Chapter 29: Friday: The Estate attack

After telling Sonia to go back downstairs, I reluctantly headed to the front of the house to get into position. It was all I could do not to turn around and head to the basement instead. I didnt want to leave Sonia alone, but at least I knew she was safest down there.

I wouldnt let anyone get into the house. Sonia, the rest of my family, and Glowackis family would remain safe at all costs. If these bastards wanted to get to anyone here, they would need to go through me first.

“Theyre here!” Markos voice called over the radio. Show time!

Anton rushed out of the house and headed towards the gate entrance to join the rest of the defence team. I remained behind with Dimitri, Dariusz, Trigger, and several of my men. Trigger had been a sniper in the military, and he was one of our most loyal soldiers and a good friend to Ash and Miki in particular. He was armed with a sniper rifle.

“I cant find that bastard Ivor anywhere, but Ivan is stationed on the porch as expected,” he told me.

Shit! Ivor was meant to be there with him. It was finally time for both of those traitors to die.

We had kept them busy with errands for our legitimate business the last couple of days, so they didnt know about our suspicions or our preparations. Theyd only returned to the Estate a couple of hours ago, and theyd been watched constantly to ensure they didnt try to run or alert our enemies to our plans.

So, where the hell was Ivor?

Marko had been able to find any sign of him on any of the cameras, so I radioed the gate, but Anton confirmed that Ivor wasnt with him.

Fucking hell! It looked like he was gone. The bastard must have figured out we were on to him and ran. But how the hell did he get past the rest of our men? There was no time to figure that out right now, though. Wed have to track the bugger down at a later time. In the meantime, I still had Ivan to deal with.

I checked my gun again. It was my favourite Glock 17 with a silencer. All of us who were guarding the house itself were using them. Antons men and the rest of our men outside had suppressors on their rifles, too. We couldnt control the amount of noise made by the Broxys or the Malia Boys at either location, but we could reduce the noise as much as possible by using silencers and suppressors ourselves.

“Where the fuck is Ivor?” I asked Ivan as I stepped out onto the porch.

“Ivor said he was going to the toilet, but hes been gone a while now,” he said, looking worried.

As well, he should.

Trigger spoke quietly into the radio and shook his head a second later. Nope, Ivor was definitely not in the toilet. Obviously, Ivor had left his friend here to take the fall for him while he ran. Cowardly bastard!

“Why did you betray us?” I asked Ivor as the first shots of the forthcoming battle rang out.

“I, erm, I dont know what you mean,” he stuttered, shuffling his feet nervously, unconsciously backing up a step or two.

Useless pig! I pulled the Trigger, shooting him in the head.

“Armen, Rolan, go keep the tunnel clear!” I shouted to the guys as a worrying thought occurred to me.

Very few people were aware of our secret entrance at the back of the house, which led to a large underground tunnel and carpark, but Ivor might have found out about it like he had the Lab location. If so, that would explain how hed slipped away. Of course, you also needed to have the code to enter and exit, but if Ivor had discovered the tunnel, then I guessed he might have also discovered the code.

That could also mean hed told our enemies about it.

Shit, shit, shit.

If our secret entrance had been compromised, we might have been in more trouble. I radioed the guys, who confirmed the tunnel was empty. We were in the clear, but I still had Marko change the security code remotely. If Ivor had escaped that way, which was the most likely scenario, at least he wouldnt have been able to bring anyone back through with him.

“Some coming your way,” Anton said to Vlad, who was positioned in the trees along the driveway.

The enemy was getting closer. It was time to get everyone into position.

“Trigger, head up to the roof!”

He nodded and disappeared. I gestured to Derrick to remain on the porch. His boyfriend was inside taking care of the women and kids, and he was here in case one of the men needed him as a medic, but hed also insisted on defending the house. Miki had said no at first, and when Miki said no, people rarely disobeyed him. However, Id quickly discovered that Derrick was a formidable character in his own right, and hed won the argument easily.

“Gracies family,” was his reasoning. He wasnt about to let someone he considered family get hurt. I liked the guy.

Nodding to him as I passed, I gestured to the rest of my team to move forward, and we took up our designated positions in the forest area about three hundred yards from the house to wait. We were the last line of defence. If anyone slipped past our men near the gate, Antons men who were scattered throughout the grounds, or our traps, we would be ready.

The sounds of muffled gunshots up ahead could be heard, even amidst the first rounds of fireworks. Marko was setting off from inside the house to help cover their noise. I itched to get in on the action, unhappy at having been relegated to stay so far back.

Adrenaline coursed through my body, setting me alight with pent-up energy that needed to be released. With nothing to do but wait and listen to the enemy invading my home, my anger built. So, by the time Antons voice confirmed through the radio that several of the Broxys had managed to break through his lines and were headed my way, I was seething with barely controlled rage.

Gesturing to my brother Dimitri and our team, we slowly crept forward using the thick canopy of trees lining the long driveway as cover as we waited for the first dark shadow to emerge.

As soon as they were close enough, I signalled to open fire. I took down two almost immediately, and Dimitri got another with a headshot.

“Yes!” he shouted in glee, and I chuckled. Someone was enjoying himself.

A couple hunkered down behind some hedging. At least a dozen of them seemed to be hidden in the trees. It was difficult to tell exactly how many there were, but we roughly matched their number.

We traded shots back and forth for a while, only succeeding to hit one other guy. This was not going great, and I could tell by the radio chatter that the others were facing similar problems.

Trigger was obviously keeping track of what was going on with us, but he had yet to take a shot.

“Trigger?” I asked, not needing to say anything else.

“Romi, they are too well covered, I cant get a clear shot,” he replied, his frustration evident in his voice.

This was proving more difficult than wed anticipated. The Broxys had night vision goggles like our own and vests, too, along with similar weapons, but we were more trained in combat than these guys. We were all put through regular military-style training to ensure we were able to defend ourselves and anyone else we needed to. Also, Antons men were all ex-military. We should have had the upper hand. Nevertheless, with the similar equipment, vests, and the cover of the trees, it was hard to make any significant progress, and we needed to keep this fight as short as possible to avoid police involvement.

We had to get closer.

After quickly relaying my plan to my men, I gestured to Dimitri to move forward. As he did, I provided covering fire.

A shot rang out, whizzing past his ear. He quickly dove behind a fallen tree, just making it in time. My heart thundered in my chest at how close my baby brother had come to nearly taking a bullet to the head just now. He might be a grown-ass man, but my mama would never forgive me if I let anything happen to him. I wouldnt forgive me either.

“Missed me,” he taunted, laughing, and sounding like he was having the time of his life. I shook my head. Sometimes, I wondered about his sanity. The Russian word for brother was brat, and Dimitri always acted like the English version of the word. He was the youngest and spoiled, so it was no surprise. Still, deep down, I wouldnt have him any other way. My brother might lack sanity at times, but he had a way about him that could brighten your darkest hour. He made people smile.

“Your turn,” he shouted, pulling me out of my thoughts before providing a steady stream of cover.

Running out from behind my tree, I made it another ten feet or so before diving behind another. While we moved forward, distracting the enemy, Dariusz and my men slipped away and headed further into the forest area so they could swing around behind the Broxys in a pincer movement as Id instructed.

Once they were in position, we advanced, running towards them at full speed, surrounding them.

As I clashed with one guy, my gun was knocked flying. He aimed, but I quickly blocked his arm, moved in close and rammed the heel of my hand into his face, busting his nose. As he staggered back, I followed, raining blows into his stomach. As he fell forward onto his knees, I rounded behind him and snapped his neck.

Spying someone creeping up behind Dimitri, who was already distracted by his own fight, I leapt over some shrubs, landing straight on top of the guy who immediately tried to brain me with his empty weapon. I dodged my head to the side just in time to avoid any real damage. The butt of the gun glanced off me, and a burst of pain shot through my head, and my vision blurred for a second.

We struggled on the ground, each trying to get the upper hand. I saw Dariusz was having a similar struggle up ahead, but Dimitri had killed his assailant and was on to his next. Similar battles occurred all around me. It was bloody pandemonium, but Dimitris laughter could be heard over all of the other noise. Yep, sometimes I definitely wondered about that boys sanity.

My guy was desperately trying to bring his gun up between us. Shit! No fucking way!

Head butting the guy sent another shock of pain through my already sore head, but it disorientated him enough for me to push him away from me enough for me to take advantage and roll us, so he was now underneath me.

He tried hard to push me off him, but I punched him in the face several times. Pain reverberated through my arm from the force of my blows, but the crack of his nose made it worth it. The bastard sliced at me with a knife, slashing my forearm as I defended myself. Fuck, that hurt even worse than my head.

We grappled for control of the blade, the cut on my arm dripping blood down my wrist and making my hands slippery. My energy was waning, too. Id had enough of this. This piece of shit needed to die. Grabbing the guys hand, I managed to snap his wrist. He screamed in pain, and I grasped hold of the knife and slit his throat. A shot rang out, and then another duller one. There was a thud behind me as something fell.

“Another one down,” Marko said as he came out from behind a tree.

I grinned and shook my head. Typical, he just had to get in on the action. I knew he wouldnt remain in the house like he was supposed to. Of course, I couldnt blame him. I wouldnt have either.

“A couple of guys made off towards the house; the rest are dead,” he said, and we rushed in that direction.

“Trigger, two guys approaching from the West,” I screamed into my radio as we ran.

“Not anymore, got the fuckers!” he replied, chuckling.

Looking around, I saw bodies lying on the ground nearby. Thank fuck! I radioed the gate, and Anton confirmed all the Broxys there were dead. The rest of our teams confirmed the same.

It was over.

We had been exceptionally lucky here with no loss of life, and those of our men who had been injured had only suffered from minor injuries, including myself and Marko, who took a shot to the upper arm. Luckily, it was just a graze like my knife wound.

Marko returned to the house to continue monitoring things at the Lab. Derrick hurried down to the basement to set up for those who required help, and I had Rolan and Armen take the injured to him.

Once they were gone, I rounded up the rest of our men and got them started on the clean-up operation before heading down to the basement with Dariusz to check on everyone there and have my wound attended to.

Or that was my excuse, but my real reason was that I needed to see my woman. Our enemies hadnt been in the house, so rationally, I knew she was fine. However, the fact that several had been just a few feet away before Trigger killed them made my blood boil, and I needed to see her with my own eyes before confirming it. I didnt give a fuck about a bruised head and a bloodied arm. As long as she was okay. Besides, I knew she would be worried about me, too, so I needed to alleviate her fears.

The minute I entered the basement, Sonia rushed to my side, her eyes scanning me from head to toe. My own eyes trailed over her, drinking her in.

“Are you okay?” she asked me, concern lacing her voice and making my heart swell.

“I am now!” I whispered, glad we were both okay.

It was all I could do to stop myself from reaching out and pulling her in for a kiss the way I longed to, but there were too many people here, including Dariusz. It frustrated the hell out of me that I would have to wait until I could get her alone again before giving in to my baser instincts. This sneaking around and hiding our feelings was a bloody nightmare. Nevertheless, I would deal with it for now. Id let Plan A have its shot, but if it didnt fix our problem, I would soon be taking Sonia and running.

Sonia dabbed at my arm, cleaning the wound with gentle hands that lingered on my skin as she applied some Steri-Strips to keep it closed before bandaging it. The feel of her touch soothed my soul. The little concerned frown on her face was the most adorable thing Id ever seen. Well, except when she wore my oversized dungarees or my T-shirt. Those were pretty adorable, too. And sexy. Definitely sexy. My cock jerked in my pants, and I gulped at the images flying through my mind.

As she rubbed some antiseptic cream on my knuckles and my bruised forehead, which was also a little scrapped, her hand touched my face, and I leaned into it very slightly, closing my eyes just for a few seconds to savour the feel of her.

When I opened them again, she smiled at me with a look that could only be described as pure, unadulterated love. At that moment, I felt utter contentment. This woman completed me, and there was no way on earth that I would ever let her go.

“Thank you,” I said, returning her smile, and thats when I noticed Gracie smirking at me.

Hell! I needed to be more careful with my body language and actions, I chided myself. However, I noted that Gracie didnt seem at all shocked by my obvious interest in Sonia. Perhaps we had another ally.

For now, though, I had to be more careful, and I had things to do, so I reluctantly stepped away from Sonias side.

“Love you,” I mouthed to her before heading back upstairs with Dariusz.

It was all over for us here, but Marko confirmed that the fight was still raging over at the Lab. It was both worrying and disconcerting to be here safe now while the others were still fighting. I couldnt help but feel that the luck wed had here couldnt possibly hold out, but I hoped I was wrong.

Marko was still monitoring the situation, so while we waited for more news, I helped the others clear up the bodies from the grounds. We loaded them into body bags and then into several vans, ready to be transported to the C for disposal as soon as we had word that the Lab was secure.

Dariusz and I discussed what else needed to be done and set appropriate tasks. Then he sent some of his men off to look for our enemies vehicles so they could also be disposed of. They would be driven either to a chop shop belonging to the Glowackis or their scrapyard to be crushed. It didnt matter to me as long as we got rid of them quickly.

Sonia and Gracie joined us just as Dariusz got a call on his mobile. He started shouting in Polish, and it wasnt difficult to figure out that it was bad news. As it turned out, his home was attacked after all. Someone had left a package with an explosive inside, and one of the guards opened it. Stupid idiot! Naturally, he didnt survive, but thankfully, he was the only one who died.

Apparently, the house had received a fair amount of damage, though, so it would need to be partially rebuilt, and the situation had to be covered up. So, Dariusz left to go home to deal with the situation while we continued to put the Estate back in order and get rid of all evidence of the battle.

I wasnt a religious man, but I sent up a silent prayer of thanks that his family, and especially young Magdalena, were here when it occurred.

By the time we had everything tidied up, all bodies and weapons hidden, and the enemy vehicles removed, we finally heard from Marko that the lab battle was over. Miki, Ash, and Daniel were fine, thank goodness, but some of the others werent quite so lucky, including Glowacki. They were taking him over to Doctor Rawlins at the C for emergency surgery.

Shit, I really hoped hed survive. Firstly, because I liked the guy and it would break little Magdalenas heart if he didnt. Secondly, if he died, Dariusz would be the new Polish boss. There had been problems within their brotherhood for years since Lev Petrov had been planning his takeover, but the fact that traitors continued to appear meant that there was unrest and dissent in their ranks that needed to be properly addressed.

A change of leadership at a time when the Poles were already vulnerable could be disastrous to them and, as a result, to us. That would mean hed need our alliance more than ever, and despite any misgivings he might have about an arranged marriage, hed need it. Damn! It seemed that fate was determined to keep Sonia and me apart.

Well, I wouldnt let it. Nothing would stop me from claiming Sonia. Nothing!

A sharp pain behind my eyes made me wince. My head ached, and not solely from the bashing it had taken. The small lump that had risen on my forehead throbbed like it had a pulse of its own. I should have grabbed some pain medication when I was downstairs, I thought with a heavy sigh.

Right now, life seemed like a constant struggle, but at least we had won this battle. The Broxys and most of the Malia boys were dead. Unfortunately, Siri and a few of his men escaped, and although Daniel had gone after them, somehow, the guy had a helicopter waiting nearby and managed to get away.

The Malia Boys didn’t have the cash for that kind of thing, and I doubted Siri would have the forethought to plan such an escape either. So, it looked like whoever was pulling his strings had arranged it. We really had to find out who that was, and we had to get a hold of Siri.

Not only had he played a part in Krissa’s murder, but he’d also been conspiring against us for years and led the recent attacks and tonight’s war. It was just a matter of time before we hunted the bastard down, and when we found him, he would pay. Although not before we got all the information we could out of him, including anything we could find out about Jadwa. The guy might have run, but he was a dead man walking, and his freedom wouldn’t last long.