Stumbling, her eyes widen as I step forward, forcing her retreat.
“Don’t,” I warn, my voice low. “You heard my husband. We’re wasting time. He betrayed us, and the longer we chat, the more danger we’re in.”
Zoya stares at me with something like awe in her features, and Yana flat-out grins.
Irma hesitates, thrown off. I may not remember everything, but my muscles know exactly how to disarm a threat, even before I do.
Yana speaks up. “The evidence is right in front of you. Look at the text. Not only did he leave with one of the guards, but he also set us up. He setallof us up.”
“I won’t believe it!” Irma says, but she doesn’t come at Rafail again.
Rafail’s icy gaze snaps to his uncle’s. “Get her out of here.” Eduard has the good sense to listen as Yana reads the texts out loud.
He’s onto her being the Romanova woman
Soloto is in the city
We have to move
Ice pulses through my veins. Zoya stares at me. “The Romanova woman?” she asks, shaking her head. “Who?”
I look to Rafail. I don’t know how to tell them this. I don’t know what to say. I don’t know who to believe.
For once, I’m thankful Rafail is so decisive. “We’ll tell you more when we know more.” He turns to Semyon. “You were the one who led me to the city.”
Semyon runs a hand through his damp hair as he shakes his head. “I ran the files. I checked her location. I matched her pictures to the ones we were given and confirmed it was her.”
Rafail clenches his jaw. “How? Gleb’s texts reveal that he knew Anissa’s identity.”
Yana’s sitting on a sofa, her phone in hand. “I think I know how.”
“Brother, with all due respect—” Rodion interrupts.
Rafail yanks his gaze to his. Rodion swallows but continues.
“If Gleb and the Popov guard know our location and they’re working with Soloto, we need tomove.We aren’t safe here.”
Rafail curses under his breath and grits his teeth.
Semyon interjects. “It might be too late,” he says, shaking his head. “If they’re in the city, we don’t have time to retreat. We’ll have to arm ourselves.”
“No.” Rafail shakes his head. “We aren’t safe here, but we aren’t safe if we leave. We need to arm ourselves and come up with a plan.”
Grandfather raises a hand, his worn, wrinkled face placid, but his eyes narrowed in concern. “Rafail?”
Rafail looks to him. Grandfather holds a tablet in his hand and flicks it on. “Popov left the specifications for all exits and points of retreat in the event of an attack. I studied them while I was in the kitchen before dinner.” He shrugs. “Keeps an old man busy.”
He turns the tablet around and points to a few marked places on a map of the network of rooms. “There are secondary exits. We have two choices, then. We could create a diversion if they attack and exit the main door, or we can use a secondary exit.” He frowns. “That said, the rooms are impenetrable. Once someone enters them, and they double lock the door from the inside, nothing can get in—not smoke or gunfire, even a flood.”
Rafail nods. I can almost see his mind whirring as he snaps into commander mode, humble enough to take advice from his family but confident enough to decide what to do. “The larger our party as we exit, the more vulnerable we become. Matvei, you’ll stay with your parents.” He shakes his head. “It will calm them and make you less of a target if we encounter Gleb.”
Matvei scowls but nods. No one has a choice but to obey. He continues.
“Grandfather, I want you here as well. I promise we’ll come for you as soon as possible.”
Grandfather nods and hands the tablet to Rafail. “I trust you,” is all he says, but I swear Rafail stands taller.
“Zoya and Yana—” he begins.
