Page 66 of Sold to the Bratva
“Move,” he says, stepping in and shoving the door shut behind him. “We’re leaving. Now.”
“What’s happening?” I ask, my voice trembling as I grip the edge of the dresser for balance.
“I don’t know,” he says, voice tight. “Someone is shooting, and Isaac ordered me to get you out. You and the baby are my only priority.”
I nod, a hard knot of fear choking my throat. He plants a steady hand between my shoulder blades and steers me into the hall. Shouting rolls through the walls, followed by another volley of shots and the dull thud of close-quarters combat. I shove the panic down and follow wherever Mikhail pulls me.
We hurry down the back stairs, Mikhail clearing every landing before tugging me toward the kitchen. I trip over my own feet, heart thundering in my ears. Each breath saws short and I can barely process any of it.
“Where is Isaac?” I gasp.
“I left him in his office,” Mikhail says. “He told me to get you out. He’s holding the line until we’re clear.”
“Jesus,” I whisper.
As we round the corner into the main hallway, I freeze. Two men grapple in front of us, one of Isaac’s guards locked in a brutal struggle with a man I almost recognize. I don’t know his name, but I’ve seen him somewhere.Where have I seen him before?
“Mikhail,” I breathe, grabbing his arm.
“I see them,” he says, leveling his gun. “Keep your eyes on me and move when I tell you.”
I nod even as my body shakes. I’m trying to be strong, for myself and for the baby, yet fear floods every inch of me. I don’t knowif I can do this, if we’re going to make it. Somehow Mikhail has already steered us into the kitchen pantry. It feels like a dead end, and I’m just about to say so when a shadow falls over the doorway.
A scream claws up my throat, but then Maude snaps into focus. Her apron is smeared with flour, eyes wide, knuckles white around a rolling pin she brandishes like a club.
“Get in here!” Mikhail barks.
Maude doesn’t hesitate. She slips through the doorway and falls in behind me while Mikhail hustles us deeper into the pantry. He leans into a shelf, the wall swinging inward to reveal a narrow staircase. Under any other circumstances I’d gush over the secret passage, but now isn’t the moment.
Each creak overhead jerks me upright, and every distant thump or yell hurls my imagination toward the worst possible outcome.
The narrow basement corridor stretches out in front of us. I didn’t even know this part of the house existed. Mikhail presses a panel on the wall, and a hidden door clicks open, revealing yet another dimly lit passage.
“This passage leads outside,” he says. “I’m leaving you here. If I’m not back in fifteen minutes, get out and find safety.”
He digs into his pocket and pulls out his car keys.
“My car’s parked on this side of the house, just beyond the garden. Can you reach it if everything goes sideways?”
I simply stare at him. Maude wraps her arms around me and rubs my shoulders in slow circles. She’s stronger than I am, and I can’t help wondering if this is really her first hostage situation.
“Katya,” he says, voice grave. “You grew up in this world so you know exactly how bad this can get. Promise me you and Maude will get out if it does.”
“Come with us,” I plead. “It isn’t safe for you in there.”
“Not yet,” he says, pressing the keys into Maude’s waiting palm. “I have to make sure Isaac is all right. I’m his backup.”
Tears prick my eyes. “Mikhail…” I breathe.
“I won’t let anything happen to either of you,” he promises. “You’re safe for now, but I need to keep Isaac that way. Fifteen minutes, all right?”
He turns to Maude. “If I’m not back in fifteen, you get her out, understood?”
Maude nods, her fingers tightening on my shoulders as I fight the urge to panic. Then he’s gone, slipping through the panel and pulling it closed behind him. Darkness and silence swallow us.
“We should get outside,” Maude murmurs. “It’s damp in here, and catching pneumonia is the last thing you need.”
I force myself forward, one hand gliding along the cool stone for balance. Maude stays close, her steps quick and sure. She’s my strength now, and I cling to it.
