Page 49

I nodded. “I got this. Go back to Gideon; Oleg will be here soon.”

After a moment he left us, and I smacked Alex’s arm.

“What the hell?”

I pointed right in his face. “I get that you have a lot of bullshit going on in that head of yours, but rein it in. If you have an issue with me admiring someone, tell me when we aren’t at risk of being killed.”

“You admire Maksim?”

“Alex!”

“Fine, okay, yes.”

“Good.” I saw a convoy moving closer to the building. “I think Oleg is here.”

“Finally.”

Maksim was standing by his car, Toni close but not hovering. The convoy Oleg was in was four cars deep. I counted thirteen men, and it was obvious who Oleg was just from the way he carried himself.

He was older—possibly in his fifties, I couldn’t remember if we’d been told. His hair was dark, but there was definitely some silver in there. His face was weathered, and he wore sunglasses. His expression was stone, and he approached Maksim slowly. Fortunately, we could hear them from here since everything echoed.

Oleg began talking and of course it was in Russian, and I didn’t have any clue what was being said. Maksim held up his hand, silencing Oleg.

“We’re in America. Speak English, Oleg. It’s good practice for you.” I saw how Maksim smirked and Oleg sneered.

“You become soft like an American.” Oleg cut the air with his hand. “Let us get this meeting over with. I have other things to do.”

“Very well. Shall we use Liev’s office? He’s not here.”

“Fine.” Oleg gave his men orders in Russian and then followed Maksim to Liev’s office. Four men went with Oleg while the others stayed. Those were good odds.

“It’s game time.” Alex grinned.

The plan was for Maksim to get Oleg into the office. Toni would be with him along with five other men, who’d walk in on Gideon’s cue. While they were subduing Oleg’s guys in the office, all of us were to take out the rest of the ones in the building.

Alex and I were poised and ready. We watched the office, and once the five men entered, we went hunting.

As soon as the office door closed, Alex and I headed in the direction we were ordered to and immediately encountered two Russians.

“I got left,” Alex said, and I aimed for the guy on the right.

We took them out in tandem and moved on. Even with suppressors, it was loud and we had to go fast. I had full confidence that the men in the office were not going to have any problems, and as easy as this was going, I didn’t want to let my guard down.

Alex took a shot and another guy fell. “Like fish in a barrel.” He laughed like a maniac.

Some of Gideon’s guys got winged, but the fatalities were all on Oleg’s side. As we all met on the main floor, the office door opened and a restrained Oleg was being forced out by Toni.

“All good?” Gideon asked him.

“No problem.”

“Good. Get him in the car.” Gideon turned to Alex and me. “Cleanup crew will be here in ten minutes. You two stay until they arrive, then meet us at the safe house.”

“You want us to stay here?” Alex was incredulous.

“Just until the cleanup crew arrives. We will meet you at the house.” He stepped up to Alex and placed a hand on his arm. “We won’t begin until you get there.”

That seemed to appease Alex. “Okay.”