Dmitry snorts, arms crossed like the mountain of muscle he is. “Like you’d trust him with a kid. He can’t even keep track of his own balls.”
“Fuck you,” Maksim shoots back, not missing a beat.
“Both of you shut the fuck up,” I growl, low and controlled, not wanting to ruin the surprise. My eyes narrow as I focus back on the house, blocking out their bullshit.
There’s something about Clara that’s been gnawing at me.
Why the fuck does she want me dead? Why go through all this trouble?
None of it makes sense.
“Positions,” I bark into the earpiece. “Surround the place, keep it quiet.”
The men move in, blending into the dark. The whole time, my pulse is steady, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. I step forward, boots crunching softly on the dirt, getting closerto the cabin. Through the window, there’s a faint glow from the lantern.
I crouch low, peering in.
There she is—Clara Caldwell—curled up on the couch, just like I knew she’d be. The dim light flickers, casting long shadows over her. And there, tucked close to her, a small figure.
The kid.
Is she married? Whose kid is that?
The thought hits me harder than I expected.
Married?Some other prick’s been fucking her?
I feel my blood boiling more than it should.Suka, and I’m suddenly pissed off.
Some asshole in her life? Lying next to her at night? Touching her?
I shake my head like I’m trying to swat the thoughts away as if they’re fucking flies. Useless. Doesn’t help. I still feel like killing theasshole.
I look up, and there’s Maksim already at the door, grinning like an idiot.Mudakalways been a loose cannon. Never could follow orders.
“This thing’s not stopping shit, boss,” he mutters softly, twisting the handle until it finally gives with a soft creak. He grins back at me, smug as usual.
I turn my glare on Maksim. Without a word, I move toward the now slightly open door, stepping in front of him.
“After you,” he whispers, mocking me with his hand, gesturing me forward. I ignore him, my pulse steady, eyes narrowing on the faint light flickering inside.
I push the door open silently, Maksim slipping in behind me without a sound.
The smell hits me first—stale wood, dust, and something else, something old. The kind of smell that clings to places like this, places where people think they can hide.
I smirk.
My boots move slowly toward the room where the lantern is, the floor creaking softly under my weight.
Creak.
The floor beneath me groans, loud enough to make the hair on my neck stand up.Shit.
I feel Maksim and Dmitry freeze where they’re standing.
Clara stirs on the couch, her form wrapped in a blanket, a small figure tucked close to her side. I freeze, eyes on her as the dim light catches her face. But it’s not Clara who wakes up first.
A tiny body shifts under the blanket, just barely stirring. I freeze, eyes locked on the little form next to Clara. The dim light flickers and I see the kid’s head starting to lift.
