“The scientists are working on—” Halston hurried over to them. “Stop. Stop whatever you’re doing.Now.”
They stared at her.
“She said this job was to restore the outages that have been happening across the country. It’s not true.”
“Smart girl,” Natasha said. “You figure out.”
Gabriel stepped closer. “Answer me! Why did you try to kill me?”
“Fuck you, asshole,” Natasha seethed.
“The night of the ambush, you took out her fiancé,” Halston replied. “The first Bratva.”
“You kill my love,” Natasha narrowed her gaze. “I poison you. You don’t die. I shoot you. Stupid man jump in front.”
Gabriel’s lips drew back over his teeth as a growl shot out of him. “A revenge hit.”
“Yes, revenge,” Natasha replied.
“My absolute favorite kind,” Gabriel bit out. “This is for you, Angelo.”
RATATATATATAT!!!
Natasha dropped, blood pouring from her wounds.
More screaming from the scientists.
Gabriel lowered his rifle, eyed the scientists. “They would have killed all of you as soon as you finished doing their dirty work.”
Halston hurried over to him, hugged him. For the first time in hours, he took a calming breath. She was okay. For him… that was all that mattered.
When she broke away, she peered up at him. “Took you long enough.”
Relief washed over him. “I’m always late to the party.” He broke away. “Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“What about the scientists?” he asked.
“Petrov killed one of them—Lars. He’s in the back room.”
“We need to get them out,” Gabriel said.
“The body of a Bratva guard is hidden in the woods,” she murmured. “He’s wrapped in bedding.”
Gabriel’s eyes widened. “You took him out?”
“Yes. I was trying to get the scientists out, but Natasha and Petrov came back.”
Halston’s dad stepped forward. “There’s a lot of violence happening here. Would someone tell us what’sreallygoing on?”
The front door opened, a man entered, clutching his side and pulling his leg along, as if lame. “Help me.”
He collapsed on the cold, hard floor.
Gabriel pointed his long gun. “Who’s that?”
“The ambassador, Yuri Bulgrov,” Halston said. “Petrov shot him.”
