Page 123 of Stolen Empire
The body falls across Oleg's legs.
"We're clear on the east side," Sergei calls from somewhere in the shadows.
"Two more targets retreating through the loading bay."
"Let them run," I order as I reach the closed office door and test the handle.
It's locked, but I don't dare shoot at it to get it open.
I lean back and kick it hard just below the knob, causing the frame to splinter, and the door crashes inward.
Katya stands trembling in the center of the room with shaking hands and tears streaming down her cheeks.
Blood streaks her face from a cut on her cheek, and her shirt hangs torn at the shoulder.
When she sees me, her whole body goes rigid.
Her eyes find mine, and I see shame and fear in her eyes.
But she hasn't given up or broken.
The sight of her sends something hot and violent through my chest.
I cross the room in three strides and drop to one knee beside her, wrapping my arms around her waist.
Her arms come around my head as I press it to her belly and feel years' worth of stress drain from me at the sound of her voice.
"Dimitri—"
"My God, Katya, I thought…" I stop myself, not allowing the thoughts to go any further.
Every one of my worst fears has been silenced.
She's not gone, and I still have to get her out of here.
"You came," she mumbles, but we can't sit here and have a happy reunion.
We've got to get out before the real fighting erupts.
"We gotta go, okay? We can do this later."
I stand and guide her out of the office with one hand in hers and the other holding my gun up.
Sergei has moved to cover the entrance, his gun trained on the loading bay where the last two Radich’s disappeared.
The other's on the main floor, checking bodies.
"We're clear," Sergei reports.
I keep Katya close as we weave through the warehouse, stepping over shell casings and blood that looks like black puddles.
My men form up around us as we reach the broken door, and I can almost breathe again.
Outside, the night air is a breath of fresh air after the cordite stench inside the warehouse.
Two black SUVs wait in the street with their engines running, gifts from my oldest brother who vowed to accept my affection for Katya and back me up.
I've never been more grateful.
