and a cold spike of fear stabbed deep into her spine. She kept a tight grip on Sumeki’s leash, even as she searched for the familiar—although barely—voice saying her name. She found him standing in the now-open doorway.
Tall.
Dark.
Domineering.
Terrifying.
Dressed in all black from head to toe—including the leather gloves on his hands—the man flashed Maya a cold, flippant grin. As though he didn’t have a care in the world, and like he might be able to actually taste her fucking fear.
Tomor.
She was sure that was his name.
Maya had only seen the Albanian once or twice with her father—he’d come with the other Albanian who her father had regularly owed debts to. So much so, that Maya had once been used as a way to pay it off.
The thought made her want to be sick.
The possible reason why Tomor was here made her want to fucking bolt.
She’d once seen this man stab a man in the eye with a pen because the guy had said something offhandedly while they’d sat at her father’s bar. Ivan had laughed it off, but it was clear her father had been uncomfortable.
But what could Ivan do or say?
He owed the Albanians.
He always fucking owned them.
“Valbon misses you,” Tomor said, his sly grin deepening a bit. “He wanted me to tell you that. I’m sure you haven’t forgotten your last meeting with him—he looks forward to repeating that when I return you to him tonight.”
Just a few words.
Three simple sentences.
Complete terror for her.
Maya shuddered.
All over.
No, she hadn’t forgotten that last meeting. And no, no, no … it would not be happening again. Maya didn’t even think about what she was going to do next—all she knew was that she needed to get away, and fast. She spun on her heel and bent down to grab Sumerki up from the ground. No doubt, he wouldn’t be able to keep up with her.
Grabbing the dog was a mistake. Hesitating that long was her second error.
She would never regret it, though. She would never have forgiven herself had she hurt Sumerki in her haste to get away, or worse, dropped his leash and run.
Maya didn’t even make it two steps away from the townhouse before Tomor was right behind her. His fist slammed into the back of her head, sending a cry of pain and shock shooting from her lips. He’d hit her. It wasn’t the first time a man had hit her, but it was the first time one had punched her with a closed fist in the back of her fucking head when she couldn’t even fight back.
The force alone sent her flying to the ground, and in her desire to protect a growling Sumerki, she couldn’t catch her fall. Not when she was too busy keeping him wrapped in her arms. Her cheek scraped against the pavement, and blood bloomed in her mouth.
Tomor laughed darkly, and then grabbed Maya by her hair to pull her up from the ground like she was nothing more than a ragdoll. Instinct made her arms fly out to claw at his arms, but all that did was make Sumerki fall to the ground.
The poor pup yelped as he hit the ground on his side, and rolled to his back before getting on all fours again. Maya cried out for Sumerki, even as Tomor yanked her back by her hair and started dragging her down the sidewalk. It didn’t matter how much she fought or shouted—no one was on the street to help, and her struggle didn’t bother Tomor in the least.
“The less you fight,” Tomor said, “the easier this will be, girl.”
“Fuck—”
Pop.
Maya had only seen the hazy form through her tear-filled eyes as he came down the street in their direction. She hadn’t even gotten a clear view of him before the soft noise. Tomor fell away from Maya with a morbid crack as his head hit the pavement.
Wide, dead eyes stared up.
Blood puddled under his body.
Then, Tomor blinked, a thick groan falling from his lips as his gaze swung in her direction from where he lay on the ground.
Okay, so not dead.
Maya inched away from the Albanian.
“You okay?”
Maya blinked, still staring at Tomor. She knew what just happened—that unmistakable pop of a gun firing with a silencer attached. And yet, her brain didn’t want to process.
“Are. You. Okay?”
That voice …
“You talk, no? Answer me, Maya.”
She glanced up as Konstantin Boykov came to a stop only a foot away from her. He was keeping his gun carefully aimed at Tomor on