AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Get dressed. We're taking you to the safe room."
My entire house is a fucking safe room. I designed it this way, and when my family retreated here, we were ready. It’s reinforced with bulletproof glass, extra surveillance systems, and my brothers have upped their weapons to automatic guns,stationed at various points throughout the house. Even the doors are reinforced steel. But we designed a room just for Aria.
"What's going on? If someone breached security, Mikhail, I can help – "
"No. We need to get you to safety, now."
"At least let me bring my laptop!" I know she hates feeling helpless, but I don't care about her helping right now. I want her safe.
"Leave the fucking laptop," I snap. I take her by the hand and yank her over to the dresser. "Put some clothes on. Now!”
She purses her lips, but doesn't respond, just reaches in her dresser and grabs fistfuls of clothing. She yanks them on. I open the door of my bedroom, armed.
"I have a secure room on this floor, designed for this purpose."
"What purpose? I have no idea what you're talking about."
"To keep you safe if the home is under attack."
This room is strategically located off the main hallway, in a discreet area of the house difficult for outsiders to locate. While the bedrooms are on the perimeter of the house, this room is in the dead center.
It was a large closet that I once used as an office, but I quickly had it converted. The walls, ceiling, and floor are constructed with thick bulletproof material that will not cave under gunfire or an explosion. The entrance is a heavy reinforced door, but the outside looks like it's a large tapestry. Inside there are multiple locks and deadbolts. I pull up my phone, tap the app that Aleksand I designed, and when I slide my hand against the panel of the door, it opens.
"Wow," Aria says, obviously awed. "That is impressive."
Inside the room I have a secure internet connection, and more safety measures. There are closed-circuit television cameras with a live feed around the surrounding area, supplies such as food, water, basic amenities, and medical supplies. One bed, a television, a few comfortable chairs. And while it's well ventilated, there's no window in this room.
"I knew that you took security to the next level, Mikhail. But the security infrastructure here is really something else.” I half push her in and shut the door behind us.
According to Kolya, Volkov has lost his mind. This is no longer about a moratorium, or honoring the rules of our brotherhood. This is revenge, pure and simple. And while I will not hide for any length of time, and I will not cower under his threat, we need a minute to gather our resources.
She sits on the bed, lifts the remote control, and does a quick surveillance of the equipment I have in here.
"Really, this is incredible, but are you sure you're not overreacting? What happened?"
“I'm not sure yet.”
I tap a button on my phone and call my brothers.
The conference call quickly picks up with Aleks, Viktor and Nikko, swiftly followed by Lev and Ollie.
“Jesus,” Viktor says, scowling at the camera with his arms crossed on his chest. "The fucking balls of these guys. "
"Tell me."
I'm pacing the small room while she looks over everything I have on the computer.
"We've detained one attacker,” Viktor says. "Kolya wouldn’t let me kill him."
"Of course you can't fucking kill him," I tell him. "We need him to talk. Did you get any information out of him?"
Aria cringes on the bed and shakes her head. Maybe this is all a bit too much for her, but I don't care. Her safety is more important than anything right now.
"Yes. He broke more easily than I thought he would. He says there are no further attacks, that Volkov wanted to warn us. He said that he's gone mad, and even his own men don't trust him anymore."
That corroborates with what Kolya told us. "I see."
“You don't have to keep her in the safe room, Mikhail. We have everything stabilized out here."
