Luca said something to Leo, and the other man nodded, getting back in the car. He briefly made eye contact with me, but his expression remained stoic. Then, next to me, Maxim let out a snarl.
I held my hand up.
“We’re here,” I said, looking at Luca.
He looked worse than I’d thought. His scars were more prominent in the daylight, and he had a cane. The man was feeble and weak.
Yet, he got to us.
He got to Leo, and he found our weakness.
I imagined his revenge was years in the making.
“You’re here,” Luca said, laughing maniacally.
Next to him, Catalina looked at us with wide eyes, shaking her head. I know what she was saying no to.
She didn’t want me to exchange my life for her.
Silly girl.
Didn’t she know I would experience a thousand deaths if it meant she was safe?
“Let’s get on with this,” I said.
Luca looked at me, his head cocked to the side, as if studying an unknown species.
He pointed to his face. “Do you like your handiwork? Are you proud of it?”
I didn’t answer him, not wanting to provoke him with Catalina close by.
“Walk over to me, and I send her over. Slowly. And I wouldn’t do anything,” Luca said, holding up a small remote. “We don’t want the little princess to blow into pieces.”
I heard Mikhail suck in a sharp breath at Luca’s words, but he kept silent.
I nodded to Catalina.
She shook her head.
I made my eyes hard. “Catalina.”
Tears streamed down her face, and she stubbornly shook her head again.
“Pet, do this for me. Okay?”
A sob burst free from her lips, and Luca pushed her shoulder to get her moving. She stumbled but didn’t fall. Nikolay took a step forward. “Don’t fucking touch her.”
“Careful, Nikki. You don’t want to anger me. I’ll blow the girl up and kill all of us.”
I ignored them and took a step forward. Mikhail looked like he wanted to stop me. I shook my head.
Opening my arms, I looked at Catalina. “Come over to me, baby.”
She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
“Come on.”
Slowly, she took one step forward. Then another, and another. I matched my pace with her.