Chapter Sei
884 Words
3:30 PM — THE KUZNETSOV ARMORY
The garage was a temple of cold steel and German engineering.
Four BMW M5 CS models sat in a row, their matte frozen deep green paint absorbing the dim overhead lights like shadows.
They weren’t just cars; they were armored fortresses on wheels, tuned for the kind of speed that could outrun a death sentence.
"Everything’s synced," Killian said, slamming the trunk of the lead BMW. Inside, nestled in custom foam, were suppressed rifles and tactical gear.
"Engine mapping is set for high-speed pursuit. The windows are Level 4 ballistic glass. We can take a grenade and keep moving."
I stood by the driver’s side of the lead car, my hand resting on the cold roof. My mind was back at the university, back in that cafeteria where I had to leave her behind with those six "babysitters."
"Ace, status on the other side?" I asked.
Ace looked up from his laptop, perched on the hood of the second BMW.
"The Setagaya convoy just left the campus. Two BMW 7-Series limousines. Himari is in the lead one with Yuki and Maxim. Ken is in the second one, probably practicing his 'I’m the new King' speech in the mirror."
"He’s confident," Vel added, checking the chamber of his sidearm before tucking it into his waistband.
"He thinks he has the home-court advantage. He thinks since it’s your father’s house, you’ll play by your father’s rules."
"That’s his first mistake," I said, sliding into the driver’s seat.
The engine roared to life with a guttural, aggressive growl that vibrated through my chest. "His second mistake was thinking I’d let him walk her to the table."
4:15 PM — EN ROUTE TO THE ESTATE
The four BMWs moved like a predatory pack through the slushy streets of Moscow. I led the formation, the HUD on my windshield glowing with tactical data.
In my mind, I could see Himari. I knew she was looking out the window of that 7-Series, watching the grey city blur past, her heart probably racing.
Was she scared? Or did she feel the same electric pull I did?
Ten years. I gripped the Alcantara steering wheel tighter. My gloves creaked.
“I missed the flower, Cassi. But I missed the boy who cared for it even more.”
Those words were a death warrant for anyone standing between us.
If she still cared for that boy, I would burn the world to make sure he had a place to stand beside her.
"Boss," Killian’s voice came through the comms, crisp and professional.
"We’re five minutes out from the estate gates. Security is triple the usual.
It’s not a dinner, Five. It’s an ambush."
"Let them try," I replied, my eyes hardening as the massive iron gates of the Kuznetsov Estate appeared in the distance.
"Ace, jam their internal comms the moment we hit the driveway. I want them blind and deaf."
"Copy that. Initiating black-out in three... two..."
4:30 PM — THE ENTRANCE COURT
The tires of the M5 screeched against the cobblestone as I drifted the car into a hard stop right in front of the grand entrance, blocking the path just as the Setagaya limousines arrived.
The doors of the 7-Series flew open. The six guards—Yuki, Maxim, and the rest—stepped out instantly, their hands moving to their jackets.
I stepped out of my car, the wind whipping my coat around my legs. Behind me, Ace, Killian, and Vel stepped out in perfect synchronization, three shadows silhouetted by the BMW’s headlights.
"Kuznetsov!" Yuki shouted, his face pale with fury.
"You were told to stay away until the formal seating!"
"I don't take orders from the help," I said, walking past him toward the rear door of the lead limousine.
Yuki stepped in my way, his hand catching my chest. "She is under our protection."
I didn't even look at him.
I just grabbed his wrist—the same way I had grabbed Ken’s—and twisted just enough to make him hiss in pain. "You’re doing a s**t job if you think she’s safe inside that house."
I pulled the door open.
Himari sat there, framed by the dark leather interior. She looked like a ghost in her lavender dress, her eyes wide.
When she saw me, she didn't flinch. She didn't look at Yuki.
She only looked at me.
"Cassi," she breathed, the hope I had seen earlier now blazing like a sun.
"Out," I said, holding out my hand. "We aren't walking in there like they want us to. We’re walking in together."
From the second limousine, Ken Setagaya stepped out, his face twisted in a sneer. "Cassian! You’re overstepping. This is a family matter!"
I turned my head slightly, my gaze lethal. "You’re right, Ken. It is a family matter. And you’re not part of the family." Akala mo ha.
I looked back at Himari, waiting.
The world felt like it was holding its breath. The six guards were tense, my three brothers were ready to draw, and the Russian winter was screaming around us.
"Take my hand, Himari," I whispered, my voice thick with a decade of longing.
"And I promise you, by the time the sun rises, no one will ever tell you where to sit again."
- Writer
