Chapter 24

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Ollie

When we reach the dining room, we're alone. There's evidence that my mother and Polina have already had breakfast—my mother's favorite coffee mug sits in the kitchen sink, and Polina's cereal bowl is next to it, with a little milk and spoon sitting in it.

If it were up to me, nobody would be wandering around anywhere. But goddamnit, we need to force Carlos out of hiding.

In silence, I scramble eggs while Renata makes toast. She butters it liberally and slides it onto a plate next to my eggs. When she comes near me, I draw her closer. I hold her. I kiss her temple and breathe her in, and for one stolen moment, we're at peace before we pull away.

I don't know what's going to happen today, but I heard her loud and clear— I love you, and I need you to trust me.

Aside from my brothers, I don't trust anyone.

Learning to trust Renata may be the hardest thing I ever do, but I can do it.

"How's Isabella?" I ask, knowing she's not going to tell me shit about Isabella.

"She's fine. She's going home today." She bows her head and looks away for a moment as if steeling herself, gathering her resolve. Her eyes are wide when she looks up at me. "Remember what I said, Ollie," she says quietly, pushing her plate away.

I nod. "I do."

She mouths, I love you.

What the fuck?

I stare at her as she shoves her plate away. "I'm done, Ollie. I can't do this anymore. I need space. I feel like I'm suffocating here."

Oh, she does not. She will not fucking—she gets to her feet, and I stare at her, confused and a little suspicious.

"What are you talking about? This isn't the time or place."

"I know! My brother isn't here. You guys have already looked everywhere. Aleks has checked. He's not here because Carlos is dead. I told you he was dead," she says, tossing her head.

What the fuck is she doing? I stare at her, my eyes narrowing.

Rolling her eyes, she continues. "If he actually was here, he wouldn't be hiding like this. That isn't his way. You know that. He'd just confront us."

She pushes away from the table. "You watching my every move is driving me crazy. You even wanted to go to the bathroom with me!"

"Renata," I growl, my hands clenching into fists.

"No, Ollie. I need to get out, to think, to breathe. I can't stay here like this. I didn't even want to marry you, you know that."

I don't think so. My eyes narrow on her. "You're not going anywhere. Not while your brother is still a threat."

She looks desperate and frustrated, and I half wonder if this is an act when she faces me, her eyes blazing. "You don't own me, Ollie Romanov. I am not a prisoner, and I'm not going to sit around and let you control me like this." Her nostrils flare.

Jesus.

Has Renata been in league with Carlos the whole time?

She swears she was taken from us even though every recording we had made it look like she was the one who left on her own. Even her best friend thought she was a traitor.

Has she manipulated us?

Damn. If she's acting, she's a really good actress.

She strides toward the door, her heels clicking on the floor. Is she serious?

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?"

"Out, Ollie. I can't do this anymore. My brother is dead, and you're delusional if you think that we're going to sit around waiting for him to come. I won't play these games anymore." Her movements are quick and agitated as she heads for the door, grabbing the handle.

I reach her in two quick steps. "You're not going anywhere without me."

"Is that the sum total of our life to you?" She yanks her arm free from my grip, her eyes flashing. "I told you, I'm done with this. If you don't let me go, I will make you." Without warning, she reaches for the small canister in her bag.

I step back, startled. Holy shit. Did she ask for weapons so that she could arm herself against me ? Did I just fucking walk into a trap?

As Renata marches toward the door, her frustration obvious, something changes. I feel it in my gut. The air feels thicker, and my nerves are on edge. My instincts are ready to snap, and before I can say a word, the door swings open.

And there he is. Carlos Carrera, my archenemy, one of the few men Renata has ever loved, scrawny and mean. He stands in the doorway, his eyes darkening as he stares at her. "Step back, Romanov. One move, and she dies." He shakes his head, a gun trained on Renata. "You didn't listen to me, little sister."

How the hell did he get in here? He must've been hiding in plain sight. My mind races, trying to figure everything out. We're by the porch, near the front—the only place we hadn't checked—the ventilation system that runs through the walls, hidden behind grates and ducts. Goddamn it. He's no stranger to evading detection. He must've found a way to block his biometric signature to make sure we didn't pick up his presence here, and he's slight, so it could've worked.

Fucking manipulator. It doesn't matter how he did it—he could've scrambled signals, fed false data, or cloaked himself somehow. He came here for a reason.

Carlos's gaze lingers on her like a predator sizing up prey before an attack. Something's twisted in the way he looks at her, like she's betrayed him, as if their family still claims some kind of ownership over her.

But he's wrong. She owes him nothing.

He snarls at her while my mind races with plans to thwart him. To protect her.

"You weren't supposed to tell lover boy that I was alive."

"I didn't," she says. "I know why you want me, Carlos. Isabella told me everything. You're not going to get your way."

She still clutches the pepper spray. I can tell that she's surprised and definitely afraid but also determined. She is not going to back down in front of her brother.

He blocks the exit while I assess what the fuck to do. Suddenly, strong arms grab me from behind. I fight, but whoever holds me doesn't let go. I look over my shoulder to see a masked man behind me. Fuck. Where are my brothers?

Carlos gives me a smile. "Did you really think I'd come alone? Knowing that you'd kill me on sight? I've seen how good you are with a weapon, fucking Romanov."

This is personal. I don't even know why, but this is fucking personal.

"You didn't think you'd get away so easily, did you, Renata?"

Every muscle in my body tenses. "Leave her alone," I warn, even though I know it will do no good. I flex and try with all my might to get away from whoever holds me, but he's got me in a grip so tight I can't budge.

Carlos laughs. "Or what, Ollie? You'll kill me? Just like you killed my men?" His eyes gleam as he looks at me. "Are you protecting my sister? Just so you can fuck her again? So you can take everything that belongs to her? Does she even know why you married her?"

Renata's eyes widen as she looks at me. What the fuck is he talking about?

"Ollie," she whispers.

"Don't let him manipulate you. Don't listen to him."

He takes another step closer to Renata, but she stands her ground and clenches her teeth. "Carlos, it doesn't have to be this way," she begins to plead.

No! If she thinks for one goddamn minute, she can make him listen…

"Don't you fucking touch her," I growl, my voice shaking with rage. Carlos smirks.

Where the hell are my men? Where the hell are my brothers?

"There's something you don't understand, Mr. Romanov," Carlos says with a sickening voice. "Renata has always been mine. Blood is thicker than water, especially for the cartel. Don't you know that?" He shakes his head.

Renata tightens her grip on the canister, her knuckles white. Carlos doesn't know she has it, he hasn't seen it yet. She glances at me, and I give her a silent nod. We are going to have to fight our way out of this together.

"I came here to get you, little sister, because we have everything we need—no one can stop us now. I knew that if I sent you here, I'd be able to find a way in. I also knew that if we trapped you, we'd get critical information about the Romanovs. And we did, didn't we?" he says with a smile. Renata shakes her head as if confused. Has she been working with him all along? "You've made it so easy for me, Renata. Thank you so very much for your cooperation, sister. I'll now take you with me, turn you over to trusted partners, and take my fucking inheritance."

"What inheritance?" she asks, but she's a terrible liar. I don't know what the fuck he's talking about either, but she definitely does.

He reaches for her, and with a scream, she pulls the trigger.