Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 105065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 525(@200wpm)___ 420(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 525(@200wpm)___ 420(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
Ronan keeps his eyes fixed on the road, but his voice is calm and steady. “No harm will come to her.”
I believe him. I don’t know if it’s just because I have to, that I can’t accept any other option, but I do believe him when he says this. I sit back against the seat and the car falls silent as we drive on. Though I know they aren’t going to be very receptive to anything I have to say, I talk anyway.
“I never wanted to hurt him. I was just trying to find out what happened to my friend.”
As I expect, neither of them responds.
For the rest of the ride, I try to formulate the words that will clear Lachlan. That will absolve him of any guilt in this situation. But they don’t come to me. I don’t know what I’m going to say when I face Niall. I only hope I can make it count.
When we pull up to the back of Slainte, it’s after hours. The club is shut down, but the familiar cars of Lach’s crew fill up the lot. Ronan opens the backdoor and removes the binds before tugging me to my feet.
And then he stares at me, with the briefest moment of hesitation.
“Ye shouldn’t have done it,” he says quietly.
And then he’s tugging me along, Conor dragging his feet beside me. When we get inside, the place is dead quiet. Ronan and Conor glance at each other, and then Ronan jerks his head towards the basement. They usher me along and down the stairs. Ronan unlocks a room I’ve never been in before and then gives me one last look of regret before he swings the door open.
When I get a look inside, I know this is where I’m going to die.
***
Lachlan
Fucking Ronan.
It makes no difference that the Russians are banging down our doors. The moment I spot him, I clatter him in the face. He lets me get two in before Rory yanks me away.
“I did it for your own good,” he snarls. “I won’t allow ye to give yourself up for her.”
Sentimental bastard. He doesn’t understand. Though I’d venture if it was Sasha’s arse on the line he’d be whistling a different tune.
“That wasn’t your decision to make,” I tell him.
“Both of youse shut the fuck up,” Niall yells. “We’ve got your mess to clean up now.”
Ronan and I both follow Niall down the hall without another word. He nods at Conor, and the front door opens. Alexei, Franco, Viktor, and the rest of their outfit filter inside. They’re loaded down with armed weapons, as are we.
Alexei meets my eyes briefly before he turns his head away. He’s aware this wasn’t my doing. It’s out of my control, as is whatever happens next.
“I want a word with Niall,” Viktor says. “In private.”
Sean and I both step forward, but Viktor holds up his hand.
“Only him.” He points at Alexei.
The lot of them walk down the hall towards my office to seal my fate. There’s no question what they’ll be discussing in that room. Everything I’ve ever wanted is being torn from my hands right in front of me. None of it matters. The burn of uncertainty is only made worse by the fact I still haven’t a clue where Mack is.
Ronan took her against my knowledge. I’m going to murder him the first chance I get.
Ten minutes pass. Then twenty. When thirty have come and gone, the agitation is getting to me. Something about this isn’t right.
A gunshot goes off, and a moment later, we’re all holding our weapons at each other. Franco tells his men to stand down in Russian as he eyes me off.
“We’ll check it out together,” he says.
Him and I both walk down the hall in silence. The office door is cracked, and all three men have their guns pointed at the door in confusion.
“That wasn’t in here?”
“No,” Niall curses.
My eyes move to the floor beneath as Viktor speaks.
“Ivan’s downstairs, yes?”
Niall must’ve told Viktor we captured him. If they’ve got one of their men down there, this is not going to end well.
“He’s a traitor.”
“Lachlan,” Niall’s voice is thin with warning, but I can’t look at him. My eyes are locked onto Viktor, waiting for his next move.
“He will be handled accordingly,” Viktor says.
“Aye, he will,” I say. “By our lads.”
“He isn’t the only one downstairs,” Conor says from the doorway.
His eyes are wide, and he doesn’t need to say anything else. I’m legging it downstairs before I’ve even fully processed what’s happening. The lads are following me, but Ronan must be down there already.
All of us come to a halt at the bottom of the stairs. As I anticipated, Ivan is shot and laying in a pool of blood on the floor. But it isn’t by one of the Russians.
Above him, Mandy and Donny both have a grip on Mack, each of them holding a gun to her head as they lead her towards the back door. My first instinct is to go to her, and my body obeys.
“Don’t come any closer!” Mandy yells.
The gun in her hand flies in my direction, and Mack starts pleading with her. Mandy’s eyes are crazed, her hair wild, and there’s blood smeared all over her shirt. I can’t wrap my head around what’s happening here.
“Mandy, what in the bleeding hell are ye doing?”
“She’s coming with us,” she says. “Don’t come any closer, Lachlan, or I will shoot you.”
They inch further away, and I follow.
Niall and Viktor descend the stairs, along with the rest of the Russians, and fear like I’ve never known grips me. They’ve all got their guns drawn, and they’re all pointing in the direction of my girl.
“Mack.”
She holds up her hand and her big blue eyes are glassy when they fall upon me.
“Sweetheart, I need you to listen to me.”
Her lip trembles, and she glances between Mandy and Donny. He’s smiling, his teeth bloody and his eyes crazed. She must have hit him in the face already.
“What is this?” Viktor demands from behind me, his voice escalating to fury. “This was not the plan.”