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Sam’s thoughts came to a complete halt when he heard shouts and the familiar pops of gunfire from a distance. Ellie’s hand jumped before grabbing his sweater.
He wished he could take her hand, but Sam needed to be able to move quickly and intervene if danger came through the door. It was frustrating not being in contact with his brothers, not know what was happening, or if he could help.
He could feel a low rumbling under his feet, followed by more shots, this time much closer.
Time accelerated, and there were people running in the hallway. With only the faint moonlight seeping from the window as his guide Sam aimed at the door.
Silence returned for an instant, quickly followed by a knock. “Sam? It’s Kai and Aleksei.”
Tension fled from Sam’s shoulders when he recognized his brother’s drawl.
With Ellie still clinging to his sweater, Sam unlocked the door. Immediately, Kai’s big frame filled the door while Aleksei stood guard.
Before he could react, Sam was caught in his brother’s hug.
“Dammit, Sam! You scared the shit out of us!”
Stunned, Sam awkwardly returned the hug. His brothers had banded together with an unspoken loyalty between them, but Sam had never realized how much he mattered to them, and them to him.
Kai stood back in a jerk, noticing Ellie’s presence. “Oh! Hello! You must be Ellie. I’m Kai, and this is our brother, Aleksei.”
Aleksei snorted from his position at the door. “And I’d prefer we do this little family reunion where I’m not at risk of getting shot!”
Kai rolled his eyes, but it was clear that Aleksei had a point, and from what Sam could see, they’d come prepared.
Kai handed him a few of his own weapons. “I couldn’t carry extra body armor for you and Ellie, so you’ll have to stay between the two of us.” Aleksei groaned, which seemed to annoy Kai. “Would you stop complaining! You sound like a big Russian baby.”
Sam brought Ellie by his side as she spoke. “And the others? Your other brothers, are they safe?”
Kai smiled. “So far, so good. We wouldn’t have come to your room unless the situation was mostly under control. We have the guards secured and the police are on their way. Liam is waiting for them to explain the situation. It should be easier as he’s a cop. Lazarus and Archer went after Finch but they haven’t found him or the one you called Panem yet.”
Ellie shivered and Sam couldn’t help but kiss the top of her head. “He’s been taken care of. No need to worry about him anymore.”
Kai’s understanding was immediate and he opened his mouth to speak when he touched his ear, as did Aleksei. From the look on his brothers’ faces, it wasn’t good news.
“Lazarus is in the basement searching for Finch and said to leave, now.”
Sam wanted to agree, to get Ellie to safety as quickly as possible, but something nagged at him. “Why?”
Kai was already asking that very question and cursed at the answer. His eyes flew to Ellie and back to him. “There’s a bomb in the basement, hidden behind a block of computers. Lazarus is trying to defuse it and Archer is trying to get someone from the CPD bomb squad, but we might not have time. He thinks it was set up by Finch to deflect attention so he could get away.”
Sam’s mind was running wild. “If everything is destroyed, we might not be able to find Finch again. I was trained how to defuse bombs in the army. I can help.”
“No!” Ellie’s cry tore at him. “No way, it’s too dangerous. We just need to leave, all of us. There’ll be other ways to stop him.”
He could lose himself in those wild blue eyes, his only oasis in the desert of his life. It was difficult to deny her plea. He cupped her cheek, tracing her soft skin with the pad of his thumb. “He’s hurt too many people and won’t stop until he’s behind bars or dead. I can’t allow him to hurt you again.”
Sam knew what Ellie would say in her desire to keep him safe. They were cut from the same cloth, and it was why he knew how she felt, and how he’d have the upper hand.
“Take her out. Keep her safe.”
As he ran toward the basement, he didn’t turn back, but from Ellie’s shouts, he knew that Aleksei and Kai were doing as he’d asked and dragging her out of this place against her will, but whatever happened down there, at least Sam would find peace in knowing Ellie was alive.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Ellie didn’t knowwhere she was, but that didn’t unsettle her as much as not knowing if Sam was safe. Aleksei had carried her like a potato sack out of the mansion and she could hear Kai speaking, but she was unable to make out the words.
The big Russian only let her go when he shoved her into a big truck. She watched as Kai ran back inside the compound. Ellie tried to leave, but even as she tried the door handles it seemed only the stubborn Russian baby, as Kai had called him, could unlock them.
