We drive through the city towards the harbor, where Leon pulls off to the side of the road. We all do the same.

He climbs out of the car, and in no tim,e we are all standing with him. Oleg is furious that I got out as well. But I will not just sit there and wait. I want to help and I want to do whatever I can.

“We’ll head in the back. You guys can take the front entrance. It’s not a big warehouse, so this should be quick and easy. The goal is to get Anya, I don’t care what happens to the people who took her,” Leon says to everyone. As soon as he is done speaking, Rodion bolts towards the front of the warehouse. He is determined to clear his name and help get her back. Otherwise, why is he still acting so weird about her?

Oleg turns towards me. “Please, Raisa, go back to the car.” I glare at him and he shakes his head. “Stay behind me and youwill do exactly as I say when we are in that warehouse. Do you hear me?”

“Yes.” That I can agree to.

He pulls a second gun from his ankle and hands it to me. “Do you know how to use this?”

I nod.

He grabs my jaw and pulls me towards him. Pressing his lips against mine, he kisses me. It's brief but intense. Then he turns to run after his brothers.

I follow everyone into the warehouse.

Before I even step through the doors, gunfire has already erupted inside. I flinch at the sound. No matter how many times you shoot a gun at the target range, or out in the field near the forests back home—no matter how many times you hear that loud snap—you never really get used to it.

Although, glancing around me, I notice that all of the men look like they don’t even notice the sound.

Oleg runs deeper into the space, kneeling low and taking two shots. I see a man drop to the floor ahead of us and my stomach churns.

I hate this.

All of this death.

I follow close, the small gun Oleg has given me feels heavy in my hands. I won’t use it unless I have to.

Somewhere in the warehouse I hear a loud scream. It sounds like a girl, but I turn towards it, expecting to see Anya and I see a young man. Leon has him by the collar of his jacket.

He tugs the jacket to the side, revealing a waiter’s uniform.

“This is the uniform they were wearing at the party this evening,” he snarls, glaring at the man.

“I—I—“ he stammers.

“Where the fuck is my sister?” Leon growls and the man looks like he is about to pee in his pants.

“We didn’t—we didn’t take your sister. We wouldn’t touch the Dubrov sister.”

Leon snorts. “Right—so you were at my party—and my sister is missing—but you want to try and deny it. “

“We took his sister, a girl called Raisa, please—it wasn’t me, though. They made me do it.” The guy points towards Rad.

They think they have me.

They took the wrong girl.

I am the reason Anya got taken.

I’m about to step forward when an explosion rattles behind us and we all drop to the floor. Oleg pulls me close, his arm wrapped around my head.

I hear screaming from behind me, the person is in agony. I turn with worry, fearing that I recognize my brother’s voice.

Writhing on the floor, Renat is clutching side. A large chunk of metal is protruding from it.

Everyone else is already taking aim towards the explosion as men rush through the hole in the warehouse wall towards us.