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And she doesn’t miss a beat. “I know,” she responds softly.
“Ready!” the Russian guard yells.
Fuck.I feel Lake begin to shake and my protective instincts kick in. I pull her against me, turning slightly, trying to shield her, even though I know it’s useless.
I need to kiss her one last time. My lips press against hers, eyes squeezing shut, and I feel the hot wetness of her tears against my face.
Or maybe they’re mine, mixing with hers.
“Aim!”
Our grips on each other tighten.
We’re over before we even had a chance to begin.
A moment later, the crack of firing weapons fills the air and I flinch, preparing for the pain. But none comes. My eyes snap open and the entire firing squad is down on the ground, dead, bleeding out from gunshot wounds.
“Move it, Slater!” Fallon yells from some hidden location.
I can’t fucking believe it.Fallon’s voice is music to my ears and I’m going to give every one of my amazing team a raise, a bonus and then kiss them all before sending them on a paid vacation. Even Maddox is going to get a smooch on his grumpy face.
“C’mon!” I pull Lake with me and we run away from the wall as more armed guards appear. I head toward where I think Fallon is hiding and, just when I start worrying about getting a bullet in the back, friendly shots whiz through the air and begin picking off the guards, one by one.
What the hell?I look around, trying to figure out where they’re coming from. I know my crew has some serious shooting skills, but this almost seems like the precision work of a sniper.
Once the rest of the guards are down, two men drop from the branches of a couple of trees. I immediately recognize Aidan “Vain” Wolf and Cassian “Ghost” Stone, former Navy SEALs and good friends. They’re members of Blue Squadron, also known as the pirates, and their sniper skills just saved our asses.
Fallon appears and motions for us to follow Aidan and Cassian. “Go! Finn is waiting!”
But I pause. “They’ve got Nik.”
“S&M are on it. We’ll get him and the T-Force,” she assures me, her gaze moving over my battered face. I know I must look like shit. “Now get the hell outta here. We’re right behind you.”
The idea that we’re all going to make it and escape this Russian hellhole fills me with a new hope. Lake and I run over to Aidan and Cassian and they guide us across the south side of the lawn. The snow is deeper here and I slip, but Lake holds my arm tightly, keeping me from falling. Once again, I feel my heart expand with warmth and love for her.
“You two okay?” Cassian asks, eyeing me. “Cuz you look like shit, Slater.”
“Thanks a lot,” I grunt.
“I think he has some broken ribs,” Lake says.
“And maybe a concussion,” I add dryly. “But I’ll be fine. Just get us the fuck out of here.”
“Wish I had some time for you to recover because this next part isn’t going to be very fun for you,” Aidan tells me, slowing down his pace. “Brace yourself, we’re going to have to do some swimming.”
His words stop me in my tracks and, taking in our surroundings, I notice we’re partway out on the frozen lake beside Petrov’s compound.Fuck me.The snow has blown away where I’m standing and I look straight down through the thick chunk of ice and into the dark water below it.
I’d rather go back and face Petrov’s firing squad than deal with the freezing water beneath my boots.
“That section of the lake isn’t completely frozen,” Cassian explains and points ahead. “Don’t worry. It’s just a quick swim.”
Easy for them to say.Fucking frogs.
Dread pumps through my veins, but if it’s just a quick swim, I can do it. I have to. I fucking hate water. I give myself a quick mental pep talk as I survey our surroundings for an alternate option and conclude there aren’t any. As long as I don’t have to put my head under, I’ll make it. At least that’s what I’ll keep telling myself until we’re safely out of this mess.
My thoughts are interrupted by an ominous whistling followed by a huge explosion that rocks the ice beneath our feet. I let go of Lake, stumble forward and fall onto my knees. Nearby, Aidan yells, “RPG!”
It’s not just any rocket propelled grenade, though. It’s a fucking powerful Soviet RPG-7 and my teeth are still rattling in my skull when the second one hits the ice way too close for comfort. The impact from the RPG shatters a section of the ice and I watch in horror as the growing cracks zigzag toward me.
