Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 83818 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83818 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
“Here?” Polina’s voice wavers, her face a mask of barely contained fear. We all feel it—the unspoken terror that Carlos could be in the very walls around us.
Ollie laughs mirthlessly. “Unfortunately, that’s as far as we got. Your guess is as good as mine.”
Polina and I share a glance.
“I wasn’t able to get more information out of him. He could’ve been referring to New York for all I know.” His stance tells me there’s no damn way he believes that to be true.
But we all know the greatest threat is if he’s in this house.
“Bring it,” Polina says as she pulls out a gun.
“Who the fuck gave you that?” Ollie asks.
“You think only the men in this family carry weapons? Where have you been? Oh, right. Moscow. Paris. Colombia. Guess what, brother? While you were globe-trotting, Isabella trained us in self-defense, and Harper recently gave us shooting lessons.”
I’ve heard that Harper is a master with guns, and I love that she’s shown them how to use one.
I’m next, girls.
“You know how to use that?” Ollie asks. I cringe.
The sound of outrage from me, his sister, and his mother all at once makes him put up his hands like a little boy. “Okay, okay. I just want to leave with my balls intact, thank you.”
“Say something like that again, and I will show you exactly how good I am at using this gun!” Polina says, glaring at him.
“Which part?” he says. “The part about using the gun or my balls being intact?”
“Yes,” she says.
“Fine, so you know how to use a gun,” he mutters. I’d think he was being a dick if I didn’t know he was worried about us. “Mom?” he says.
“I’m not as good as Polina,” she says. “But there’s no one who can get me in a chokehold that I can’t get out of.” She smiles sweetly at him.
His eyes widen slightly. She’s so badass.
Ollie turns to me. “Renata?”
“I’ve only just begun lessons, but Isabella tells me I’m a quick study,” I say. Somehow, being around his mom and sister reminds me that we are part of something different, something bigger. I get one little glimpse of what it would be like to be truly one with this family.
“We need to lock everything down,” Ollie says. “Aleks is going to check for biometric markers. I want a full sweep, inside and out.”
He has a hurried conversation on his phone in Russian.
“Are they at the bunker?” Ekaterina asks quietly. Ollie gives her a short nod.
“Is he inside this house?” She doesn’t ask how he got here, but if he’s here. I see the fear in her eyes, in the way Polina clings to her, and I know this isn’t the first time they’ve been in a position like this. The question hangs in the air, the unspoken terror we all feel is undeniable. If he’s in this house, we’re sitting ducks, and I fucking hate that.
Ollie speaks almost mechanically. “We’re going to scan now. For now, everyone stays right in this room. No one goes anywhere alone.”
“For how long?” Polina asks.
“As long as it takes,” Ollie snaps.
“Relax, Ollie. I know the woman you love is here with us. We all know that. Guess who else knows that?”
He pinches his lips together and doesn’t reply.
When Polina turns away from him, tears are shining in her eyes. Ekaterina wraps an arm around her, whispering something in her ear that sounds like Russian, but I can see the fear in her eyes too. It isn’t just me anymore—it’s all of us, making sure none of us become collateral damage in the twisted game between Carlos and the Romanovs.
A sudden crash outside the room makes me jump, but it’s just Aleks returning from his sweep of the house. I have to remind myself to breathe.
“I don’t see anything. I checked every room. There’s no sign of forced entry and no sign of anybody here but us. If he’s here, he’s damn good at hiding.”
“That’s because he’s not here,” Viktor adds, his tone frustrated. “There’s no indication that anyone is in this house. He said that just to scare us.”
Ollie doesn’t look relieved, as if he doesn’t even believe them. His expression remains hard and unreadable. “I’m not convinced. I’m not taking any chances. We stay locked down until I’m certain,” Ollie commands, his voice a low growl. He won’t’ be satisfied until he’s torn apart every inch of this house, hunting for shadows.
“What will you do?” Polina asks.
“I’ve already checked and told you there’s no evidence of anybody else in this house. He must be in The Cove. We know this.”
“Get in touch with Toschi,” Ollie says.
Who is that?
Will it always feel like I only see half of what’s going on around me?
“I did,” Ollie says. “He’s in The Cove, but he hasn’t revealed his location to anyone.”