David’s phone rang, and he answered it immediately. “Yeah.” His thick, dark eyebrows drew together as he listened. “I’m coming…I don’t give a fuck what he told me to do. I’m coming.” He stashed his phone in his pocket and hurried to the door.

I rose from the edge of the bed, my stomach lurching with turmoil and worry. “What is it?”

“The Russians knew. Somehow they found out that the real shipment was at the airport. It’ll take our guys half an hour to get there from the river. By that time, it’ll be over.” He opened the door, then paused. “Take this.” He handed me a pistol from his holster. “This is the safety. Just flick it off. If anyone comes through that door, pull the trigger.”

The weight of the gun surprised me, but I gripped it and tried to seem brave, even though I was falling apart on the inside with worry for Nate. “Please hurry.”

“I will.” With that, he left and closed the door behind him. I flipped the lock.

My leaden legs carried me back to the bed where I sat and played out worst-case scenarios of what was happening at the airstrip. My eyes tried to tear up, but I wouldn’t let them. I would be strong and wait for Nate to return. He had to come back. He promised me, and he had never let me down before. He wouldn’t start now.

After David left, the house became eerily silent. Every little sound caught my attention, and I held onto the gun as if it were a lifeline. Footsteps in the hall had me aiming at the door.

A light knock, and then Opal’s voice floated through, “Can I wait with you?”

“Yes.” I tucked the gun behind me and unlocked the door for her.

She hurried in, her eyes wide. “David left in a rush. Is everything all right?”

I hugged her, hoping her motherly touch would soothe my nerves. “No, they had a shipment tonight. The Russians were waiting for them.” Anguish twisted my voice. “They’re in a fire fight for their lives.” And I’m here, being useless.

Pulling away from my embrace, she squeezed my upper arms. “I’m sure they’ll be fine. They probably took enough men to the airport to last for a little while, at least.”

“Wh-what did you say?” Ice prickled through my veins.

She smiled. “Oh, I was just saying that I’m sure it will be all right.”

“How did you know about the airport?” I thought back to all the times when Nate had discussed business in front of Opal. She was always on the periphery, bustling in with coffee at just the right time to hear tidbits of conversations. Cold realization dawned inside me. Opal had been the rat all along.

Her smile faded and she pulled a pistol from her skirt and pointed it at me. “It took you long enough to figure it out.”

I stared at the barrel, unable to focus on anything else, though I slowly reached around for the gun tucked in the waist of my jeans.

“Not a chance.” She aimed at my forehead. “Turn around.” Her voice was cold, completely devoid of the motherly tones I had grown used to. The same soft tones that had lulled Nate, Peter, and David into a false sense of security.

I did as she said, turning my back to her. She ripped the gun from my jeans and shoved me forward with wiry strength.

I stumbled and dropped to my knees as gunshots ricocheted from downstairs. Turning, I stared up at her. “Why?”

She held the gun on me as gunshots sounded from below and boots pounded up the stairs. “This house has belonged to great families for a century. Families that have led the most respected organizations in the city. Sometimes the country.” She sneered, the wrinkles in her face growing deeper. “Then Nate Franco comes along. No pedigree. Just some thug who thought that he could rule over the rest of us when he should’ve been shining our shoes. He doesn’t deserve this house. He doesn’t deserve my service. I’ve been skimming from the household account, saving up for this day. Nate and his whore and his trash friends will be gone, and this house’s great tradition will be reinstated.”

“You’d replace him with the Bratva?” I rose higher on my knees and tried to formulate a plan to knock her on her ass.

“The Bratva have a rich tradition, a long history, and a respect for the way business used to be done. I’m no fan of the Russians, but I’d much rather serve them than an American mutt who should never have risen to the top.”

I leaned forward, ready to spring, when the door behind her burst open.

She turned. “Here’s your little bitch, as promised. I expect you to keep your side of the agreement and allow me to stay on as the head of the—”

A gunshot boomed through the room, and Opal dropped to the floor, her dead eyes looking through me.

Dmitri tucked his gun into the holster at his chest. “Dumb bitch.” Turning his gaze to me, he gave me a wide smile. “Little kukla, we meet again.”

I lunged for the gun in Opal’s hand. Dmitri was faster, kicking it away and tackling me to the ground. He settled on top of me as I screamed and tried to claw his face. Grabbing my wrists, he pinned them to the floor, crushing them with his weight. I tried to remember my training, to channel my inner David to get out of this situation. But every time I tried to buck Dmitri off, he chuckled and forced me back down. On the third attempt, he slammed my skull against the floor and sparks burst in my vision.

“I never took you for much of a fighter.” He leered. “Though I guess I should have. Your mother put up quite a fuss when I first got her. She’s different now. Broken, like you’re going to be.”

I spit in his face. “I’m going to kill you.”

“No.” He licked my face, his hot tongue making me gag. “You’re not. You’re going to be mine for as long as I want you. And when I’m done with you, I’ll give you to my men to pass around. And when they’re done with you, I’ll kill you. Slowly.” He put one hand on my neck and squeezed. “I’ll do it with my hands just like this so I can see the life leave you. When your little doll eyes go dark, I’ll be the last thing you see.”

“Fuck you,” I gritted out as he increased the pressure on my windpipe. “Nate—”

“Is dead or dying. My men at the airfield had very specific instructions. They’ll bring me his head before the night is out. I’ll set it on a special shelf in my room so he can watch as I fuck you.”

“No. You’re a liar.” The words caught in my throat as he squeezed. Nate wasn’t dead. I don’t care how many men Dmitri had sent for him, he couldn’t be dead. My heart repeated the denial over and over even as my mind began to process Nate’s slim odds of survival. “No,” I repeated as he stared at me with unfathomably dark eyes.

“Don’t worry, little kukla. In a few hours, you won’t even be thinking about him anymore. You’ll be too concerned about what I’m doing to you.” He whistled, and three large men entered the room. “Take my prize out to the car.”

I struggled as the largest man grabbed me by the hair and yanked me up. He threw me over his shoulder as another man slid zip ties onto my wrists and ankles and stuffed a handkerchief into my mouth. I gagged and tried to spit it out as I was carried down the steps. The harsh smell of gasoline met my nose, and I saw George’s body lying in a pool of blood by the foot of the stairs. The bodies of two Russians at the front door told me that George had died trying to defend this house, to defend me. I tried to kick the man who carried me, but he gripped my thigh hard enough to make me scream.

As they carried me outside, smoke was already pouring from the back side of the house, orange flames lighting up the night sky. I wriggled and elbowed my kidnapper in the back, though I knew I wouldn’t escape.

The Russian thug sat me down next to an open car trunk and backhanded me so hard my vision went black. By the time I was able to open my eyes, there was nothing to see except the midnight interior of the closed trunk.