“He’d be pissed if he couldn’t see or show off all those teeth. He’s all strapped in.” Hades sniffs at his sides, but he doesn’t bite at it, so I’ll take it as a good sign. I haven’t had one on him in a long time, but I’m not taking any chances.
“Keep him with you,orsetta, please,” Alonzo murmurs when I look up at him. His eyes are intense on mine. “I’ll worry less knowing he’s at your side, helping you.”
“I’ll do my best.” I can’t promise anything, and he knows it. Still, I want to soothe him.
People are going to think I’m an idiot for forgiving him, but knowing that this might be the end, I don’t want any regrets. Especially not knowing everything he said to me last night. Maybe it’s just lip service, but my gut is telling me to believe him.
He did follow me here and has refused to leave me, so that has to count for something, right?
I choose you. I will always choose you.
His words even now make my knees want to buckle. The devotion in them can’t be hidden or ignored. He has been choosing me. So now I need to make sure that I survive this so I can see just how far we can go.
The weight of what’s coming, and what has to be done is heavy, and I don’t want to go into it angry or distracted. I need to be one hundred percent focused. I look up at Alonzo, and he looks down at me in question.
I reach up, pulling his head back down, pressing my lips gently to his. “I love you too,” I whisper, needing to tell him. Ishould have said it in Ilya’s office, but it shocked me too much. But it’s too important not to give him the truth. Even if it scares the shit out of me.
No regrets, no wishing for what could have been if my life ends today.
His eyes flash, relief and joy mixing, and he presses another kiss to my mouth. “I’m going to be behind you,orsetta.”
I should be telling him I’m a badass that can take care of myself. Instead, I smile and murmur, “I know you will. Just don’t get yourself killed or I’ll be pissed.”
He chuckles. “I’ll do my very best.”
“Love birds, we don’t have all fucking day for the two of you to spew that shit,” Zakhar says tightly, grabbing a vest from behind me for himself. “And if you don’t want to die, then get the fucking vests on and keep your heads out of your pants.”
“He’s jealous you chose me over him,” Alonzo remarks as he searches through the vests to find one that will fit him. Luckily, and probably due to Zakhar’s large size as well, he manages to snag one.
“At this point I think I dodged a bullet,” Zakhar mutters.
I don’t bother grabbing one for myself. It will be too bulky and hard for me to move. Instead, I say, “I have to go to my room and grab a few things. Zakhar, I’d have put you to shame, so I think it’s for the best you’ve realized that now.” Zakhar shoots me a yeah-right look, but doesn’t comment, and instead stalks away.
Okay, time to focus.
I search the room until I find Ilya standing near the door talking with one of his men. His expression is cold, lethal, and he’s loaded for bear. Multiple guns within easy reach, and I’d bet he has more stashed away under his clothes. I head his way, and when he spots me, he dismisses the man with a sharp order in Russian.
I can feel Alonzo stepping up close behind me, but I force myself to ignore him. “What do we have on our side?” He doesn’t answer, and I pin him with a cold stare. “You want to win this, Romanov, you start talking. Alonzo isn’t going to say shit to anyone, but if you let us go in blind, this will be over.”
He stares at me for a long, tense moment, before he finally nods. “The perimeter of the grounds is lined with explosives. One order from me and they set off. We can take out a good number of men if they come through.”
“Can they be spotted or detected?”
“Probably, but Belov has never been the best with higher tech. He’s old school.”
“But the Butcher and his team won’t be. The moment movement is sensed, blow them. No hesitation. It might be the only chance we have to take out as many as we can quickly. Anything else?”
“We have the dogs and Freya that can take people down, especially Freya, but other than that, it’s mostly strategic firepower and placement. I’ve built this place to be a fortress. My men know all hiding places.”
“Which is exactly the problem if anyone has infiltrated this place,” Alonzo points out mildly. He doesn’t cower under Ilya’s venomous glare. “Nothing can be trusted, Romanov. And no one. You’re going to find out today just who is on your side and who isn’t.”
Ilya accepts that with a curt nod. “Anyone on the wrong side of this will pay with their lives.” I don’t miss the way his eyes move over us in a low threat. I just meet his stare head on. Then he says, “Your target is the Butcher. I’ll handle Timur.”
“My target is whoever gets in my way,” I correct him. “Watch yourself, Ilya. Getting cocky will get you killed. Keep your guard up, and just remember. The Butcher loves to play mind games. He will make you think one thing while his man is behind youand already sliding the knife in your gut or shooting the bullet in your head.”
He doesn’t look afraid of that possibility. Instead, he just gives me a chilling smile. “Good luck, Ms. O’Brien. We’ll see if you make it through the day.” He turns and heads for the door, but I stop him by calling out his name. He turns to look at me, impatient.
“Remember your word to me, Mr. Romanov,” I remind him.
