Her stomach sank to the floor as Dennis began to drag her toward the door, but Stas had apparently taken a shine to her, because he thundered, “Don’t move, or I have my boys shoot you between the eyes!”
Dennis stopped cold, his breathing huffing from his chest.
“Bet you didn’t think we’d ever see each other again, huh, Teddy Bear,” he hissed in her ear to the tune of Cormac’s low growl.
“How did you find me?”
Jesus. What kind of stupid question is that? Who gave a shit how he found you? He found you!
Dennis cackled, nipping her earlobe. “Aw, Lovebug. You know how resourceful I am. I broke into the ranch and it was just my luck, Viktor and Vadim had written down your buddy Nina’s address. It was right there on the counter! Imagine my surprise when I saw you were in New York. I couldn’t believe it. You hate the city. So I borrowed Daddy’s plane and here I am. I watched. I waited while you were in that castle. A castle—crazy, right? Anyway, I knew you’d come out of there at some point and when you did, I followed you. Easy-peasy. And now here we are. Reunited.” He yanked her hair, sending a violent shiver down her spine.
Teddy held her breath as Stas approached.
He sucked his cheeks inward. “This is all very nice, but I am busy man. Now, where are you taking my malutka?”
Teddy felt Dennis tense behind her, tightening his grip on her by wrapping his arm around her neck and squeezing. “Stay the fuck where you are and no one gets hurt,” he ordered.
Stas’s chin lifted in indignation and his eyes narrowed dangerously. “Do you know who I am?”
“I don’t give a shit!” Dennis sneered. “This bitch is mine. Now back the fuck off, tell your shitheads to back the fuck off, and shut the fuck up, and we’ll leave here all nice and peaceful. I’ve waited a goddamn long time to get my hands on my wife. This is between her and me. Now I said, back off!”
“Oh dear,” Stas muttered and clucked his tongue in that condescending way he had, then made pleading eyes at Teddy. “You did not tell Stas you were married, malutka. This hurts me so. I thought we were beginning a beautiful friendship, but you start our journey by deceiving me?”
Her neck ached as she struggled against Dennis’s steel grip. “Dennis isn’t my husband anymore!” she managed to squeak out around the pressure constricting her throat.
Stas stood up straight and eyed them critically. “Then it would appear we have a standoff. I will not let you take my sweet bird, and you do not wish to give her back to me. Whatever shall we do, Dennis?”
Her knees trembled. The last time Dennis had her in his clutches, he’d almost killed her, and now she had not one but two psychopaths fighting over her. She had to do something, but fear paralyzed her, rooted her to the spot as Dennis’s breath rasped against her ear, his heavy breathing making her cringe.
“Who is this guy? Is he your boyfriend?” Dennis spat, shoving the gun into her flesh again.
The sharp zing of pain made her arch away from him. “Dennis, let me go! You have no idea who you’re dealing with!” she shrieked, unable to contain her fear.
If nothing else, Dennis was the lesser of two evils, but with all these guns pointed at her, there was nowhere to go and she wasn’t leaving this room without Cormac and fake Toni.
“Tell me, Dennis,” Stas crowed. “Are you going to kill my pretty bird? What could someone so pretty have done to you?”
Teddy’s heart stopped. Yep. He was probably going to take her out. Finish the job he’d begun over a year ago, and she was helpless to stop him.
“It’s none of your business!” he screamed, his voice rising, his movements jerky and stuttered.
Teddy knew that tone. She knew it meant he was on the verge of cracking. He’d sounded exactly like this the moment before he’d pushed her over that ravine. When he realized she was never coming back to their marriage, he’d lost his mind, and he was going to lose it again.
She had to do something.
What? What could she possibly do without creating all-out havoc for everyone else?
Stas shook his head and put his hands on his hips. “You do know you will never get out the door alive, don’t you, foolish boy?”
And that’s when it hit her—Stas had nothing to lose. If Dennis dragged her out the door and his band of merry men took shots at them, Stas’s problems were solved. She’d be dead and then he’d kill Cormac and Marty. Game over.
Her guts tied all up in a knot. Her heart pulsed in her ears as the stench of Dennis’s indecision and sweat permeated her nose.
What to do, what to do? Teddy’s panic level rose by at least five hundred notches, but circumstances kept her from making a choice.