Page 89 of Bought By Sin

“I’ll go look quickly,” I said, ready to risk myself to secure critical intelligence. This mission had a two-fold goal. Kill Yusef Antonov and get whatever intel we could.

He shook his head again.

I held up the taser, reminding him that I wasn’t unprotected like last time.

The soldier came up and pointed up the stairs, then held out two fingers.

Two guards.

Two soon-to-be dead bodies.

“Go,” I mouthed. We were in. We were in as much as we could be. So long as no one was watching this hallway, we could pull off the two-birds-with-one-stone aspect of this. They could go take out Yusef Antonov and I would act as the spy.

Lev furrowed his brow, his uneasy glare telling me that he wasn’t happy about this impulsive change of plans, but he didn’t push it.

Because he cared.

Because he cared enough to trust me and know that I could handle this myself.

He tipped his chin once to give me the clearance to go ahead, and he went up with the other soldier.

I crept down the hall, letting the darkness surround me. My eyes adjusted, and I avoided triggering any alarm. The beaded rays of light were easy to see, and I didn’t try anything stupid.

You can do this.

You are doing this.

I kept half of my attention on listening for any sounds of commotion up above, where Lev and the other soldier were heading to kill Yusef Antonov. The other half of my focus was locked into making my way through this corridor without being detected.

No one waited for me.

It was just the lit-up sensors that guarded this way.

Sweat slid down to pool at the small of my back. I breathed steadily despite the instinct to pant.

The suspense of sneaking in this far—alone—had my fight-or-flight activated, but I kept my cool.

Not panicking.

I’m not.

I won’t.

You can do this.

Get in there, grab whatever you can. And go.

I licked my lips as I reached a door that was left ajar.

Do it.

Go in there.

Do it for Lev.

Do it for the family.

For the Bratva.