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My friend nods and starts to untie her, but Kirill shakes his head. “Take her just like this. Only untie her when you reach the house. I’m sure you’ll understand, Mother. Your nagging is grating, and I prefer not to expose my men to any unnecessary stress.” A muffled scream rips from her, but Kirill is already heading toward the warehouse door. Yulia thrashes and screams behind the duct tape, eyes blazing and her whole regal demeanor ripped to shreds. I’m frozen by the scene but only for a few seconds. I snap out of it when Viktor silently follows Kirill to the car and takes my previous spot beside Yuri. I hide my gun, feeling like a clown. Apparently, I’m the only one who wasn’t aware of this situation. “Get in.” Kirill peeks from the back seat, and I nearly stumble inside before catching myself. Silence falls over the car as Yuri revs forward and drives at high speed. I place both hands on my knees, gripping tightly for a moment too long. I think even Yuri was aware of the ‘kidnappin