As if I gave a shit they wanted a better life. They couldn’t have ours.
“Come with me!” I yelled, bounding in through a door in the middle of the two. There was no time to waste. Rage tore through me as I continually scanned the area, doing nothing more than concentrating on my breathing and focusing on the sights and sounds in front of me.
There was an eerie quiet in the house and as soon as I cleared the room into the hallway, I slipped next to the wall.
And I waited.
It didn’t take long before three assailants appeared, all dressed in black. All carrying assault rifles.
Three against one. I’d had worse odds.
I had the element of surprise. Right?
What I hadn’t realized was that both Mikhail and Kazimir had followed me inside, now flanking me.
Together, we fired off a series of shots, blowing through their cover.
More shots, finally diminishing. I spun around, scanning the area. There were very few people left outside, but the scattered remnants of the horrific event remained.
A few seconds later, we lowered our weapons together. A phrase came to mind that I’d never given much credence to.
The silence was deafening.
I turned toward the house, glancing up at Nina’s bedroom window. There was no reflection, no sign of them.
“What the goddamn fuck?” Kazimir hissed. “How did this happen?”
“Don’t you have extra men on the gate?” Mikhail asked, trying to keep his emotions in check. Thank God he hadn’t brought his baby boy with him to the party.
“Four. Two others walking the exterior of the grounds. Since the security system wasn’t tripped, that meant they likely came in as approved guests or… the caterers.” That was the only possible answer. No one else would have been allowed in without permission.
“Fuck,” Kazimir growled. “I’ll round them up. They will fucking talk.”
“Go easy,” Mikhail instructed.
“Fuck easy.” Kazimir stomped off, both hands still on his weapon.
Pulling out my phone, I contacted the man I’d placed in charge of approving entrance and watching the activity around the house during the event. While I didn’t keep men on patrol on a daily basis, the extra precaution had been necessary.
When the call immediately went to voicemail, I realized every foolproof plan had its weaknesses.
“Lainey.” I made the comment as a moment of suffocation hit me, taking long strides toward where Jaxon had taken Halle, Fallon, and the other women.
He saw the frantic look on my face and took long strides meeting me at the door. “One of the fuckers tried to get in. He failed.”
Nodding, I glanced at the group. “Have you seen Lainey or my daughter?”
The way he shook his head and the look on his eyes was unnerving. “Find out what happened at the gate. Make sure no one leaves without every vehicle being checked.”
“A few already did.”
“Stop the rest,” I hissed. If Lainey and the children were taken, I’d rip apart the city to find them. Hell, I’d burn it down if necessary. No one fucked with the people I cared about.
That’s the moment I tore through the house, going from room to room. Pitching open doors. Several guests had found refuge inside the house. Seeing a crazed man with a weapon in his hand brought back another moment of intense fear.
Sadly, I didn’t give a shit. I had one objective. Find the girls.
I raced up the stairs and suddenly Mikhail was behind me.
