Page 4 of Dark Embers

“There is something else you need to know,” Syd tells me. “Not too long after the incident, Pavel saw Gavriil stalk into his home office and then overheard someone with a Russian accent threaten him.”

“The Russian told him his time to deliver was up,” Ivan adds.

A muscle ticks in my jaw. “Time to deliver what?”

“Pavel has no idea.” Ivan twists around in the seat to look at me.

“I don’t like this?” My hands ball into fists as a bad feeling twists in my gut. I lean forward ordering Lev, “Step on it.”

By the time we pull up to Gavriil’s estate, the estate is swarming with guards as Pavel must’ve immediately called all the men in as soon as he heard the threat. The guards at the gate spot us and let us through immediately.

We pull up to the front of the house, stopping beside my brother’s SUV which I notice Pavel ushering Gavriil and Irina into the back seat and my gut clenches.

I stride forward, gripping the driver’s door before Pavel can shut it and lean in turning toward my brother and his wife.

“Gavriil, what the fuck is going on?”

My brother looks up, his expression more rattled than I’ve ever seen it and his eyes widen with surprise to see me. “Oleksi? What are you doing in Vegas?”

I raise a brow pointedly. “Looks like it was the right decision to be here.”

Irina, still shaken, grips Gavriil’s arm. “It’s been a night from hell.” Her voice is gruff with emotion and enunciating her Russian accent. “Someone tried to set our house alight and then a shot was fired at me.”

“Someone first tried to burn us alive and then took a shot at my wife!” Gavriil’s voice is frantic as he repeats what Irina has just said. His eyes hold mine and for a moment I swear I see a flicker of guilt?

“Have you sent the dogs out to search the ground?” I ask, eyeing my brother curiously.

“Yes, sir,” Pavel answers for my brother. “They are out scouring the entire estate as we speak.”

“So far, they’ve found five dead,” Irina tells me.

“Your men?” I look from Gavriil to Pavel who nods in confirmation. “Son of a bitch,” I spit. “So this was a hit!”

“It seems that way.” Gavriil’s voice suddenly becomes stiff and a bit edgy reminding me of when he was younger and he’d done something he shouldn’t have. But I shake it off as he continues to tell me his plans. “I’m taking Irina to the penthouse at the Diamond Hotel. After what happened to Leigh, Radomir has turned that place into a fortress.”

“That's a good idea,” I agree, gritting my teeth as the anger coils inside me like a snake ready to strike. How dare someone try to attack my brother in his own home? “I’ll help clean up here and try to find some clues.”

“Thank you.” Gavriil gives me a tight smile and hesitates, a fleeting flash of guilt sparks in his eyes once again making me slightly nervous but it's gone as quickly as it appeared. “I’m glad you’re here, brother. I’m sorry about all this.”

Before I can respond Lev appears at the top of the stairs.

“Boss!” Lev calls. “You’re needed inside.”

I nod at Lev. “I’ll be right there.” Turning back to the SUV I start to close the driver's door. “Get them to the penthouse safely,” I order before turning to go after Lev.

As I climb the stairs I can't shake this weird feeling that starts to creep over me and then the night suddenly falls eerily silent for a few moments—like the world was holding its breath—waiting for something.

Then—

BOOM.

A shockwave tears through the estate.

Heat scorches up my back. My body slams into the stone steps, pain bursting through me and the world starts to spin—everything goes black.

CHAPTER 3

Sabrina

---