Page 65 of Immaculate Corruption (Romanoff Bratva)

"Either they're all in that room with Dima or no one is keeping watch," Gennady says, shaking his head. "It's bizarre. I've never seen anything like it."

I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. But as we keep walking, I start to wonder if we aren't going to make a full circle around the premises. Gennady halts and points to a door.

"We're on the opposite side. This is where we're going in."

He presses his ear to the door again, but doesn't say whether he hears anything or not. Then, slowly, he pushes the door open.

It's incredible to me how slyly he moves. Gennady is not a small man by any means, but he manages to slide between a small crack in the door without making a noise.

I do my best to follow suit. As soon as I make it through, he grabs the door and drops it gently back into the frame without a sound.

We’re in.

But we aren't alone.

Most of the overhead lights are turned off. The only ones on are in the center of the room, and even then, only every third light. It's dim, but I can see Dima standing on the far side of the room, facing two men I don't recognize.

Gennady pulls me behind a covered table and gestures to my gun, silently instructing me to be ready to use it.

I've been to a gun range before and I've fired a gun, but none of that means I'm comfortable with a weapon.

Gennady scans the room and then gestures for me to go one direction and him to move the other. We are going to circle around and attack the two men from each side. So long as there aren't other people hiding in this room, it's a good plan.

Keeping low and staying beneath the tables, I edge around the room. Dima is talking to the men, but I can hardly hear them over my own heavy breathing and the thunder of my heart.

Stay focused.

I move around until I'm at eight o'clock from the younger of the two men. Gennady is in the same position on the opposite side.

I don't know if Dima has seen us. I hope he has. I'd love to not be shot by the man I've come to save.

Gennady lifts a hand, waving once and then pointing a finger. At the same time, we rush from our hiding places, guns drawn. It happens so fast I don’t even have time to be nervous.

"Don't do anything stupid!" Gennady yells. "I know that may be hard for you, Zotov."

Zotov?

The younger of the two men looks more annoyed than concerned. "Christ, do you two go anywhere without each other? My God."

"We shouldn't," Gennady says, throwing a sharp look at Dima.

I can't look at him yet. My hand is shaking on the weapon. I'm trying to convince myself I can do this.

I'm only a foot behind Zotov now, gun trained on his head. I should just pull the trigger. Be done with it. End him. End all of this.

"Arya," Dima says, voice soft. "Listen."

"Shut up," I snap at him. For a second, I was relieved Dima was still alive. Now, I'm livid. That he came here and risked his life this way. That he could be so reckless.

"No, listen to me,” he begs.

I chance a look at him, eyes narrowed. "I mean it, Dima. Don't talk to me right now.”

In the second I lose my focus, Zotov spins around with a flying elbow. At the same time, he grabs the handle of my gun and points it away from his face as I pull the trigger.

When I fire, the round goes straight into the floor.

"You should really listen to him," Zotov sneers, his breath hot on my face.

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