Zaal’s body shook. I kept my eyes forward, fighting the urge to look at what he was seeing. I couldn’t, though. I, under the influence of the serum, would never look. My heart beat fast, knowing Zoya must still be on the table where Mistress had strapped her down. Fear mixed with rage when I wondered if the evil bitch had killed my kotyonok. If Mistress had beat her or tortured her in some way.

Mistress suddenly appeared from the back room and her heels clapped on the hard floor. I fought back a wince at that sound. I hated that sound. My blood rushed through my veins at the thought that her life would soon be mine. That I would soon see her blood. That I could soon torture her.

Mistress stopped before us, and I saw her eyes light up with excitement. “Well done, 194,” Mistress praised, and ran her hand over my scarred cheek. I fought with everything I had not to break her wrist. Her free hand reached out and she touched Zaal’s chest, her skin flushing in anger and her lips thinning.

“Get the fuck off me,” Zaal threatened, the anger he felt toward this female showing in his deep voice.

Mistress pulled back her hand and smiled. “Levan said you were big and strong, but I never knew you looked like this. And susceptible to the serum, too? You were a dream for my love, weren’t you, 221? Until you killed him like the Kostava dog you are.” Zaal’s body shook harder as she called him by his number. I pulled on his roped hands warning him to keep his shit together. Suddenly I heard three small raps on the wall of the hallway—the sign that the Bratva had moved in. I knew Zaal had heard it too, when he froze and his skin rose in temperature.

Out of sight from the Mistress, I discreetly untied Zaal’s bonds until his hands were free. Mistress stepped back. I tracked the path of the Wraiths in the room. I pressed my finger into the left side of Zaal’s back twice, telling him to take the two Wraiths to the left. I would take the one to the right.

Then Mistress would be mine.

A loud noise sounded from outside—the distraction. Like lambs to slaughter, the Wraiths moved to see what the noise was. As they did, Zaal and I launched forward, blood about to be spilled.

I turned to face the Wraith on my right, but just as I did I saw Zaal pull out two black sais from his pants. He spun them in his hands as he charged at the first Wraith. The Wraith raised his gun, the second guard beginning to fire shots. But their aim was off at the sight of a feral Zaal running for them. The spikes of his sais sliced into their flesh.

A bullet flew past my ear as I ran at the Wraith guard to my right. I heard the hallway door burst open and feet enter the room. Luka and his men had arrived.

The Wraith cocked his gun ready to shoot, but as he did I slammed my body into his, my hands twisting his head until his neck snapped. I launched to my feet, but as I did my eyes landed on the small bed to my right. My stomach sank, and my heart almost stopped, as I saw my Zoya lying still in the bed. Her skin was pale and for a moment I thought that Mistress had taken her from me. I moved closer and touched her hand. Her skin was cold, her lips were a pale shade of blue but, thankfully, I noticed the slight rising and falling of her chest.

Relief flooded my body. Leaning forward, I kissed her lips. Breaking from the kiss, I quickly untied her freezing hands and moved my mouth to her ear. “Kotyonok,” I whispered. Tears pricked my eyes at how bruised and vulnerable she appeared. “I’m back. And I have Zaal with me. Your brother is here, to take you home. You’re finally safe.”

I felt someone behind me. Possessiveness kicking in, I turned in a crouching position ready to strike, to kill. I saw it was Zaal.

He didn’t even react to my threat; instead his haunted eyes stared down at his sister. My heart squeezed at the look of sheer horror on his face. I straightened and stepped to the side.

“Is she dead?” he asked, his voice betraying his fear.

“No,” I said, “she’s breathing. I think Mistress has drugged her.” I pointed to the needle marks on her arm. And hell, they were all over.

A long exhale escaped Zaal’s mouth. Pointing to a Bratva byki, he ordered, “Go find me a blanket and bring it back now!” He pushed past me and covered Zoya’s body with my sweatshirt, which hung limply at her sides.

I watched, wanting to care for Zoya. I wanted to push the Georgian out of the way, to keep his hands off my female. But I forced myself back.

I stood, frozen, watching him press a kiss to her forehead. Then as a surge of rage swept through me I looked for Mistress.

When I scanned the room, it was Luka who had Mistress in his grip. He waited for me, expectation in his eyes.

Mistress’s eyes were fixed on me. I smiled coldly. For the first time in my life I saw real fear in their depths.

My feet slowly carried me forward. As they did, I said darkly, “I have been waiting for this day since the night you came into the orphanage and ripped the children from their beds.” Her cheeks paled, but I didn’t stop there. “I have been waiting for this day since the night you took my sister from my arms and beat me on the floor. Since you took my only family away and turned her into a fuck puppet for your sadistic pleasure.” I reached Luka and Mistress. Lifting my hand, I ran it through her hair. I took the clip from the back and wrapped my fists in the dry lengths. Wrenching her head back, my cock hardening at the cry coming from her lips, I closed in and said, “I have been waiting for this since the day you slashed my face and head, making the fucking scarred ugly beast I am today. And since you tied that collar around my neck and forced me to kill day in and day out.”

Tightening my fists in her hair, I finished, “Since the day you forced me to fuck your desert of a cunt.”

Releasing her hair, I paced before her, losing my shit. I stilled and closed my eyes, then inhaled a long deep breath. Getting my rage under control, I opened my eyes and looked directly at Luka.

“Tie her to the metal post. Wrap those chains around her so she can’t move.” Luka wrenched her back toward that post, but I shouted, “Wait!” Luka stilled. Mistress looked at me in fear. Staring into her poisonous fucking gaze, I ordered coldly, “Strip.”

Mistress’s chin kicked up. I heard the men murmuring around me. Turning to face them, I said, “This is about to get a whole lot worse. Leave now if you can’t stand the screams of a female.”

The males stared at me with wide eyes, yet none of them moved.

Good little Mafia soldiers, I thought. My narrowed eyes caught sight of Zaal holding Zoya in his arms, her slim body wrapped in a blanket. The sight of my little Georgian looking so pale and unmoving made my inner fire roar.

Facing Mistress again, I watched Luka release her arms and I ordered more loudly, “Strip, bitch!”

Keeping that fucking ugly old face stern, Mistress did not lower her eyes as she divested herself of her jacket and then her black dress. Of course she didn’t have underwear on; she was probably counting on raping Zaal when she got her claws into him, too.

Her clothes fell in a heap on the floor. Her fucking repulsive body was revealed for all to see. Unable to stand the sight of her bare flesh, I flicked my chin at Luka. “I’ll be right back; there’s someone who deserves to see her suffer.”

Turning on my heel, without looking at any of the guards, I tore through the house. I ran down to the basement, the long hallway with lots of doors leading off to isolated rooms. I threw open the doors one by one, empty room after empty room. My eyebrows furrowed when there was no trace of Inessa.

As I sprinted back up the stairs, my blood ran like lava through my body. I searched every floor, every door, every closet, everywhere, but Inessa was nowhere to be found. Seeing the Mafia guards near the exit, I asked, “Are there any buildings out back?”

One of them nodded. “Two small storage sheds.”

Hope sparked in my chest, then quickly faded when I asked, “Did you find anyone in them?”

“No, sir,” one of the guards replied.

Real fear sprouted within me, and feeling the panic I harbored inside coming to the surface, I smashed through the door to the room, immediately finding Mistress on the metal pole. “You!” I spat right in her face.

Mistress’s lips twitched, fighting a smile, and I just knew. I knew the bitch had sent Inessa away.