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ISABELLA
Dressed in red leather, I feel weirdly calm.
With all the mercenaries that have been hired, we have sixty trained men. The bratva, Semion and Lev, arrived with twenty more.
And then there are the seven of us.
“Semion and Lev, you’ll breach the front with your men plus ten of ours,” Alexei says one final time. “Carson, Damien, and Lucian will enter from the south with thirty men. Winter, you’re with us, and then the vent is your baby. Demitri, Isabella, and I will move in from the west with the rest of the men. Once I launch the RPG, it will be a free-for-fucking-all. Be ready.”
Everyone murmurs their understanding.
Just then, Alexei’s phone begins to ring, and taking it out of his pocket, he puts it on speaker. His features are unforgiving as he answers, “Madame Keller.”
‘Mr. Koslov, I hear you’ll be paying St. Monarch’s a visit?’
“There’s still time for you to send Sonia out,” Alexei replies.
‘Reconsider your actions, Mr. Koslov, or I’ll be forced to place an open contract on your head.’
Alexei lets out a dark chuckle. “Don’t let me keep you.”
‘Alexei...’
Placing his hands on the table, he stares down at the phone. “Get out of there, Madame Keller. I only want Sonia.”
He cuts the call and tucks the device back in his pocket, then he says, “Final weapons check.”
I begin with the KA-BARs tucked in my right boot and strapped to my left forearm, then I check the clips in my Heckler & Koch and Glock. A sub-machine gun hangs over my shoulder, and I have a backpack with more ammo.
I tug at my armored vest to make sure it’s secure.
Alexei stares down the engraved steel of his gun, then slowly, his eyes lift to the people who are willing to die for him. He takes a moment to look at each one, and then his eyes lock with mine before settling on Demitri.
He tucks his gun behind his back, then lets out a deep breath as he adjusts the black coat he always wears. “If any of you want to leave, do so now. I won’t hold it against you.”
Not a single person moves. “Where you go, we go,” Lucian replies.
Alexei takes another breath. “If any of you come across Madame Keller and she wants to leave, give her safe passage. I only want Sonia. As soon as Sonia’s confirmed dead, we pull out.”
There’s a moment’s silence, and then Alexei says, “Let’s hunt.”
Semion and Lev file out of the building with their men, but before Carson can leave, Alexei grabs hold of his shoulder, yanking him into a tight embrace.
“Stay alive,” Alexei murmurs.
“You too.” The brothers let go of each other while Damien and Winter take a moment to say their goodbye.
Winter’s the one to push Damien back. “Go, I’ll be fine.”
Damien takes one last look at his wife, and then he leaves with Carson, Lucian, and their group of men.
Winter comes to stand next to me, and then Alexei locks eyes with her. “As soon as you’ve dropped the pepper grenade, I want you to get your ass off the grounds.”
“What?” Winter gasps, frowning at Alexei.
“I won’t risk Nickolai losing both parents. It is not negotiable. You leave the moment you’re done in the vents.”
“Alexei!”
Demitri steps toward his sister-in-law and snaps, “Winter, think of Nickolai!”
Winter pauses, and then she reluctantly nods, clearly upset.
“Time to leave,” Alexei orders, and then we walk out of the building.
When we reach the SUV, Alexei slides in behind the steering wheel, and Demitri takes the passenger seat while Winter and I climb in the back. The rest of the men load into the other vehicles, and then Alexei steers us away from the building.
As we head toward St. Monarch’s, I think how much everything’s changed.
Six months ago, I was fighting a losing battle against my mother.
Six months ago, Alexei was the devil I heard horror stories about. He was my enemy, not because of my mother, but because I thought there wasn’t an ounce of good in him.
Boy, was I wrong.
Turns out Alexei’s everything I stand for.
I close my eyes, wanting one last moment to relish in the fact that he loves me.
I love him.
And we might both die today.
At least I got to taste some goodness in this life. I got to feel intense raw passion from a man who protected and adored me.
I got to make a difference.
My life might end today, and I’m okay with that – as long as my mother joins me in hell.
Then I allow the horrors I’ve seen to flash through my mind. The broken bodies and destroyed souls. The depravity and unspeakable agony.
It sets fire to my soul, and when I open my eyes, I’m ready to end my mother’s reign of terror.
