Chapter 36
AbrAM
Ilead the approach, Denis at my side.
As the house looms closer, I get a better look at the peeling stucco, shuttered windows, and trash-strewn front steps. Parties here must get pretty messy; chaotic affairs no decent woman would ever choose to attend. The image of Jenna trapped inside that filth sends fire coursing through my veins.
I fight the impulse to storm straight through the front door. Discipline, I remind myself. Rage can wait.
“Mikail, take Georg and sweep the south side,” I order quietly, my voice barely audible even in the stillness. “Check windows, watch for movement.” They vanish silently into the darkness, their training evident in every carefully placed step.
Denis and I move toward the north side. Adrenaline sharpens my senses. I smell the faint scent of garbage, hear the distant traffic noise. My own breathing is silent, steady, and deliberate.
It takes only a minute before I hear Jenna’s voice.
“Let me use the damn bathroom, you asshole!” she shouts, frustration and fury clear in her tone. She remains strong and defiant. That’s my girl.
Denis looks at me. “She’s alive.”
I nod, motioning for him to follow me toward the source. We slip beneath the window ledge, crouching low, muscles tense. Another burst of Jenna’s voice punches through the night.
“I’m serious! Take me to the bathroom or I’ll scream until your ears bleed!”
The sound of a door creaking open makes my pulse skyrocket. A male voice answers, arrogant and cruel. “Piss your pants, sweetheart. I don’t give a fuck.”
Nico.
My jaw clenches, teeth grinding so hard I can hear the scrape of bone. I gesture to Denis, and he signals Mikail and Georg to circle back. They arrive quickly, moving like ghosts, their eyes narrowed and alert.
Another yell from Jenna, this time louder, angrier. My hands curl into fists. Does she not realize her defiance puts her at greater risk? But how can I fault her courage, her stubborn spirit? It’s exactly what I love most about her.
“Why did Nico respond instead of one of his men?” I wonder out loud.
Denis shakes his head, skeptical. “We know he’s not alone. Cowards never are.”
I lean upward cautiously, peering through the corner of the window. My heart stops for a single, sickening moment. Nico is standing over Jenna, who’s cuffed to a rusted metal bed frame. Even from here, I can see the dark bruises blooming on her face, her lip swollen and bleeding.
Jenna is glaring up at him, her fierce expression unwavering despite the pain I see etched in her features. I’ve never been prouder or angrier in my entire life.
Nico leans down and says in a mocking voice, “You scream again, bitch, and I’ll beat you unconscious. Understand?”
Jenna stares back in furious silence. Nico laughs, a hollow, hateful sound, and runs a finger down her jawline, slow and sickening. Before I can even register my own reaction, Jenna smacks his hand away with a ferocity that stuns him.
Fury flashes across Nico’s face, and in a swift movement, he slaps her hard. The sound echoes, and blood roars in my ears. The thin veneer of control I’ve maintained thus far shatters completely. Something primal, violent, and unstoppable surges through me.
“Shit,” Denis mutters as he realizes my intention. “Abram, wait—”
It’s too late. I’m already moving, weapon drawn, storming around to the front entrance with a speed I didn’t know I was capable of. I hear my men scrambling to follow, but my entire world narrows down to one objective: Nico’s death.
I hit the front door full force, my boot connecting solidly, splintering wood and metal hinges giving way. As the door crashes inward, two men in the living room leap up, startled, hands scrambling for their weapons.
I don’t hesitate. My pistol snaps up, muzzle flashing twice in quick succession. Both men collapse without a sound, blood pooling beneath their bodies.
Mikail falls into step behind me, weapon trained forward as we sprint toward the hallway. Another guard steps out, eyes wide with panic, gun half-raised. Mikail drops him without hesitation.
We reach the bedroom door. My vision tunnels, all thoughts consumed by the need to get to Jenna, to protect her from any further harm.
I kick the door open so hard it slams into the wall, plaster cracking.
Inside, Jenna lies on the bed, cuffed, bruised, her eyes wide with shock and relief. Nico spins toward me, his face contorting with panic, his hand halfway to his waistband.
I raise my gun, eyes locked on the bastard who dared to touch my woman, fury roaring out of me in a single, unstoppable bellow.
“NICO!”