NIKOLAI
FUCK.
PAIN RIPPED through every inch of my body, a deep, burning ache that made it hard to breathe. My head pounded, my ribs screamed, and when I shifted, something sharp tore at my wrist. Restraints. f*****g metal.
I forced my eyes open, the dim light cutting through the haze of unconsciousness. Concrete walls. Bloodstained floors. The bitter taste of iron on my tongue. And then—footsteps. Slow, heavy. Someone was coming.
I swallowed back the pain and lifted my head, a sharp grunt leaving my lips as I forced myself to focus.
Surrounded.
Fuck.
“I see you’re awake.”
The voice was smooth, almost amused. My eyes locked onto the bastard standing in front of me. Not some lackey. Not Antonov’s right-hand. No—Ivan Antonov himself.
A sharp laugh tore from my th
