His arm is outstretched towards me with his gun pointing at me. Yet instead of triumph I see shock reflected in the dark depths of his eyes. Then a blood curdling scream escapes his lips as he drops the gun and falls to the ground.
He clutches at his knees as he tries to stop the blood that seeps out of his knees onto the filthy floor. Yet that isn't the thing that catches my attention, it's the man cloaked in the shadows with his gun aimed on Rob. He moves out from the shadows like a predator stalking its prey.
I'm transfixed to the spot as I watch the man that I love hunt the monster that nearly raped and killed me. I've only seen glimpses of his lethal, cold and calculating side but I've never seen it so overtly on display like now.
Rob shouts, 'You Russian mutt!! You think you can do this and get away with it?'
Nik snickers darkly, 'What makes you think I won't get away with it?'
He squats down to Rob's eye level, and uses the butt of his gun to press in the bullet wounds he's inflicted. Rob howls in pain, 'You fucker! When I get out of here I'm going to rape and kill Jas in front of you then kill you!'
Nik clicks his tongue like he's dealing with a belligerent child, and taps the tip of his gun on Rob's temple. Rob flinches. 'You clearly didn't do your research when you decided to kidnap what was mine.'
'What the fuck are you talking about?!' Rob spits out, like breathing the same air as Nik disgusts him.
With a hard edge, Nik says, 'It doesn't matter you'll find out soon enough what I used to do back in my home country. Just sit tight and wait there for me.'
Rob scoffs, 'Who the fuc—' Nik knocks him out with the butt of his handgun.
He walks over to me and the hard edges of his face soften as soon as he reaches me. 'Jas!' He lifts me off the ground and wraps me up in a bear hug, pressing me to him so hard I feel my back crack. Despite the weariness and pain I feel in the back of my head, and in the rest of my body, he manages to make a smile form on my lips.
'God I'm sorry it took me so long to find you! You can punch, kick or scream at me later. I'm just so glad we found you.' He releases me from his bear hug and puts me back down on the ground. He holds my face like I'm the most precious thing in his life and says, 'If anything had happened to you I wouldn't have been able to go on without you.'
Heat forms behind my eyes. I don't even feel the water leaking down my face. It's only when Nik uses his rough hands to paw them away that I realise it. 'Let it all out, Krasotka.'
He looks at me with so much love and devotion that the dam breaks. Everything that I felt whilst locked away here, bursts free. All the fear, all the pain, all the disgust and numbness. I clutch onto his black camo T-shirt roughly and sob into his chest. Ugly, gut wrenching sobs, that take my breath away.
'That's it, I'm here for you Jas. Everything is going to be okay.' He pats my back and holds me to him.
I almost forget about Rob until I hear him rouse awake with a groan. Except it's quickly cut off by a thunk. 'Go back to sleep you fucker. We'll deal with you soon enough.' Stev snarls.
A jolt of surprise rushes through me when I hear his voice. I didn't realise that he had come with Nik, but I'm relieved he came for me.
He rushes over, 'Jas, I'm sorry we arrived so late. How are you holding up?'
I barely get the words out of my swollen throat. 'I can't talk about it right now. I just want to go home.' I snuggle into Nik's chest, 'Please take me out of here.'
Nik pats the back of my head, 'Of course, anything you want milyy.'
I sigh in relief and my body sags against him. He surprises me by picking me up in a princess hold. 'I've got you. Rest Jas.' He says softly.
His voice hardens to granite when he passes by Rob, 'Look after this one while I'm gone. I'll be back tonight to take care of business.'
Stev chuckles, 'Da brat.'
'Postaraytes' ne ubit' yego, poka menya net.' Nik says in a light tone that belies the dark expression on his face.
'I can't make any promises.' Stev says.
Normally it annoys me when they both speak Russian, but for once I'm glad I don't understand.
Nik doesn't respond, he carries me out of the warehouse with purpose and strength and deposits me in a car that takes me far away from this nightmare.