Page 149 of Shattered Cradle (Makarova Bratva Duet)

Yulia leaves the room first. Moritz follows behind her, the girl in his arms. As I trail them out into the hallway, I notice a camera perched high in the corner. My body goes cold.

“Yulia,” I hiss, running past Moritz to whisper in her ear. “The cameras. They’re all over the house.”

She gives me a reassuring smile. “I already disabled them when I went to get Moritz,” she tells me. “I had to wipe some of the memory, too. If Aleksandr checks the tapes, he won’t see you coming up here. He won’t even see you leaving your room.”

“He’ll put two and two together eventually.”

“But not before we’re both out of harm’s way.”

I frown. “Do you really think he would hurt you? Us?”

She looks uncertain for a moment. “I don’t know. I didn’t think he was capable of…” She fades off, her eyes flitting to the young girl in Moritz’s arms. “Well, I don’t know what he’s capable of anymore.”

My shattered heart sinks in my chest. I’ve never felt so crushed.

Moritz and I hang back until Yulia gives us the all-clear to head down to the third floor. We do the same thing to get to the second. Tiptoe down, wait for the signal, descend quickly and quietly.

But as we’re moving down to the first, I hear Yulia’s voice cut through the silence.

“Tasha,” she says, addressing one of the maids. “What are you doing on this floor?”

“Cleaning the common rooms, ma’am,” the girl replies, sounding surprised by the question. “It’s on my task list for today.”

“Is it?” Yulia asks absent-mindedly. “Oh, goodness, I must have made a mistake. I’m going to need you down in the basement. The carpets need a steam.”

“Oh. Yes, ma’am.”

“And take Christa with you. That space is large. You’ll need some help.”

“Of course, ma’am. Should I finish cleaning in here first?”

“No, that won’t be necessary. Basement, now, please.”

The girl scurries off and Yulia gives us the signal to move forward.

The first floor is perhaps the most complicated area of all. Most of the men pass through the common rooms here when they change posts or leave for their lunch. It’s a beehive of activity most of the time.

But Yulia is an adept guide. She looks calm and confident. It’s helping me feel more in control.

Until she freezes and turns back to look at us, panic in her eyes.

She doesn’t even need to say anything. I can hear the engines roar and the crunch of gravel just outside.

Aleks.

He’s back.

I grab a hold of Yulia and pull her back. “We have to distract him.”

“But how?”

I glance around the room, but the answer is obvious to me. “I’ll do it,” I say. “I’ll distract him while you get the girl out of here.”

“Olivia—”

“Listen to me,” I plead. “You know this compound better than anyone. And if you’re sitting up front with the driver, no one will question you when you leave. But if I’m seen, all hell will break loose.”

Yulia wants to argue with my logic, but we both know she can’t.

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