Page 277 of Gilded Cage (Kovalyov Bratva 1)

“Something tripped one of my perimeter traps,” I tell him. “I need to go check it out.”

“Let’s go then.”

“No,” I tell him firmly. “I want you to stay here with Esme.”

He doesn’t like that one bit. “Artem, you might need back-up.”

“It could be nothing.”

“And what if it’s not?”

“Then I’ll handle it.” I loop the rifle over my shoulder and tuck the Glock in the back of my jeans. “I have two more guns in that drawer over there. Ammo is under the kitchen cabinet. Keep Esme safe.”

I head out of the cabin, with adrenaline pumping through my veins.

Darkness is my only real cover as I move deeper into the woods where my traps lurk.

None of them will succeed in stopping an attack of any kind. They’re merely meant to alert me to the presence of intruders.

I’m a few steps shy of the nearest trap when I hear a voice in the shadows.

“Fuck.”

I freeze at the muttered curse. My hand grips my gun. I slink backwards to find coverage behind the trees.

I don’t know who’s here, what they want, how many there are.

Until I have more information, I need to play this carefully.

Common sense tells me that the safest bet is to get back to the cabin, grab Cillian and Esme, and make a run for it.

But I’ve done enough running in this lifetime. I hated it then and I hate it now. It’s not in my nature.

My first instincts are to stand my ground and fight.

To protect my family by putting myself in between them and danger.

And to beat danger into the fucking ether.

More muffled sounds emerge in the distance. I prick up my ears and pay attention.

By the sound of it, I’m guessing that I have at least four men to deal with. Possibly more coming from the east. It’s hard to say exactly because of the wind causing a low whistle through the trees.

I see movement off in the distance. I pause, darting behind a thin willow that leaves me exposed on the other side.

I raise my gun. Keep my eyes peeled. As they adjust more to the darkness, I start to see silhouettes moving through the trees now.

They’re coming towards me without caution. That tells me that they still don’t know I’m here.

At this point, the element of surprise is all I have.

I stay still and lie in wait.

A tall figure steps into view. I can’t make out individual features but I see enough to know that I don’t recognize him.

I think about Razor and his band of misfits near the ravine the other day.

It is possible he had more men at his command than I had initially suspected. Which suggests they are here now to exact their revenge.

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