Chapter 36
Chapter
Thirty-Six
Nicholas
Iwipe the sweat from my brow.
I have to hand it to Victor. It's been a pain in the ass to breach his property. Victor's defenses are just as good as ours, if not better. If it weren't for Isla taking the lead, we would never have gotten as far as we have.
Even so, we're already many bullets down and we've only managed to get onto the deck outside the house.
It does have a fantastic view of the lake, admittedly, but what I really need is to get inside the fucking house.
Since it's made almost entirely of wood and glass, that should be easy.
But like I said, Victor's defenses are top notch.
I duck as I'm charged by another person. I roll the guy over my back, pushing him off the deck and down into the depths of the lake.
Freddie, at this point, is in his element, bathed in blood and killing for sport as he chuckles like a maniac.
I hear glass shatter as Isla, finally, smashes the floor-to-ceiling window to the house and signals us to follow her. Freddie and I rush inside the house behind her. We push into the kitchen through the sharp opening, ducking behind the, surprise, all-wooden counter as we regroup.
"God damn, they're definitely prepared," Freddie says. "I really don't want to go to war with these assholes."
"This isn't good," I say. "She better be here."
But I know she is. I know Sage is here. It was pretty fucking obvious when Anton went missing. Then to see Sage flee the property with that psycho Rushkoff. Yeah. She's here.
Isla rolls her eyes at me. I'm being pretty harsh to her, considering.
But I'm in a world of pain right now. Sage found out I'm FBI and then she ran from me, right into Alexei's arms. And now to Victor's.
I should've just told her. I was going to.
But... it never seemed like the right time.
I had to clear the air with Anton first, before I could feel safe clearing the air with her.
He was the one that I needed forgiveness from most.
After all, I wasn't assigned this job so that I could make best buddies with him and Dimitri.
When I started this assignment, I didn't expect to find the one place I truly belong.
"She'll be here," Isla says. "Look at the assault they're launching at you. I knew Victor was up to something."
Freddie starts reloading weapons while Isla covers us with a slight of practiced, perfect fire.
"You think that fucking hurts?!" A voice comes from afar, and I frown as I realize it's familiar. "You think that even stings, asshole?"
Freddie frowns over at me as well like the voice is familiar to him too. "Anton?"
We pop our heads above the counter and see Anton, his zip-tied hands cradled around the neck of a man who he is strangling to death. The man keeps trying to punch backwards but Anton doesn't flinch, acting like he barely feels it.
"Anton!" Freddie shouts.
Anton startles as he sees us, releasing a sigh of relief before he expertly snaps the man’s neck and rushes over to us to crouch behind the counter too.
"Fucking hell, am I glad to see you," he says. Fuck, he looks like death. His eye is nearly half swollen over and his nose is bright purple. He looks over at Isla and tilts his head. "All of you."
"What the fuck is going on, Anton?" I shout.
"Can you get these off me?" He holds out his zip-tied hands. Isla smirks as she pulls out a flick knife and scissors through his binds.
I shake my head. "You can pull those apart with enough force, you know. You just have to tighten them first."
"I don't mind saving you, Anton," Isla smirks. "I'm always here for the damsels in distress."
Anton gives her a look before turning to us. "It isn't good, Nic. Victor has Sage as a fucking hostage."
"Fuck," I say, at the same time that Freddie says. "We figured."
"What's the deal here? He wants to marry her that badly?"
"No," Anton bares his teeth. "He's been after her all this time. He's made some deal with Chet. Hand her over and Chet gives away his army to help take us down."
My skin pales.
Chet. I knew it. All along I've felt this has something to do with that asshole and his sick obsession with getting revenge on Dimitri through his daughter.
"Chet's on his way here," Anton says. "We have to get to her before he does."
"How did you get free?" Isla asks.
Anton narrows his eyes and I know from the look on his face that he doesn't want to answer her. "I don't even know," he says. "Alexei came to take Sage to Victor and he just left the fucking door open."
Anton leaves the conversation there, and doesn't notice when Isla smiles wistfully to herself. Proudly, I'd have to guess.
"How are we going to get to her?" Freddie asks. "Where would he take her?"
I survey the lay of the land. There's a heap of Rushkoff men coming from the stairs. So much more than we ever could have anticipated. There's hundreds of them. I had no idea Victor's army had amassed to this size. If he has Chet's too... Well, this is definitely not a war we can win.
"If we can get to her," I growl.
"You're outnumbered by a lot," Isla admits.
"We might not get to her before Chet gets here," Freddie whispers. "We should prepare for that."
"Like hell," I growl. I won't let her be left alone to be taken by him. I won't do it. Not again. Not when I've seen up close and personal the physical and mental damage he left on the woman I love.
"Victor is trying to clear a path," Isla says, eyes brushing calculatingly over the fight. "The odds that we'd make it through all this shit before Victor gets her where he wants is slim."
"All this God damn way and we lose her anyway?" I shout.
"Nic-" Freddie tries to calm me with a hand to my shoulder, but I brush him off.
"We'll do everything we can," Isla assures me. "If she fights a little, she may buy us enough time."
Absolutely not. I won't allow her to go through this alone. Not like she's had to go through everything else alone. There is no scenario in this world where I am letting Sage get taken by Chet again.
I say as much.
"Fuck this," I say. "She's not going through this alone."
"What?" Anton starts.
"I'll buy you your time. Come and save us," I say to Isla. Her eyes shutter as she nods, understanding where Freddie and Anton haven't caught up yet.
"What the fu-" Anton yells. But he doesn't have time to stop me before I'm running out into the open to be captured like bait.