Page 89 of Unleashed

“They’re trained too,” he whispers back. “You think I only made them learn how to cook?”

Pride surges in my chest. “Then let’s arm ourselves. We have no time to waste. I know you’re afraid of what you can lose, but… we’re stronger together. All of us. A chain-link fence is stronger the more links you add.”

“Fine,” he grits out. I don’t miss the way little Zoya does a tiny fist pump. “Our family comes. All of us. The rest of you, in the rooms,now.Once you lock those doors, you do not open foranyone.”

Everyone runs to obey.

He looks down at my leg. “Don’t even think about it, Rafail.”

His dark brows snap together, and he growls, “Think about what?”

“Leaving me behind. Just because I have this stupid cast doesn’t mean?—”

“Leave you behind? Hell no. I was trying to decide if I should put you on my back or carry you out of here.”

Something melts a little in my chest, but there’s no time to dwell.

“Oooh, yeah,” Rodion says with utter glee. “Come to Papa, baby.” We turn to find him standing in front of a panel concealed behind a hinged painting on the wall.

“How did youfindthat?” Yana asks, advancing toward him.

“Easy,” Rodion says with a snort. “Look at this place. Does Popov look like theWater Liliestype? Hell no. It had to be hiding something. Locked as fuck, but those don’t hold me back.”

“Good to know,” Rafail mutters. “I’ll hand them out. Touch them, and I’ll fucking break your hand.”

“Alright, alright, no need to get violent,” Rodion says, raising his hands in surrender.

“There’s absolutely a need to get violent,” Rafail snaps as he assesses the weapons we have. “Here.” With the precision of a lieutenant and with absolute efficiency, he distributes weapons.

I look at the gun in my hand and grin to myself. It’s no Desert Eagle, but it’s gorgeous… a Wilson Combat X-TAC Elite 1911 Compact. I don’t know where he got this, but I’m definitely keeping it.

“I’m gonna owe Popov my fucking life for?—”

A faint hiss interrupts him. My head snaps up, my eyes catching the small, round canisters rolling on the floor, spewing thick smoke into the room.

In seconds, the air turns dense and choking.

“They’re smoking us out,” Rafail snarls. “All of you, do what I tell you. Move!”

He grabs my arm and reaches for the hidden compartment in the wall, pulling out masks and thrusting them at us. “Put them on and follow me. We have to evacuate. The rest of them are safe in their rooms.”

I cough, trying to suck in clean air before I slide the mask on. Rafail’s eyes are narrowed as he quickly scans the tablet Grandfather gave him, every muscle in his body as tense as a bowstring, ready to snap.

It’s hard to breathe in this thing, but I have to stay calm.

“Stay low and stay close,” Rafail says with a harsh cough.

I tug on his mask and gesture wildly forhimto put his on. He nods and motions for everyone to follow him as he puts his on.

An explosion makes the walls around us tremble, followed by the unmistakable sound of gunfire.

We’re running out of time.

I blink, my eyes burning from the smoke, when Rafail yanks open a hidden panel in the floor.There it is.A trapdoor.

Rodion leads the way. Semyon takes Yana’s hand, I take Zoya’s, and Rafail stands sentry at the back.

Even though Rafail can’t talk, his gestures are unmistakable as he stabs a finger in the direction ahead. He shoves me in before sliding in behind us. We crawl quickly. The door leads to a tunnel barely wide enough for Rafail. Smoke follows us, but it’s lighter and less dense the further we go.

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