Ed and I both jolt when there’s a flurry of gunfire close to where the helicopter landed. The Griffins are under attack from a group of Vasili’s men approaching from the cover of the marquee.
“Shit. Looks like we might have to wait for the cavalry,” says Ed.
“In that case, you’re going to need me. No arguments,” I say, stepping out onto the terrace.
Ed glances at my gun. “Do you know how to use that?”
I shrug. “Point and shoot.”
“Can you believe we’re doing this?” he asks as we moveoff. “I know I said I trained with the Griffins, but if I’m honest, I was just in it for the undivided attention of four veritable gods.” He sighs. “Why are all the good ones taken?”
“You’re askingme?” I could laugh but it would only turn to hysteria.
Ed gives me his sternest look. “Duke is very much yours. Katarina doesn’t count.”
“We have to help save her, Ed.”
“Then what are we waiting for?”
Chapter 35
Duke
Imove through the passages at speed, eager to get to my brothers and just as eager to get back to Grace. Sporadic gunfire breaks out somewhere in the house, confirming that the Russians are still here. I move faster.
Vasili and his men will be looking for exits, and if they haven’t been able to leave by the main entrance, the terrace would be their next best option. There are four rooms with access. The billiards room, library, drawing room and the hall.
The library and drawing room are so far undisturbed, which leaves only the hall to check before I need to go deeper into the house. As I step through the hidden door, the silence tells me all I need to know. It’s deserted except for a few dead Russians and a lot of broken pottery and glass.
I freeze when I hear Rory, his voice traveling as only his can. “Calder, two o’clock!”
The crack of gunfire echoes through the foyer. Oneshot.
“I’m good!” Calder shouts a heart-stopping second later.
I keep both my guns trained on the open double doors as I hurry across the hall. When I halt on the threshold, my view is limited and I’m only able to see the side of the staircase and the tip of a rifle pointed over the balustrade. At the other end of the barrel is a set of deep brown eyes. Killian winks at me.
In a series of hand gestures, he tells me there are four Bratva on my side of the house, and two on the opposite side. From the angle of Killian’s rifle, it’s safe to assume Katarina is being held by the group of four, and that will almost certainly include Vasili. They’ll be in my dad’s study and could climb out through the windows, but taking a reluctant Katarina with them would take time and make them vulnerable to attack.
I stick my head out to do a quick sweep. To my left, I find bodies littering the foyer. Killian must have thinned out Vasili’s reinforcements before they could reach their Pakhan. To my right is Rory. He tips his head past the staircase. I can’t see Calder, but I guess he’s in a similar position.
The distant sound of rotary blades grows more distinct, and if I can hear the Griffins’ approach, so can Vasili. He’ll need to act soon, but whatever he’s about to attempt is met by a stream of Russian curses from Katarina. A sharp slap silences her tirade. And then all hell breaks loose.
Killian rises to his feet, fury in his eyes as Bratva appear from both sides of the foyer. He takes out the soldier emerging from the study then switches aim and kills the one on the opposite side. He swings his rifle back to the study too soon because the last remaining soldier on the far side breaks cover too. Killian takes a hit to the chest with enough force to send him flyingbackwards.
As his body crumples, Calder eliminates the soldier who shot him, while Rory and I send bullets flying in the direction of the study to keep the rest of Vasili’s party contained.
There’s a brief respite and to my relief, I hear Killian moan. He remains partly protected by the balustrade and more importantly, the bulletproof vest I presume Calder gave him. He looks dazed but uninjured.
“Please, don’t shoot!” a man shouts as he steps tentatively from the study with a bible raised in his hand. His accent is American, not Russian. “I… I didn’t want anything to do with this.”
Killian growls at the man who was going to force Katarina to marry me. He’s far from innocent in his eyes, but he holds his fire for now.
Katarina appears next. Her red dress is torn and her arms are bound behind her back. From the bruises and grazes blooming on her arms and face, she put up quite a fight, but her makeup is smudged and her eyes full of defeat when she looks to Killian.
“You have to let me go. Reinforcements are on their way. They’ll be here soon,” she pleads. “I’m not worth dying for.”
“We never could agree on anything, Kitty,” Killian says, taking aim at the man who slips behind his two human shields. “I’m going to enjoy killing you, Vasili. And every man you allowed to touch her.”
