Erik, ever the epitome of cool, lounges back, playing with that pocket watch of his. “Figures. Man’s punctual even when he’s walking into a trap.”
“Guess we put on a good show.” From the corner of my eye, I see Sophia. She’s jittery, constantly checking her watch. Every tick seems to make her more anxious. Yulia, blissfully unaware, is clapping in delight at the acrobatics, her eyes shining with childlike wonder.
“Fuck, this is a shitty move,” I grumble, the distaste thick in my throat. “Using them as bait… It’s fucked up.”
What’s really fucked up?
Throwing this damn party for Yulia was a colossal mistake. I’d thought it’d be a way to make up for all the time I’d missed in her life, but now I know better. The kid would’ve been happy with just a damned ice cream cone shared with those she loves.
Erik, reading me like the damn open book I never wanted to be, leans in close, his smirk heavy with mischief. “Chill the fuck out; our boys have the barn on lockdown. Aleks is walking right into hell.”
“We better make sure he does,” I snap, my hands clenched into fists. “Let’s gear up. It’s showtime.”
Walking out of the courtyard, I’m boiling inside. Every fake smile, every nod to these phonies, it’s like trading away bits of myself. Screw the flattery game, I’m done. All I want now is to set things right, no BS.
The moment I step into the bunker, the mood’s thick. You can still hear the party noise from outside, but in here, it’s all business. We’ve swapped our fancy threads for vests and all-black gear.
Erik’s already here, propped against a table. Dimitri’s going through some guns, making sure they’re good to go.
Then the radio comes alive. “Aleks and his men are in the mansion,” the voice says.
I feel my blood freeze. “Which part exactly?” I shoot back.
“West entrance. Guy’s in a hat and thick glasses. Moving with three men.”
“Twenty minutes ‘til Sophia and Yulia get to the barn,” Erik chimes in, glancing at his watch.
I suck in a deep breath. “I’ll be there. No one’s laying a finger on Yulia…or Sophia.”
I grab my earpiece from the table, quickly fitting it into my ear and giving it a tap to sync it with the team’s channel. Dimitri and Erik do the same, our eyes meeting for just a second as if to say, “This is it.” My grip tightens around my weapon; it’s like an extension of me now.
“I hope you are right about Sophia.”
“Iamright,” I snap back. His eyes are like a weight, but I don’t waver.
He raises an eyebrow. “Even after all the crap we’ve been through?”
I don’t break eye contact. “She’s different, D. I’d bet my life on her.”
Dimitri takes a deep breath and nods. “I trust you, brother. Let’s roll.”
Ollie’s voice crackles over the earpiece, interrupting the tension. “Erm, hey guys, it’s Ollie. So, uh, these bad hombres – shit, I mean Aleks’s dudes – are, erm, splitting into three groups. Looks like they’re…you know, setting up explosives? Like, at the party and also inside the mansion? So, yeah, FYI.”
Rolling my eyes at Erik, I can’t help but mutter, “Really, Ollie? That’s the best you could do for intel?”
Erik just smirks, clearly amused. “Hey, the kid’s got skill.”
He turns to his crew, eyes steely. “Ivan, Alexei, you are with me. We’re securing this goddamn mansion.
Ollie’s voice comes through again, breaking into our gritty preparations.
“Uh, hey, it’s Ollie again. Erm, so yeah, Sophia and Ms. Ivankov? They’re, like, en route to the barn. Okay, thanks. Oh, and umm…we’ve spotted Anya. She left the kitchen about five minutes ago. So…yeah.”
I shake my head “Goddamn, Erik, where’d you find this guy, a comic convention?”
“Hey, don’t underestimate the nerds, man. They see everything.”
Fuck. If Anya’s moving, then shit’s about to get real complicated, real fast.
