AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Ilya stands his ground as Nicolo approaches, his significant size managing to diminish the Italian mafioso’s bravado just a hair. But it gives me comfort to see my brother in all hispakhanglory. Nicolo might have a larger army at his disposal, but Ilya is far from defenseless, and his men form a defensive line behind him, displaying the depth of their loyalty.
“Ilya,” Nicolo says coldly, extending his hand to my brother, who accepts it confidently, giving it a firm shake.
The tension between them is palpable, forming an electric cloud of anticipation around their men. Clearly, these two hotshots don’t play well with others, and my nerves intensify as I wonder if this alliance is actually going to work. God, it better because we’ve already wasted enough time waiting for Nicolo to arrive.
Lucca joins them without question, placing himself squarely between the two, and I do the same, jumping from the back of the jeep to enter the discussion despite my feet’s loud complaints.
“What’s it look like?” Nicolo asks, turning his attention to his brother.
“Here’s where Cass dropped the pin for the house’s location,” Lucca said, cutting straight to the chase and pulling out his phone.
A satellite view of the estate pinpoints a red dot just next to a large, gable-studded roof. To one side, the runway where we landed in the private jet stretches like a long finger. Dense forest surrounds the home on every other side.
“We’re here,” he says, pointing to the east of the pin. “The house is about half a mile past the wall that way.”
Everyone’s eyes follow as he points in the direction of the home.
Nicolo takes the phone from his brother, examining it closely for a moment. “It looks like a considerable estate. We need to keep an eye out for any scouts. I’m sure they’ll be on the lookout since Bianka escaped.” He scans the men gathered behind Ilya, then glances quickly over his shoulder at his own men before continuing. “With forty-four men total, we can fan out, surround these three sides, and close in using the forest for cover,” he decides.
Eyes flicking up to Ilya momentarily, he carries on, commanding my brother, “You and your men take the east side. My men and I will cover the back and west. With our guns, we’ll draw more attention naturally, and that will lead anyone farther away from this camp.”
Studying the Bratva men behind my brother once more, he gives a sharp nod. “You’ll infiltrate quickly and quietly while we create a distraction. Then, we’ll follow you inside.”
“Sounds to me like you’re offering my men up as bait,” Ilya growls, the tendons in his jaw popping as he glares down at Nicolo. “What makes you so confident my men and I will even be helping? Why should we when I already have what I came for?” he presses, gesturing toward me.
I gasp, appalled that my brother would back out now, even if he has a point strategically. Nicolo straightens stiffly, his eyes narrowing.
“Besides,” Ilya continues, his gruff tone making me cringe internally, “it seems like you have enough manpower. I don’t need to get my men killed when you have plenty of your own.”
“Ilya,” I whisper sharply, willing him to stop before he takes his point too far, but he ignores me completely, his eyes locked on Nicolo as his shoulders tense with fury.
“I don’t know what game you think you’re playing,” Nicolo says coldly, his eyes flashing. “Or if you think you’ve won now that you have your sister back, but this isn’t a game to me. That’s my brother in there,” he says sharply, pointing through the trees toward the Matron’s home. “He risked his life to rescue your sister, which means you owe him a debt.”
The clearing falls agonizingly quiet as my brother and Cassio’s stare each other down for several long moments, locked in a silent battle of wills. I can’t seem to find the breath to speak, let alone the words I might say to de-escalate the situation.
Then Nicolo continues, his tone shifting into a far more casual lilt that cuts through some of the tension. “And need I remind you that my family is the one who avenged you when you were shot not too long ago? It’s time to return the favor.”
The cold reminder of how my brother almost died not a year ago strikes terror in my heart. I don’t want to lose Cassio, but I can’t stand the thought of putting Ilya in danger either. Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that my brother’s not indestructible. He looks and acts so invincible, but he’s not. He’s human and perfectly capable of dying just like anyone else.
I got a powerful taste of that medicine when men from this very Bratva that kidnapped me put him in critical condition after pumping eight bullets into his back. I shiver, recalling Whitney’s description of how Ilya used his body as a shield to protect her from taking the bullets meant for her.
And once again, my brother’s being forced to put his body on the line to protect someone he loves. Because I know he wouldn’t be here if my life hadn’t been at great risk. It doesn’t matterwhythe Matron had me kidnapped. It matters that Ilya came for me. And I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to him because of it.
Ilya’s fists clench as he works his jaw furiously. I know it’s not fear holding him back but pride over being challenged by Nicolo’s assumption of authority, along with a concern for the lives of his men.
“Fine,” he agrees grudgingly. “But you do not command my men. I’m in charge of their safety. So we’ll find a plan we can agree upon. One that will not get them slaughtered.”
“Agreed,” Nicolo says tersely.
Lucca releases an audible breath, mirroring my relief. “We have no layout of the house,” he continues, pressing past the uncomfortable exchange before the tension can suffocate us all, “but Cass sent me intel on the doors and the guards stationed at each–at least when he was trying to infiltrate. I imagine they’ll be more heavily guarded now that Bianka managed to escape.”
He pulls up another map with tiny Xs indicating points of entry.
“This is the door we escaped through,” I cut in, indicating it with my finger. “They held Ellie and me in an office on the ground floor on this side of the house,” I add, moving to the north side of the house that looks out on the trees. “It had big windows, and now that it’s light, I’m sure anyone inside would see someone coming.”
Nicolo’s eyes snap up to study me, perhaps assessing how much he can trust my information, or maybe he’s just surprised I could give any. “Do you know how many men they have?”
I shake my head. “But they had two in the room with us and eight on the plane–not counting the pilot. Cass killed five of them helping us escape, but they weren’t all the same men who kidnapped us, so they must have more than what I saw.”
