kisses my forehead. "But we need to leave. Now. Leonid's actually not coming, but Troskoy will figure that out soon."
"Where do we go?"
"I have a place. A safe house outside the city. We can lay low there while everything plays out."
I pull back to look at him. "What happened with Leonid? You said he knows everything."
"He does." Konstantin's smile is grim. "But I also told him about Troskoy skimming from the Reznikov accounts. Gave him enough evidence to make it worth his while to let me walk."
"And he agreed?"
