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I scramble away, a sheet wrapped around me, sobbing as I reach the door. I’m not willing to leave Andrei behind, but at that moment, a primal instinct surges within me. I have to protect our baby.
“Go!” Andrei shouts again. My heart races as I stumble away from the room, and I can feel my legs tremble beneath me as I crawl toward the hallway door.
Despite my fear, I can’t bring myself to go too far. Tears are streaming down my face as I scream uncontrollably. But no one can hear me with the hallway door shut.
I keep crawling, and in the dark, my hand touches something in Andrei’s jacket … his gun.
And it’s enough for me to make a split-second decision. One that I hope will ultimately save our lives. I grab the gun and pull the trigger. An ear-splitting bang alerts the whole household. Suddenly, all the lights come on in every room of the house, and I hear footsteps running up the stairs. I scream again, and Vanya appears at the door, fully dressed though his brown hair is slightly ruffled.
“Paige, where is Andrei?” he asks, wide-eyed.
But before I can respond, another gunshot resounds through the bedroom, making me shriek in terror. Vanya hurries toward the bedroom door and yanks his gun from his belt. His face contorts in fury as he disappears into the room. I turn back to follow him, but I’m swept up from behind by strong arms, not Andrei’s arms.
I kick and scream as I’m carried down the stairs. “I can’t leave him!” I punch at the person who is desperately trying to save me. I scream again, bringing Emma in her sweats to her bedroom door.
“Paige, what’s happening?” she asks with fear in her voice.
I point toward the stairs, barely able to speak. “Assassin.”
Emma grabs my arms and pulls me toward her bedroom. Tears stream down my face as I drop to the ground. I have no idea where I’m going, but all I know is that we have to get away. Viktor appears beside Emma, and without another word, they rush me quickly down the hallway to the hidden stairs in the closet. For a second, Emma gazes around in amazement at the old bricks winding down in a spiral, but soon we’re moving quickly again. We reach the bottom step as another deafening gunshot echoes through the air.
I cry out. “I have to go back!”
Viktor grabs my arm, and Emma urges me to hustle as we head toward the small garage behind the house. We hide inside, surrounded by implements of torture, and I want to grab something and go back in there and fight for my husband. But I can’t. I sit down heavily on a metal chair and double over. The baby is kicking inside me. Viktor stands by the doors, peering cautiously out through a narrow crack between them.
Eventually, Vanya steps into the garage. His expression is solemn, and his face is covered with sweat.
“It’s okay,” he says to Viktor. “You can return to the house. Take them to another bedroom. We have to clean up.”
Viktor nods, but my feet refuse to move. I take deep breaths, thankful that Andrei is alive. “I need a minute,” I tell him. “I have to catch my breath.”
He is patient and stares intently at my belly. A month ago, I looked as if I had a potbelly from a big meal of carbs, but the way I move now, it is obvious that I’m pregnant. Viktor stares at me as if he’s way out of his depth.
“He’s okay?” I ask Viktor for confirmation. “He’s not been hurt.”
Viktor nods. “No more than usual,” he replies.
“That’s little comfort.” My fear transforms into irritation. “What happened with security? How did the intruder know a way in?”
Viktor shrugs. “You and Andrei had a big party recently, and people like to spy.”
“You mean that could’ve been one of ourallies?” I ask incredulously.
“It could have been anybody who needs money and is willing to take a risk.”
Meanwhile, Emma paces back and forth in an attempt to distract herself from our latest dire situation. At last, she stops and turns to me with hatred brewing in her eyes. “You have to leave him,” she says firmly.
“Emma, I can’t do this right now. All I want is to go to bed. My back hurts, and my husband was almost murdered.”
“I’m sorry, Paige, but I can’t do this anymore. I won’t live here anymore. And you shouldn’t either.”
“You can’t leave here.” My voice hardens. “Not on your own. We talked about this.”
Emma looks at Viktor. Her eyes silently question him as she holds her mouth closed tight. He glances at me, and then I notice the determination in the way he holds himself. He nods to Emma, and she tells me what they’ve been planning.
“I told you I want to have my life back. I’m leaving with Viktor, Paige.” Her voice wavers a little as she speaks. “You can come with us, but I can’t do this anymore. I’m tired of living in fear. I’m tired of being a pawn in someone else’s game. Even if that someone is you.”
“You don’t mean that.”
