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Mikhail frowns. “Why should we trust you?”
I set my jaw, a protective arm around Alina’s waist. “Itrust her. That should be good enough for you.”
“You’ll have to forgive me for not jumping off the deep end just because she asks me to.”
“Misha,” I growl. “Alina escaped that woman to warn us. She risked her life to get these pictures. She’s on our side—her last name be damned.”
“Believe me, there’s no love lost between Violetta and me. I might be your best shot at getting a glimpse into her mind. She never involved me in Bratva business, but I know how she thinks better than anyone in this room.” Alina points at the map, tapping one of the red X’s. “Clear out your men. Have them hold back while the Salkovs storm the place. They’ll think it an easy victory, that you’re running scared. Then you come from behind them and strike. If you’re smart about this, I’m confident you can take them out.Allof them.”
I glance at Dimitri, then to Mikhail. I can practically see the gears turning in their heads. It’s a sound strategy, though it’s not without risks. We’re still outnumbered and outgunned, but if we play our cards right…
“Does your mother know you sent us these pictures?” Mikhail asks.
“I don’t think so.”
“What are the chances she changes her plan of attack?” Dimitri adds. “She could pick another day, another time.”
Alina shakes her head. “No. Violetta has been planning this for weeks. She’s spent lots of time and money moving everyone into position. She’ll attack tonight, of that I’m sure.”
I glance at my wristwatch. “We have four hours. What’s your call, Misha?”
People say I’m hard to read, and even harder to crack, a trait I probably learned from my eldest brother, because right now, his face is impassable. His whole body is rigid and impossibly still. His mind is either completely blank, or he’s formulating a hundred different plans all at once. My money is on the latter.
Mikhail’s eyes flick up to meet mine. “Youdotrust her?”
“With my life,” I answer firmly.
“Then this is what we’re going to do,” he says, no longer speaking as my brother, but the head of the Antonov Bratva. “Aurora, you’ll stay here with the children. If things go south, I want you to take them on the next plane to New York. Natalya, you’ll be our field medic. You’ll be far from enemy lines taking care of our injured.
“Dimitri, you’ll be with me on the ground with the rest of our men. We’ll divide ourselves into two groups, an east flank and a west flank. If we can sneak up behind the Salkovs on either side, we’ll be able to cut them off with a pincer maneuver. Pyotr, how’s your aim?”
I shrug my shoulder. “I’m a decent shot, but it’s been a long time since I had any practice.”
“That’ll have to do. We’re short on firepower, so it’s all hands on deck. You’ll be stationed here.” Mikhail taps the map, indicating a tall high rise a few blocks away from an important storage warehouse that belongs to the Antonovs. “You can pick them off from afar and call out movements. You’ll be our eyes out there.”
“You got it.”
“What can I do to help?” Alina asks. She stands her ground when Mikhail casts her a scrutinizing look.
“You’re with me,” I tell her. “If I’m going to be sniping our enemies, I’ll need a spotter. Plus, I’d rather you stay away from the majority of the action. You’ll be safe at my side.”
She nods. “Alright then.”
“Let’s move out,” Mikhail says. “Everyone get ready. This is going to get messy. Pyotr, Alina… You two come with me.”
I’m not sure what my brother has in mind for us, but we follow his orders regardless. He takes us down the hall and down the stairs to his basement. The door is locked, but he has a key in his pocket to grant him access.
“I tell the kids it’s just storage down here,” he says.
When we descend the stairs and see what he has hidden away, everything suddenly becomes clear. He’s got a bunker down here, practically a private armory full of a wide range of weapons. Everything is securely mounted on the walls—machine guns, pistoles, rifles. There’s also a little security station set up, several monitors hooked up to show the live feeds from all the security cameras posted around his property. It’s no wonder he doesn’t let his kids down here. Mikhail turns to Alina.
“You’re going to be Pyotr’s eyes and ears. He may be able to see and help us from afar, but his own view of his surroundings will be narrow when he’s looking down the scope.” Mikhail hands her a pair of binoculars. “You must protect him. I would do it myself, but I’m needed on the ground. I’m trusting you with a very important job, do you understand?”
Alina nods, holding the binoculars tightly to her chest. “I understand.”
“And you,” he says, turning to pick a rifle from its mount. Mikhail hands it to me but says nothing. A silent conversation passes between us, his message conveyed in a single look.Be careful.
I take the weapon from him with a nod. This is it, the moment of truth.
