Chapter 26.

NORA CARUSO. Nikolai didn't wait for Sergey to open the door. He shoved it open himself, stepping out onto the pavement. He buttoned his suit jacket, "Stay close to me," he commanded, reaching back into the car. He didn't offer his hand. He grabbed my wrist, and I stumbled out of the SUV, my heels scraping against the grit. "Nikolai, please," I whispered, my heart hammering against my ribs. "You don't have to do this, we can just leave." He ignored me. He was in a trance of rage, the kind that was cold and focused. The phone call had triggered something in him. Sergey flanked us, a heavy semi-automatic pistol already drawn and held low against his thigh. He moved with the silent efficiency of a trained killer, scanning the shadows. We walked toward the gaping maw of Warehouse 4. The large sliding doors were cracked open, inside, crates were stacked high into the rafters, in the center of the clearing stood a group of five men. They dressed in leather jackets and denim, their faces unsh