Chapter 30
Other than a terrified security guard, the mansion in St. Petersburg was almost completely empty when we arrived.
For a second there, it looked like we’d been played. Again. But then I pressed my knife to the security guard’s throat and politely asked him to spill his guts or else…
And the fucker did just that, eventually confirming that a strange man and woman had been using this place for the past few weeks and that his boss had authorized their presence.
For some reason, though, they’d left early this morning.
“Where did they go,” I ask, pressing my blade deeper into his Adam’s apple.
“I-I don’t know, I swear…”
“Well, then, you’re no good to us anymore, so—”
“No, wait! I-I overheard they were going to an old Gulag site.”
“And where is that?”
He provides coordinates detailed enough to reveal he’s more than just an innocent bystander.
“Got that, Dante?” I ask, when he’s done.
“Got it, boss. Looks like the place is about a two-hour drive north of here.”
“Then we’d better get moving.”
Tossing the man to the ground, I march outside. A cold wind greets me. It’s almost loud enough to cover up the sound of gunshots as our security guard is laid to rest.
Clearly, he was involved in this mess, but even if he wasn’t, we couldn’t risk him running off to alert someone that we were coming.
“Let’s get a move on,” I bark commands as Dante and the men stream out of the mansion and into our waiting cars.
“What if it’s a trap?” Dante asks, joining me in the backseat.
I shake my head. Something does feel off about all this, but that’s not going to stop me. These fuckers don’t know what we’re capable of.
They’ll find out, though. Soon.
“Then we’ll just have to be careful,” I rumble.
While we drive, Dante outlines our plan of attack. But I can’t concentrate. Not fully. My mind is only half here. The other half is back home with Cecilia.
No. Not home. Russia isn’t home anymore.
I pull in a deep breath.
That’s right, Russia isn’t home.
But Cecelia is.
As long as I’m with her, everything feels right. Maybe that’s why this feels so off—because I’ve had to leave her behind.
When we arrive at the old Gulag site, the sun has gone down, making it even more obvious that the abandoned camp is no longer abandoned.
A steady stream of light emits from the main building. This could be it.
My men and I get out of our cars and load up our guns. I survey the clearing before settling my gaze on the main building with the blazing lights. My gut tells me that”s where I need to go.
But I’m sure it won’t be easy. Looking skyward, I spot a row of towers—prime spots for any sniper. Fuck it. We’ll just have to risk it.
With our guns loaded, I divide the men. “Dante, you take a team to check out the buildings on the right. Make sure they’re empty; if they’re not, clear them out. Ezra, take your group left. Secure the perimeter.”
“What about you, sir?” Dante asks.
“Whoever’s behind this shit must know I’m looking for them by now. If they see me coming alone, they won’t just start shooting. They didn’t drag us here for nothing. They want an audience. So, I’ll be the distraction while you conquer the surrounding land. Make sure we can circle them. Then we’ll have the advantage.”
Ezra moves off with his team while Dante hesitates briefly. “Be careful.”
“You too.”
“Never am.”
“Me neither.”
With that, we get to work.
My heart pounds, veins filling with adrenaline as I get closer and closer to the building and its looming door. But my head is cool. I’m in control.
Keeping low, I try the door handle, not expecting it to budge. But to my surprise, it swings open easily.
I frown. Definitely a trap. No matter. I’m not about to run away now. We’re too close.
Gun raised, I walk inside. At first, the place is a ghost town. Long hallways stretch out on all sides, the walls littered with doors. I listen carefully, but the place is silent.
Still, just to be sure, I open the doors one by one until I’m confident the ground floor is empty. Then I make my way upstairs. It’s not until I reach the second floor that I start to hear shit—movement behind one of the closed doors.
I cock my gun and approach.
“This ends now,” I rumble, my back to the wall. With a final deep breath, I twist the handle and kick the door open.
Time seems to slow to a crawl. I expect to find a dozen men or more, all armed and ready for a fight. Instead, I’m greeted by a single person. They’re sitting on a chair with their back turned to me.
“Finally,” an oddly familiar voice says. “What the hell took you so long?”
My heart trips as I try to place the sound in my memory banks. Before that can happen, though, the person stands up and turns to face me.
My stomach drops through the fucking floor.
No.
“Impossible,” I whisper, shocked to my core.
That oh-so-familiar face tilts up in a wicked grin. “Impossible? Why is that? You thought I had died?”
“I saw your body. You weren’t breathing.”
“Well, surprise, little brother. I made it out. Now, won’t you come give your dear old sister a hug?”
Vera spreads her arms out wide. It’s only then that I spot the gun in her hands.
“How?” I ask, stunned by disbelief. “How are you alive?”
She chuckles and turns away from me, strutting toward the large windows at the far end of the room. Keeping my gun trained on her, I carefully follow behind.
“Ah, it’s alright. I wasn’t really expecting you to hug me anyway. You were never the type. Still, I have to say, I expected better from you, the Tsar of America.”
She clicks her tongue and presses a remote in her hand.
The compound is immediately flooded with lights, exposing the position of my men. They all freeze, shouting orders as they try to make sense of what’s happening. “But at least you finally came to see me—I mean, eventually.”
“So, it was you all along?”
“Yes, little brother,” she sighs, turning to face me again. “It has been me all along. Do you know this gulag has four towers placed in strategic positions?”
“What?”
She raises her pistol at me. “And in all four towers, I have snipers stationed with guns already pointed at your men. They’re listening to us right now. All it would take is a single word, and all of your toy soldiers are—” She clicks her tongue again, dragging the index finger across her throat. “So, you need to do exactly as I say. Drop your gun.”
Fuck. Whatever I thought I was walking into, it wasn’t this. I couldn’t imagine this shit in a million years. Vera was supposed to be dead. I wonder if that means…
No. Stay focused. Get yourself home to Cecilia.
“Never.” I tighten my grip, desperately trying to think of a way out of this.
“Then your men will die.” She pauses, her lips twisting into a sinister smile. “And maybe that little tsarina of yours will too. Cute little thing, by the way. Personally, I would never harm such beauty, but our brother Viktor, well, you remember how uncontrollable he always was…”
It feels like I’ve been punched in the chest.
“Viktor’s alive too?” And he has Cecilia?
“I thought you twins had a second sense about it. He always said he could feel your pain. That’s why he hurt you so much growing up. Because he loves pain.”
My mind races at a thousand miles per second as I try to make sense of it all. It’s all so much that I feel dizzy, faint, frozen.
Then, the whirlwind inside of me stops, and a single, clear thought emerges from it all.
Cecilia.
All reason fades away, consumed by a primal surge of fear and fury. With a loud roar, I squeeze the trigger and charge at Vera. She effortlessly sidesteps and fires her own shot.
The bullet tears through my shoulder, snapping me back until I stumble down to my knees, grunting in pain. The gun clatters to the ground, useless. Gritting my teeth, I glare up at her, pure defiance burning in my eyes. That wicked smile stays painted on her pale face as she steps forward and kicks my gun away.
“While this little reunion has been touching, I’m a busy woman. There are things I must take care of. Oh, well.”
“Don’t you dare touch a fucking hair on her head,” I growl. “You or Victor—or you’ll both wish you’d died in that fucking fire.”
“Ah, how adorable. But let’s not forget who’s in control here. You’re in no position to make threats, Maksim. The only reason you aren’t already dead is because your pathetic attempts to track us down amuse me. Nothing else. Now, good night.” She raises her hand and slams the butt of her pistol into the back of my head.
Pain explodes through my skull, the room spinning as I stagger and fall to the floor.
Cecilia.
She’s the last thought in my mind before my vision fizzles out.