Page 62

Chapter  29
ALEXEI
Stopping the SUV to the west of St. Monarch’s, the castle towers on the other side of the wall.
When everyone gathers behind me, I say, “Team one, earpiece check.”
‘In position,’ Semion’s voice sounds in my ear.
‘Ready,’ Lev replies.
“Team two.”
Carson, Damien, and Lucian take turns to mutter, ‘Here.’
Then Damien asks, ‘Princess, you there?’
“I’m here,” Winter replies.
‘Be careful,’ he tells her for the hundredth time. The man’s going to give himself a heart attack from all the worrying.
“Damien, cut it out,” I snap. “Winter will be fine.”
He lets out a huff.
“Remember, Madame Keller is not to be killed unless absolutely necessary,” I remind everyone.
Then I glance at Demitri on my right. “Ready, brother?”
He nods, and our eyes hold for a moment before I turn my head to Isabella on my left.
“I’m ready,” she says, looking like an angel of death.
I lift my hand behind her head and press a hard kiss to her mouth. For a moment, her palm settles against the armored vest covering my chest. I take a deep breath of my woman and then pull back.
Lifting the grenade launcher to my shoulder, I say, “Breach in three… two…” I fire the grenade, and then my eyes follow it as it whistles through the air.
I hope Madame Keller left.
The grenade strikes, blowing a hole near the armory and dropping the launcher, I run for the wall. Lodging a foot against the solid wall, I push my body hard, and for a split-second, I’m airborne, and then I grab hold of the top and pull myself up. I jump over and land in a crouching position.
Demitri drops next to me, and as I dart forward, I hear my team behind me. Grabbing the sub-machine gun at my side, I bring it up, and when the guards open fire on us, I pull the trigger.
I don’t take in faces as my group’s bullets spray St. Monarch’s guards while we close in on the side of the building that’s been blasted open.
Nearing the rubble, I let go of the sub-machine gun and, reaching beneath my coat, I pull the two Heckler & Kochs from behind my back.
I bring my arms up, and instinct takes over as I take out one after the other target. The popping and rattling of gunfire fill the air around St. Monarch’s.
As we reach the rubble, we’re slowed down, having to pick our way through bricks and mortar scattered on the ground.
‘Entering,’ Carson’s voice sounds in my ear.