Page 29 of Maxim (The Syndicates #12)

W hen Maxim jumped out of bed, getting dressed quickly, I followed suit. Whatever he heard on the other end of that phone had him moving quickly.

I didn’t say a word until he tried to keep me in the house. Then I demanded he take me with him. That’s how I ended up in the passenger seat of his car.

“What is going on?” I ask.

“Your father set something in motion. My associates decided they needed to take him down. Tonight.”

Oh god. The kids.

“Daryna and Alek?” I ask.

“I know. That’s why we are heading to your father’s house. They can take care of his business shit. They are my priority.”

They are taking down my father. Which means bullets and violence. What if they accidentally hit one of my siblings? What if Alek stays by my father’s side? Will they kill him too?

My breaths start coming faster. I can’t handle it if anything happens to them.

“Are they going to be okay?” I ask as Maxim speeds toward my father’s house.

“I will make sure of it even if it means I have to die for them. I will protect them at all costs.” He turns toward me, grabbing my hand before looking back out the windshield.

“I trust you, Maxim. Please get them back.” I feel my eyes tearing up.

He squeezes my hand. “I know it’s not the first time you’ve told me that you trust me, but it’s the first time I’ve actually believed it. At least when it comes to this.”

“I have for a while now. I was scared to give you that power, though. It doesn’t matter anymore. All that matters is them. I’m going in with you, and if anything happens to me, promise you will take care of them.”

“ Сонечко, I am not letting you out of my sight. I won’t let anything happen to you either, but if it makes you feel better, then yes. I will take care of them for the rest of my life, and if I can’t, my family will. They will be taken care of no matter what.”

I nod. “Thank you.”

“It’s going to get crazy in there. I’m going to have to kill people. You will see me differently than you have seen me recently. If that changes how you feel, I will understand,” he admits softly.

“I don’t care what you have to do. Bring my siblings back to me.”

It’s the truth too. I have been wrong about Maxim from the beginning. I thought he was the worst thing that had ever happened to me. He took me from my family, but he was a blessing in disguise. He helped pick up my pieces and put me back together. Now he is going to give me back the thing I lost.

I will never doubt him again.

He squeezes my hand one more time before letting go to pull out a gun. Then he pulls up to the gate, hiding the gun.

“He’s not expecting anyone,” the guard says.

I nod. “I know. I have some important information for him. It’s time sensitive.”

The guard makes a phone call before opening the gate.

Maxim huffs out a breath as he drives through the gate. He puts his gun away.

“The guard at the door is going to take my weapons. I cannot allow him to. What I do will set off the alarms. Where are the children likely to be?” he asks.

“Upstairs in their room. It’s late,” I tell him. “Daryna’s room is to the left of the landing and the fifth door on the left. Alek is to the right of the landing at the very end of the hall. Father wanted to keep him separate.”

“Stay behind me and put the mask on. Once I get rid of them, it won’t matter anymore.”

I nod. The car comes to a stop. He puts it in park before coming around to open my door. I keep my eyes on the ground as he helps me out, shutting the door behind me.

“Boss isn’t happy that you’re here. He won’t like you bringing her either,” Piotr says.

“Yeah, well, he can fuck himself,” Maxim says, pulling out his gun and shooting the guard in the temple. It barely makes a poof sound as he does. The body falls to the ground.

“Let’s go, Сонечко. ”

Maxim grabs my hand, pulling me to the front door. He opens it slowly, his gun raised. Another sound pops off before he opens the door, escorting me inside.

Then the alarm sounds.

“Hurry,” He hisses at me, pulling me up the stairs behind him as he holds his gun up, looking for anyone who might cause us harm.

I can hear steps from below on the tile, making me push Maxim faster. Once at the top, I turn left, heading toward Daryna’s room first.

Maxim opens the door to the room, but the one from across the hall swings open quickly, then I’m pulled away from Maxim.

My heart is beating out of my chest as I stare at Maxim, looking at whoever has me with murderous eyes.

“Let her go,” Maxim demands, raising his gun.

The man behind me clicks his tongue before he speaks.

“I told you not to bring her back here. This place is dangerous for her. Looks like I’ll need to take care of her. You better leave before you end up dead.” Szymon’s voice fills my ear, and I freeze.

I always knew he had a thing for me, but the way he is speaking almost sounds like it is more than a crush.

Could he be in love with me?

“Go get the children,” I tell Maxim.

His eyes are conflicted. He wants to stay with me, but he can’t.

“Remember your promise,” I remind him.

He curses but nods. “This isn’t over. If you hurt her, I will kill you.”

Then he takes off down the hall toward Alek’s room.

“Ah, alone at last. Let’s have a chat, shall we?”

Then he backs into the room, shutting and locking the door. When he lets me go, I turn to face him.

He looks crazed.

“Where shall we start?”

I swallow hard.

Anything for the kids.

Leaving Olena is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Everything inside of me is screaming to go back and save her from that man.

I made her a promise, though. One that I will keep at all costs. I will rescue the children, and then I will rescue her. I won’t let that man have her for longer than I have to.

Daryna’s room was empty. I didn’t want to head back in to check more thoroughly in case Szymon decided to kill me anyway, so I headed toward Alek’s room.

Opening the door, I poke my head inside. It also looks empty, but I step inside and close the door anyway. I need to make a plan. It almost seems like they were ready for us. As if someone told them we would be here tonight.

Taking a deep breath, I start to look around. That’s when I hear it.

The slight sob from the closet.

Opening the door, I’m shocked when a small boy flies out at me, stabbing me in my chest with a knife.

I grunt but manage to get the boy under control.

“Stop,” I hiss. “Olena sent me to get you.”

“I don’t believe you. You hurt her,” Alek spits back.

“Only because I had to. Your father would not have let her leave with me had I not. I’ve done everything I can to protect your sister.”

He narrows his eyes at me. “Where is she?”

“Down the hall. I need to save her, but she wanted me to save you. So you can either take a leap of faith, or I knock you out and drag you out of here so I can go get her. You are wasting time.”

He frowns. “I don’t trust you.”

“You shouldn’t trust anyone. So what will it be?”

“You go save Olena. She is the only mother we have ever had. I can get Daryna out of here. I’ll get us into the woods outside the property. Come get us when you get Olena.”

“No. I won’t leave you. I made a promise.”

Alek chuckles. “I can get us out of here safely. You won’t fit.”

Before I can ask what he means, he kneels. “Daryna it’s time to use the escape hatch.”

I watch as the little girl opens a panel in the back of the closet. It’s barely big enough for her. She crawls through, waiting on the other side for her brother. Alek has a more difficult time but makes it.

“Put this back up and get Olena. I will get Daryna out safely. I’m trusting you,” Alek tells me.

For such a young child, he is wise beyond his years. I can see how much it hurts him to trust me, but he’s doing it anyway. I hate Jan even more for whatever he has done to his son.

“I will. If you run into anyone and they claim to be with me, ask them for the code word. It is Семья . If they do not say that, they are not with me.”

He nods, turning to lead his sister through the walls.

I put the panel back in place and shut the closet door. Then I take out my phone and send a text to Alexei.

M: Package in woods. Code word three.

A: Received. Will obtain package.

Knowing Alexei will send someone for the kids, I head back to the door. I listen for a moment before I open the door. The hallway is still empty. I make my way down the hall back to where I saw Olena last.

I don’t make it three steps past the room next door when I hear the door click open. Spinning, I swing my gun up. It’s too late, though. I’m disarmed and knocked to the ground.

“Well, what do we have here? A rat in our midst. I knew there was something off about you, but I really hoped I was wrong. You showed such promise. Who are you working for?” Jan steps out behind his men.

“No one,” I tell him, refusing to admit that I’m with Nikolai.

“Now I know you aren’t here to help me out.

You had the gate call up, then I watched you kill two of my men.

I held them back, wanting to see what you were planning to do.

I didn’t expect you to give up Olena and go for the kids.

If they were more your taste, I could have gotten you some sweet ones at auction. ”

The man disgusts me. I want to tear him to shreds, but I don’t. I bide my time.

“Where are my children? Still in Alek’s room, I bet. He wouldn’t leave with you?”

“Don’t you know. I don’t see you not having a camera in his room as well,” I spit back.

“Yeah, well, it seems someone took my security system out after you entered the room,” he sneers.

I send up a quick thanks to Alexei. He’s the only person who could have taken down his system, but it wasn’t remotely. That means he is on-site somewhere.

It means my team is here. The men I personally chose to serve under me in the shadows.

“Go find out for yourself,” I tell him.

“Alek. Get out here. Bring the brat,” he yells.

When there’s no movement, he huffs, heading into the room. I sit still as I hear him calling for Alek. Then something hits the wall.

When he comes back out, he looks at two of his men. “Find them.” Then he turns to me, “Let’s go to my office. I’ll have Szymon bring Olena so you can see what I do to those who cross me.”

The insinuation has me ready to fight, but I keep my cool. I let them lead me down to the office as I hear Jan call out to Szymon down the hall.

“Szymon, bring my daughter to my office.”

Then he follows behind us.

One thing is for certain: I will be killing this man today.