Page 77 of Unleashed

That was not a threat.

We come to a screeching halt. The door opens, and hands reach for me before there’s the sound of fists slamming on flesh. “Touch her and fucking die.”

Then it’s only Rafail. His familiar, rough but firm touch guiding me out of the car. The blindfold comes off, and I stare in front of me. We’re underground. I can tell by how cold it is here. The floor is concrete, the walls made of stone. Armed guards, standing in military formation holding loaded weapons, watch us with stony faces.

They all give Rafail a wide berth.

We march in silence together. I feel…betrayed.Yes, betrayed by his sudden withdrawal and cold words. I know he’s concerned, but it isn’t right that he expects me to tell him everything with no expectation of him giving me the same courtesy.

But I can’t think of that now, as we’re moving together, his siblings nearby and cousins behind us.

“Blindfolds off. Watch your step.”

I blink in the dim light but quickly find Rafail beside me. I’m pissed at him, and Iwilldemand answers, but I still take no small solace in knowing he’ll protect me… protectallof us.

I quickly observe our surroundings. There isn’t one safe house, but several—a network of brightly lit interconnected rooms. Hidden beneath the city, the entrance is concealed with something up above, but none of us are able to see. The air is cold and damp down here and slightly musty, but it’s swept clean.

Two armed guards in front of us open the door for us. “Entry in or out must be approved by Mr. Popov,” a young, masked guard says. “Only accessible with biometric scanners. Anyone who tries to leave without explicit permission to do so will be immediately executed.”

The door swings open, and he gives us a sardonic smile. “Enjoy your stay.”

Chapter 23

RAFAIL

Popov doesn’t fuck around.

Each safe house feels like a fortress, this place with low, arched ceilings with impenetrable walls of reinforced concrete and steel. The walls are lined with soundproof panels, and the rooms are surprisingly well furnished. The more I look at it, I realize… this isn’t just a hideout but a cage. A cage we could be trapped in for a lot longer than we’re prepared for.

Jesus, I hope we’re not here long-term.

The rooms are windowless but brightly lit, furnished with beds nestled in steel frames and a series of locks on the door.

“Oh, thereisa window,” Zoya says excitedly when Rodion shakes his head with a snort.

“That’s one of those panels that looks like a window, but it’s only digital.”

Her face falls, and she stifles a sigh.

“It doesn’t matter,” Semyon says, ever pragmatic. “We’re safe.”

There’s a common area where all the rooms converge, and surveillance cameras are mounted on one wall. It’s furnished with upholstered chairs with a large network of plugs and outlets. Though this place is designed primarily for safety, there’s an undercurrent of luxury. I poke around a bit more. Leave it to Popov to have a well-stocked liquor cabinet, high-quality beds and bedding, and a wall of luxurious soaps and amenities in the bathroom. There’s even a tiny but functional workout room with a weight bench and a cable system.

I check in to prepare to lock everyone down. Matvei and Gleb are in the largest room with Grandfather. Eduard and Irma in another. My sisters share a room, my brothers share another, and Anissa and I share the main room.

She hasn’t spoken to me since we exited the car. I know she wants answers, but what she doesn’t know is how dangerous it is for me to give them to her.

I need more information before I risk… fuckingeverything.

Howcould she be Polina Romanova? I saw the pictures of Anissa. I read her file. She saw me and fled when I went to chase her, obviously guilty. It makes no sense to me that the woman who fled our vows isn’t the woman who I—fuck it all to hell.The woman I’ve fallen in love with.

She has to be Polina. She has memories that don’t resonate with her identity asAnissa. She can’t possibly remember having brothers, as Anissa had none.

And if she is Polina… the worst part of all is that I have no claim on her and never did. And doing what I’ve done… kidnappingher, taking her as mine,fuckingher, will bring down the wrath of the entire family of Romanovs.

If the fucking cartel doesn’t get here first.

I need answers.

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