“We won’t leave you,” I told Oscar. “We’ll come back.”
It was safer for him to stay put. His mind wasn’t on straight, and Nino was still—out. My old man dug through the bag and handed him a grenade. He looked at it and then nodded his head.
Shouts echoed from the front. It seemed like we were in the far back, deep inside of hell. Cells lined the wall. Dull metal that caught the light but didn’t reflect it.
We all took aim with our guns. We moved like a team until darkness swallowed us up. My eyes had to adjust. Even though weapons were not going off, there was a fight taking place. I heard the noises of men hitting the floor. The thump that dead weight makes.
My boot hit a body, and I stepped right over him. I had no idea where I was going. Or if I was going in the right direction. I whistled once. Two more followed. My old man and Vincenzo. At least we were keeping close.
My lungs took in fresh, cool air when a door opened. My skin seemed to firm up at the feel of it. A light outside oozed along the floor with blood.
The man with the wolf stood close to the doorway. The wolf next to him was nothing but a massive form.
The man stared at us, waiting.
Vincenzo glanced at me after he’d glanced at the floor. Bodies were spread out like a crime scene. I almost whistled. Lev had some competition. Though, I got the feeling maybe Lev had trained him. Lev was older. The man with the wolf looked like he was in his thirties.
We followed behind him. Men were dashing across the property, going toward the main entrance. A few slowed when they noticed us. We didn’t hesitate. We fired.
A man jumped from the shrubs, gun aimed at the man with the wolf, but before he could fire, I pumped one into him with my piece.
The man with the wolf met my eyes.
He nodded once.
I nodded once.
We continued forward.
While we were here, we might as well take out the bastards who wanted my wife.
The thought made my feet move.
Men with a bunch of hyped-up dogs, foaming from the mouth, blocked our entrance to the estate.
The wolf ran ahead of the man. He took a position right in front of them. He crouched down low, growling, baring his teeth.
One of the men said something in Russian that I could only assume meant, “What the fuck?”
The men pulled on the leashes, speaking in rapid Russian. A few of the dogs whimpered. A few were snapping at each other. The man walked up to his wolf and stood beside him.
The guards looked at each other, then took off, yanking on the leashes to get the dogs moving.
Wolf man said something in Russian. The wolf shook and straightened up.
I could feel tension coming from the estate. Lev must have breached their security. After the guards took off, though, there was no one guarding the back of the place.
Fucking odd.
Why didn’t they have men all over?
My old man met my eye. He felt it, too. Something was off.
The fire seemed to be coming from the center of the estate—a huge place that was probably full of hidden doors and rooms.
The lights went out again.
What the fuck was it with darkness? They were obsessed with it.
