Page 70 of Prey of the Bratva

Gunfire cracked through the air within seconds in a way that didn’t sound chaotic or wild but rather controlled and deliberate. Every single soldier was trained and ready, and they knew exactly what they were doing. Our goal was simple. We had to infiltrate and attack until we got our hands on Sidorov. He was our key to Volkov after all.

I moved with them, my body falling into the rhythm I knew too well now. My foot held steady beneath me, the last remnants of injury pushed aside by focus and necessity. There was no hesitation in my stride and no doubt in my mind. This was what I had been building toward. Explosives detonated along the outer wall, not to destroy but to seal the exit for anyone. We had decided to make sure that no one could run away. Exit points collapsed inward, concrete and steel folding into themselves as pathways vanished around us.

“No one leaves,” I muttered. “Not until we want them to.”

We breached through the west entry point, smoke already curling through the air as the first wave of guards dropped under precise fire. I didn’t stop or slow down because I didn’t have the luxury to. My weapon stayed steady in my grip as I cleared the first corridor, my team splitting off exactly where they weresupposed to. I knew the place was already in our control with our men and women spreading all over the place within seconds.

“Left sector had been secured,” Diane’s voice cut in.

“North corridor is still engaged,” Katya followed.

“It will be ours in a few minutes,” Nico added, clearly in the thick of the battle as well. All my brothers, Kliment and his brothers, were either inside the warehouse or outside securing perimeters. Even though Kliment was my second, he showed no desire to overrule my leadership to come forward. He had simply told me he trusted me and that he was right there. Beside me. Through everything.

For a moment, it felt as if everything was finally aligning. It was too clean. That thought flickered briefly in the back of my mind, but I didn’t let it take hold. Not yet. I needed to be optimistic until the situation called for otherwise. I turned a corner sharply, taking down two men before they even fully registered my presence. My breathing stayed even and controlled, my movements efficient. We pushed deeper into the compound, the sound of gunfire echoing through steel walls and concrete floors, mixing with shouted commands and the sharp crack of controlled detonations.

“Primary warehouse had been cleared too,” Avgust reported. For some reason, having my brothers and the Romanovs there with me only made me feel stronger.

As if this were no longer just my mission but our mission. And that too, because these people had decided to trust me with it.

“Secondary structure is still active,” I replied immediately. “That’s where Sidorov is. Am I right, Alina?”

“Yes,” Alina replied, “I can’t access cameras in the warehouse to find him or see activity, but his location is still pinned inside the warehouse. He is somewhere in the thick of it all.”

I already knew it. I could feel it. I knew this time he was actually here. We moved as one unit towards the secondary structure, cutting through resistance with ruthless precision. These men were trained, and the operation was already much better than the last operation. It was faster and smarter, and we were clearly more prepared.

But my gut still signaled to tell me that it was not enough. Not tonight. I did not know what it was, but I tried to shake the feeling away, focusing on nothing but the outcome in front of me. I needed Sidorov, and nothing else mattered. I climbed the stairs and kicked the door in, stepping inside with my weapon raised. That is when I saw him. Anton Sidorov stood at the far end of the warehouse, flanked by armed men, his posture relaxed in a way that immediately set something off in my chest.

He wasn’t surprised. He was smiling.

That could not be good.

“Well,” he drawled, his voice carrying easily over the chaos. “I wish I could say this is unexpected, but the truth would be that I have been waiting for you, Misha.”

My grip tightened.

“You’re done. Your game is over, and you will be coming with me now,” I said flatly.

His smile widened. “Is that so?”

Gunfire erupted again, and before I could respond, his men started moving all around us. I dropped into motioninstantly, taking cover behind a steel crate as bullets tore through the space where I had been standing seconds earlier.

“Engage everyone. I need assistance here,” I ordered sharply.

“On it,” several replies came, and within seconds, soldiers were bursting through the gates. My team moved in perfect sync, returning fire and advancing in calculated bursts. I shifted position, using the structure to my advantage as I closed the distance. My focus was locked entirely on him, and to my surprise, Sidorov didn’t retreat.

He simply watched, and that smile stayed on his face as if it had been glued on. Something cold settled in my chest because I knew it was wrong. Something had to be wrong for him to be acting this way. I fired again, dropping another guard before pushing forward, my movements faster now. My instincts were screaming at me, but I forced myself to stay grounded and controlled. I could not give in right now.

We were winning. I could see it. Feel it.

His numbers were dropping, and his defenses were weakening. We were closing in, tightening the space around him until there was nowhere left to go.

“Corner him,” I said.

And we did. Within minutes, he was forced back toward the inner section of the warehouse, his men thinning out and his options narrowing. That meant nothing but victory for us. It was right there. I stepped forward, my weapon steady, my voice cutting through the noise.

“It’s over, Anton. You'd better accept it now.”

Something flickered in his eyes for a split second, but it was not fear. Not even close. It almost seemed like anticipation,which worried me even more. It almost felt as if he was waiting for something or someone to come rescue him, and he was sure it would come. The lights went out all of a sudden, and total darkness swallowed the room in an instant.