Page 103 of Her Darkest Possession

He nods and starts looking around. Then, his eyes land on the security camera mounted in the corner of the ceiling and he looks directly at us.

He points up at it.

Lola's face lights up with cruel delight. She turns her gaze and in that moment, it seems like her eyes are able to pierce through the screen and find me even though I know she can't actually see me.

A slow, vicious smile spreads across her face. She blows a kiss toward me.

Then she throws the torch onto the gasoline-soaked floor.

The flames catch instantly, racing across the marble in hungry orange tongues. But Lola doesn't run.

Not yet.

She picks up one of the red gas cans and twirls amidst the dancing flames, laughing as she dumps more fuel on the fire.

29

ANATOLY

A bright glowof the fire lights up the sky long before the front gates of the mansion ever come into view. Thick black smoke billows into the night sky as snowflakes dance and twirl in the night.

I can hear the flames crackling even from here, and they sound almost as loud as the chatter of rifles between my men who've already arrived and the Volkov stragglers fighting to keep us out.

The car screeches to a halt and I jump out before Roma even puts it in park.

"My Pakhan!" Kusma runs up to me, blood splattered across his face and hands me a rifle. "The Volkovs have the front sealed off."

"Where's Vassily? Has anyone seen him?"

"We haven't been able to reach anyone inside."

My stomach drops as I dial his number. It rings endlessly, no answer. I try again with the same result.

A hail of gunfire rips through the air, bullets cracking overhead. Kusma and I duck down just as Roma slides into position besides me.

Is Vassily dead? Did I order my little brother to his death?

And Indigo.

Is she still alive?

As Kusma stands up to fire a burst from his rifle, I dial Indigo's cell next. My hands are shaking so badly I nearly drop the phone. But unlike Vassily's phone, Indigo's goes straight to voicemail.

"Nothing from Indigo either," I look at Roma.

"Maybe Vasya got her into the panic room," Roma suggests, his eyes reflecting the flames. "That room is completely shielded from all cell signals. Try the landline."

I punch in the number, holding my breath as it rings once, twice...

"Anatoly?" Indigo's voice comes through, breathless and terrified.

My knees nearly give out underneath me. She's alive! She must've made it into the panic room. That means she's temporarily safe.

The crushing weight that had been compressing my chest lifts, allowing me to draw a proper breath for the first time since departing from the precinct.

"Indigo! Are you okay? Are you in the panic room?"

"Yes," she answers. "I'm here with Amara and Svetlana. But Anatoly…" Her voice breaks as she pauses. "Vassily is dead. Lola shot him in the head."