Caged (Dark Empire #2)

Thirty-Two

Ethan

“When was the last time that everything went this smoothly?” Mags grinned at we left the final collection of the day.

Everyone had their payments ready on time today, none putting up a fight. It was a rarity that there wasn’t a single warning to give.

“It’s happened occasionally.”

“Not in along time, pal.”

A shrill beep echoed from my phone, my blood turning to ice as I read the message.

Even pretty little girls have consequences for trying to kill me.

"Fuck!" I roared, the fury in my voice reverberating through the car. Another message followed, sealing my dread.

"Ethan, what is it?" Mags's voice was taut with urgency, sensing the storm brewing.

I stared at the photo. She wasn't dead. He wouldn't kill her. But she lay unconscious, stripped down to her bra and panties. Vulnerable. Defenceless.

"He has her," I choked out, the words tasting like ash.

Another message came through with an address, the words beneath it making my chest hurt with worry.

Come and collect your toy once I’m done breaking her. Come alone or she dies.

Mags slammed on the brakes, the car screeching to a halt as he ripped the phone from my grasp.

"Fuck," he hissed, his face contorting with anger and fear. "What did you do, Red?"

My heart thundered in my chest, each beat a painful reminder of the monster we were dealing with. Dmitry. The man who had left me scarred and broken all those years ago now had my wife. Terror clawed at my insides. She had acted recklessly, but anger could wait. Right now, she needed me.

"Find her," I growled, a primal rage bubbling to the surface. "And if Dmitry lays a fucking finger on her, I swear to God..." I couldn’t finished the sentence, the memories of what he did to me making my throat tighten.

"On it." Mags's phone was already in his hand, the tracking app springing to life. "Call your family, Ethan. This ends now."

The weight of his words hung in the air. This was it. The moment of reckoning. Dmitry had pushed too far, and he was about to learn what it meant to cross me.

I dialled Mario’s number, my fingers trembling as I pressed the buttons. The moment he answered, I couldn't contain the urgency in my voice. "Dmitry has Ashlee."

"What?" Mario's voice was a mix of shock and anger. "How did this happen?"

"I don't fucking know, but his message implies she tried to kill him!" My heart pounded, the thought of Ashlee in danger making my blood boil.

"Fuck, that woman has some balls." There was a hint of admiration in his voice, but now wasn't the time for that.

"Ro, focus!"

"Did the message say where they are?" he asked, already typing furiously. "I’m messaging Dad now."

"A warehouse in the industrial estate by the river. He said come alone or he’ll kill her."

"Ethan, you need to get your girl and don’t do anything stupid. We’ll be there soon to finish this. I’ll text Mags some instructions."

I nodded, even though he couldn't see it. The line went dead, leaving me with the echo of his last words. I trusted my brother to have my back, but this was my fight. I had to make sure I got Ashlee out of Dmitry’s reach, no matter the cost. With a final, determined breath, I grabbed my gun and gave Mags a nod, ready to face whatever hell awaited me in that warehouse. This was it—the moment of truth.

The storm outside the car reflected what was occurring inside of me. I didn’t want a part in this war, I’d confessed as much to my family, but Ashlee had taken it upon herself to finish it.

Whatever had gone through her mind, I knew it was to protect Mags and I.

Did I approve of her decision? Fuck no, but I admired her devotion nonetheless.

That ass was still getting punished once this was over.

I released a long breath, preparing myself for the inevitable. No matter what chance I had at finally killing Dmitry, I had to ensure that Ashlee’s survival came first.

The car screeched to a halt outside the looming, ominous warehouse, its tyres screaming in protest. Mags didn’t cut the engine, his eyes burning with determination. "Ethan, don’t do anything reckless. Just get Ashlee out of there."

"I'll get her," I vowed, my voice steely with resolve.

"And don't offer yourself up as bait. I love you too, brother."

I swallowed hard, a lump rising in my throat. "Mags-"

"Go get our girl, pal. We've got your back."

I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest as I stepped out of the car. I checked my gun, feeling its weight reassuringly solid in my hand. As Mags sped away, the roar of the engine fading into the night, I turned to face the imposing warehouse. This was it. The final showdown. I was ready to save my wife, no matter the cost.

Fear clawed at my insides, but I shoved it aside. I was a Prezello. Part of a fierce, unbreakable family. Dmitry had made a grave mistake when he chose to use Ashlee against me. He thought I was weak, an easy target. He was dead wrong.

With every step toward the warehouse door, my resolve hardened. I was ready to fight. Ready to unleash hell. Dmitry would learn the hard way that no one messed with a Prezello and lived to tell the tale. I was coming for my woman, and I wouldn’t stop until she was safe in my arms again. This was the moment. The fight of my life. And I was fucking ready.

I burst through the door with my gun raised, my eyes quickly finding Ashlee on her knees awake in front of Dmitry, his gun pressed to her head.

“Make a move and she’s dead,” Dmitry hissed. “As well as yourself.”

Two men stepped out of the shadows to the side – two faces I recognised, both pointing their guns at me.

I turned my gun on them. “You fucking traitors.” Two of my dad’s made-men, two men who swore loyalty to our family. The cost of betrayal was their lives. They knew it, and yet they trusted Dmitry to protect them.

They made a grave mistake.

“I’d be more concerned about your toy, Ethan. Shoot them and I shoot you.”

“Ethan!” Ashlee's desperate scream echoed through the dimly lit warehouse, piercing my heart.

“Silence, krasotka,” Dmitry sneered, his cold voice dripping with malice.

Rage surged through me, white-hot and unrelenting, as I watched Dmitry’s hand strike Ashlee's face. My grip tightened around the gun, my knuckles turning white.

“I am glad you made it, Prezello, and just in time for the show. Your little bitch made a mistake when she tried to fool me,” Dmitry taunted, his eyes glinting with cruel amusement.

“Let her go. It’s me you want,” I growled, my voice deadly calm, though fury boiled within me.

Dmitry’s laugh was a dark, sinister sound that sent a chill down my spine. “After she tried to shoot me? Fuck no. She’s going to pay for that.”

With a nod from Dmitry, the two traitors stepped forward, their guns trained on me, closing the circle. I could feel their intent; they were ready to end me in an instant. The odds were stacked against me, but surrender was not an option. Not with Ashlee’s life on the line. One lurched forward and ripped the gun from my grasp.

I needed to buy time. “You know this isn’t going to end well for you, Dmitry,” I said, my voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through my veins. “You hurt her, and I’ll make sure you suffer tenfold. Hurt me and your entire family will be finished.”

Dmitry’s smirk faltered for a split second, uncertainty flashing in his eyes. But he quickly recovered, his expression hardening. “Big talk for a man about to die.”

The tension in the room was palpable, the air thick with the promise of violence. I prayed silently, my thoughts a plea to the heavens. Please be quick, Mags. Hurry, before it’s too late.

These goons could threaten me all they wanted. I wasn’t going to let Dmitry violate my wife. “Ashlee won’t be impressed by your tiny cock, Dmitry!” I bellowed, my voice echoing off the walls.

“What did you say, you bastard?” Dmitry's eyes flared with unbridled fury, his face contorting with rage.

“You think I don’t remember every little detail? Oh, I remember. I remember that tiny prick violating me,” I spat, my words dripping with venom.

I kept taunting, praying to any god listening that it would be enough to keep Dmitry’s attention on me just long enough for Magnus to rescue our girl. The tension in the room was electric, each second feeling like an eternity. Cold metal pressed into my temple, but my determined gaze didn’t falter. I refused to show fear.

“He’s mine!” Dmitry roared, his voice a primal snarl as he closed in on me, ready to wage war. The traitors tightened their grip on their weapons, their eyes darting nervously between us. I stood my ground, my heart pounding in my chest, hoping against hope that Magnus was close.

Dmitry lunged forward, his rage boiling over, his fist connected with my face.

I released a panic laugh. “Is that all you’ve got?”