Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 103656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
His expression doesn’t change, but a muscle tightens in his jaw.
Before I change my mind and actually stay, I grab my backpack and leap out of the car.
The moment I’m in front of the entrance, I chance a look behind me to take my fill of Kirill, but he and the car are gone.
My shoulders hunch as I disappear into the airport. The flight is uncomfortable, not because of the length but due to the thoughts plaguing my mind.
I can’t stop thinking about Kirill’s expression when I refused to stay after he asked me for the third time.
Also…that kiss. It makes my head swim just thinking about it.
When I reach Russia, I change clothes in the airport bathroom so that I look different from when I left. I pull on a hoodie and hide my gun in my waistband. Then I turn my backpack inside out so it’s blue instead of dark orange.
Though Kirill was mad at me when he dropped me off, I can’t be too careful since he could’ve sent someone to follow me.
I even hide my phone in a locker at the airport since I’m sure it has some sort of a tracker on it.
It takes me more time than needed to exit the building, but I leave fully satisfied that no one is tailing me. And if they were, I already lost them.
Still, I take careful routes, hitching rides on some large utility trucks until I get to the faraway village where my family’s located.
I leave the last truck and walk about five miles in the middle of the thick snow and freezing cold, just to make sure no vehicles or people are after me.
By the time I reach the location Uncle Albert gave me, I pause. I expected it to be a village, but there’s only a warehouse.
It’s hidden by a hill, looking way too similar to the warehouse from our last mission here…
This can’t be right.
My senses go on full alert, and I retrieve my gun as my steps become careful. Uncle Albert wouldn’t have brought Babushka here. It’s not a place that’s fit for an old woman or a child like Mike.
There must’ve been some sort of a mistake in the coordinates he gave me—
“Sasha.”
I spin around, and sure enough, my uncle is standing there in the snow. But he looks…different.
My peaceful uncle is dressed in combat boots and has a firearm slung over his shoulder.
And he’s not alone. A few other men appear, all dressed in fighting gear and black masks.
Mercenaries?
“What’s going on?” I ask, my finger still on the trigger. “Where’s Babushka? Who are all these people?”
“All in good time, Sasha.” My uncle wraps his arm around my shoulder. “You did so well.”
“I still haven’t done anything.” I stare at him quizzically.
“Oh, but you have. Here, put this on.” He hands me a mask that’s similar to the ones the others are wearing.
“Uncle Albert, can you tell me what’s going on? I thought I was here for Babushka.”
“Oh, you’ll see her eventually.” He puts the mask on me, then dons his own and hugs me. “I’m so proud of you, Sasha. You know that, right?”
I nod, even though my chest is tightening with every passing second.
He’s saying I did so well, but why do I feel like I made a terrible mistake just by showing up here?
A noise echoes in the air before a snowmobile appears. I pull back from Uncle Albert, thinking this is one of their companions.
“You managed to get him to come alone,” Uncle Albert says in a proud voice.
“Who…” I trail off as the rider of the snowmobile comes into view.
My heart drops. My legs shake, and the world starts spinning.
I would recognize that build anywhere. In a crowd. Or even in snow clothes.
“Uncle Albert,” I whisper. “What…what are you planning?”
“Revenge, my darling. That man was the mastermind behind our family’s massacre.”
I watch in horror as my uncle opens fire on Kirill.
TO BE CONTINUED…
The story continues in Lies of My Monster.
You can check out the books of the characters that appeared in this book:
Adrian Volkov: Deception Trilogy.
Rai Sokolov: Throne Duet.