Page 81 of Vengeful Embers

He presses a button on his watch. A panel slides open in the wall. I stare.

“Oh no not that panic space.” I grumble.

“There are peanut butter cups in there.”

“Really?”

He nods

"In you go."

"Oh look. Telly," I mutter, snuggling into the fluffy blanket like I’m not seconds away from being hunted.

"Remember the drill."

I nod. I’m too damn tired to smile, let alone respond. I curl into the corner and fall asleep before I hear the panel click shut.

RUSLAN

My cabin is cold and quiet. I grab my phone and dial.

"Konstantin, I just got off the phone with Nadia. She's going to need your help back at Dragunov Village."

"What about Tara?"

"I'm here now," I say stiffly. A spark of jealousy flares in my chest. The eagerness in his voice grates.

I hang up and immediately call Nadia.

"Konstantin flies out tomorrow," I say. "Keep an eye on him."

"Of course, brother."

"Did you get the camera to Valeska after the break-in at Site 17?"

"I did. Everything’s in place."

"Good. I have to go."

"Yeah, you’ve got a hot woman in your bed," Nadia teases.

"You’re just jealous you don’t have someone as hot in your bed." I smile. Unbeknownst to my other siblings, Nadia and I appear to disagree on everything. She is a headstrong rebel, and my favorite sibling.

"No, we’ve got her locked up at the facility."

"All for the cause, sweet sister. I’ll call you soon."

"Love you, big brother."

"Ya tebya tozhe lyublyu."

I hang up, a smile curling on my lips. It’s all falling into place. Tara—God, she was supposed to be a distraction. Now she’s a complete obsession and, as it turns out, an invaluable treasure and a bonus addition to our plans.

But fuck. She drives me insane. I can’t keep my my hands off her and that’s a fucking problem. Tonight I gave her a taste of the real me, and instead of balking, she was more turned onthan ever. Shit just thinking about her and my cock is rock hard wanting to sink into her hot tight warmth.

The moment she walked through that door, she was not leaving me again, ever. I toss back a splash of vodka and pad toward the bedroom. Sure, she’s going to be livid when she finds out she’s still pregnant. And my sister Irina is going to be even more furious when she finds out her plan to deceive has failed.

I’m about to walk past the sofa, but something feels… off. I turn and look at the long side table beside the front door. My eyes widen when I see that my wallet is open. I pick it up and go through the bills. Only ten dollars is missing.

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