27. ANDREY

Chapter 27

ANDREY

We’ve been in position for what feels like hours, hidden in the shadows of the tree surrounding Dmitry’s farmhouse. The compound is eerily quiet, except for the occasional rustles of leaves in the wind or exchange between the guards at the front door and the ones patrolling the grounds.

Konstantin is beside me. Like a hawk, his sharp eyes scan the area. The rest of our team is spread out waiting for our command, while Sasha has disappeared into late afternoon darkness to scout the house.

Suddenly, the low hum of an engine breaks the silence. My heart skips a beat as the headlights cut through the darkness, and a sleek black limo pulls up to the front of the farmhouse. Konstantin and I exchange a look—this wasn’t expected.

“Who the hell is that?” I keep my voice low.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Konstantin murmurs, his focus never wavering from the limo as it comes to a stop.

I watch as the doors open, and my breath catches in my throat when Roman and my mother step out of it.

“Fuck!” I hiss. “This is going to complicate things.”

Before Roman and Grace can take more than a few steps, Lev’s PMCs appear from the shadows, swarming around Roman and Grace.

I’m about to react, but Konstantin’s hand on my shoulder stops me. “Wait!” he warns me.

I nod, swallowing my frustration as we watch Roman’s driver and bodyguard being knocked out.

“What is going on here?” Roman demands, pulling my mother behind him.

The PMCs don’t respond as they grab Roman and my mother, dragging them into the farmhouse and slamming the front door behind them with a thud.

My grip tightens on my weapon, every instinct screaming at me to move, to do something. But Konstantin shakes his head at me.

“I feel the same as you do,” Konstantin assures me. “But we need to be smart about this, or we’ll lose our advantage.”

“This is a giant trap!” Sasha makes me jump as his voice comes from behind me. I never heard the bastard sneak up.

“No shit!” Konstantin says. “We already knew that.”

“Yes, we knew that Lev and possibly Lucien had set this up,” Sasha points out. “So I went looking for signs that Dmitry’s men had been overthrown.”

“And?” I ask.

“They are nowhere to be seen anywhere around the house or within the farmhouse perimeter,” Sasha informs us. He glances at the limo. “I heard Grace telling the one guard that pulled them into the house that Lucien invited them here.”

“What the fuck is my cousin playing at?” Konstantin spits.

“Who all is in the house?” I ask Sasha.

“Lucien, Harry, Roman, Grace, Lev, and Stacy are in the front living room,” Sasha informs us. “There are two guards at both entrances to the room. A few patrolling the passage and grounds.”

“Where’s Isabella?” I ask before Konstantin can.

“According to the housekeeper, Isabella and Temur are in the panic room,” Sasha’s words have me breathing a sigh of relief.

“Thank Christ!” I say, and my eyes narrow as I go back to Sasha’s words and glance at Konstantin. “Didn’t you tell me that Dmitry Popov Junior still owned and used this farm?”

“He does.” Konstantin nods. “Or as far as my uncle knows.”

“He does,” Sasha answers with a nod. “According to my sources, they farm weapons.”

“Oh!” My eyes widen. “I thought the Popovs retired?”

“This is retirement for them,” Konstantin tells me. “The Butcher of the North once controlled most operations in Canada, Alaska, and parts of South and Central America.”

“He gave it all up when his daughter was killed,” Sasha informs me, his head cocking to the side as he listens. “We’re being watched.” He looks at us, but I know he’s silently assessing where we’re being watched.

“PMCs?” I ask, and he shakes his head.

“Remember I said this is a giant trap?” Sasha tells me. Konstantin and I nod. “We’re surrounded.”

Mine and Konstantin’s eyes widen. “Lev or Lucien’s men?”

“Nope.” Shasha shakes his head. “Dmitry’s men.”

“I thought you said they were nowhere to be found?” My eyes narrow in on Sasha.

“I said they were nowhere to be found around the farmhouse or in the grounds,” Sasha points out. “They are, however, stationed outside the perimeter.”

“So, we’ve just wandered into a lion’s den!” I shake my head. “Well, this is fucking great.” I look at Sasha. “Give us the lay of the house.”

Sasha points out where the guards are, the front living room entrances, and where the panic room is. My heart lurches when he tells us that Lev knows Isabella is in there and is trying to get in. But Sasha managed to get all Dmitry’s staff out, so no one knows how to, and the housekeeper told him that only Dmirty knows how to override it.

“Sasha, go around back,” I order before Konstantin can. “Konstantin, you’re with me.” I speak into the earpiece and command the rest of them to get ready to breach on my signal.

Sasha gives a quick nod and disappears into the darkness, moving with the stealth of a ghost. I follow Konstantin as we creep closer to the farmhouse, every step calculated and deliberate. The rest of the fanned-out Zhukov forces surround the building.

Konstantin and I glance over our shoulders. “I wonder what Dmitry’s men are waiting for?” The hair at the back of my neck stands on end.

“I’m hoping it’s to help us!” Konstantin whispers. “Sasha will keep an eye on them. Let’s get inside and take down your brother and my cousin.”

“We don’t know for sure if Lucien is involved,” I remind Konstantin. “Your grandmother, who is a rather daunting woman for her age, was very adamant about that.”

“Lucien’s her baby.” Konstantin’s shoulders stiffen. “Grandmother coddles him. I, on the other hand, will gladly snap his fucking neck if anything happens to Isabella.”

“You’ll have to get in line,” I tell him as we reach the front of the farmhouse.

We fall silent, and Konstantin signals for us to hold. I can hear the faint murmurs of voices inside—Lev’s men, no doubt discussing what to do next. They’re confident, but they don’t know we’re here.

Konstantin nods at me, and I return the gesture, adrenaline pumping through my veins. This is it. With a swift motion, Konstantin gives the signal, and we move in. The door bursts open, and we storm inside, weapons raised. The element of surprise is on our side as we catch Lev’s PMCs off guard.

The hallway and living room is a chaotic blur of movement. The PMCs scramble to react, but we’re faster, taking them down with precision. Sasha enters from the back, cutting off any escape routes. The fight is brief but intense, and in a matter of moments, we have the upper hand.

I scan the room, breathing hard. Roman and my mother are standing near the center, their expressions a mix of shock and relief as they realize what’s happening. Konstantin strides forward, taking control of the situation.

“Roman, Grace, stay where you are,” Konstantin commands, his voice leaving no room for argument.

I turn my attention to Lev and Stacy, who are standing off to the side, surrounded by the last of their men. Lev looks furious, but there’s a flicker of fear in his eyes as he realizes how badly this has gone for him.

“Drop your weapons,” I bark at them, keeping my gun trained on Lev. There’s no hesitation—they know they’ve lost. The guns hit the floor with a clatter, and Lev’s men back away, raising their hands in surrender.

Konstantin’s men move in, quickly disarming and securing the remaining PMCs. Within seconds, the farmhouse is ours. The tension in the room is thick as our men finish rounding up the rest of the PMCs.

“Andrey.” My mother’s voice is filled with panic as our eyes meet. “Thank God you’re here.”

“Lev!” Stacy whines. “What’s happening? You said that your…”

“Shut the fuck up, Stacy,” Lev hisses.

“I see you’re back from being beaten to death.” My voice drips with contempt. I see the bruise on her chin. “Did Lev do that?”

“No!” Stacy spits and glares at Harry. “That fucker did.”

“She was trying to kidnap Isabella,” Harry defends his actions and shrugs. “Stacy’s had that coming for years.”

“You fucking bastard!” Stacy seethes and starts to laugh. “Oh, are you in for a…”

“Shut up!” Lev growls, grabbing her by the hair.

“You’re hurting me!” Stacy groans, and Lev lets go of her hair.

I frown. Something’s not quite right here. Lev and Stacy seem a little too at ease after just having their plan to get Isabella, which has been thwarted. My eyes scan the room and meet Konstantin’s. I can tell he’s thinking the same thing as I am.

We start to back up so we can see everyone in the living room in sight.

“Let’s all just drop our weapons,” my mother says. “For goodness’ sake, I’m standing between my two sons with guns aimed at each other.” Her eyes are filling with tears as she looks pleadingly at me. “Andrey, please… he’s your brother. Can’t we just sit and discuss this?” She turns to look at Lev. “My boy’s home. Back from the dead.”

“Grace…” Roman’s voice drops. “You know we can’t do that. Lev can’t go unpunished. He not only killed his father, he caused unrest in the crime world…” His jaw clenches. “It was like he was trying to recreate a modern version of twenty-nine years ago.” He smiles lovingly at her. “You and I both know how that ended.”

“She most certainly does!” Isabella’s voice booms from the door behind Lev and Stacy.

I look at her, and my heart lurches. She’s standing with a weapon in her hand, pointed at Lev.

“Isabella!” Stacy shouts, turns, and starts moving toward her.

“Stop!” a male voice calls from behind her, and Temur steps into the room.

Stacy ignores him and starts to walk slowly toward Isabella.

“Bella, please let me explain,” Stacy holds up her hands as she inches forward. “I was forced to take you to Lev. He…” She swallows. “He was going to kill me.”

I’m about to tell Isabella that she can’t believe anything that comes out of Stacy’s mouth, but Isabella answers her. “It must be tough to be in love with a man like him.” Her voice is soft, but there’s an edge to it.

“Oh, Bella, you don’t know what I’ve been through,” Stacy wails.

The fucking bitch is a first-class actress, I’ll give her that. I’m about to storm over there, but Konstantin stops me and inclines his head behind us. I turn, and my eyes widen. There are four massive brutes with automatic weapons behind us.

“What the fuck!”

“I believe they’re Dmitry’s men,” Konstantin says in a low voice. “Now I know what they were waiting for.”

“Care to fill me in?”

“They were waiting for Isabella’s orders!”

I don’t know whether to be comforted or scared shitless that Dmitry Popov loaned Isabella his army. Dmitry Popov wasn’t known as the Butcher of the North for nothing, and his men were rumored to be just as bloodthirsty and ruthless as the old bastard was.

Before I can ponder it, the scene between Isabella and Stacy catches my attention.

“Oh, Stacy, that’s truly awful for you.” Isabella smiles warmly and opens her arms to Stacy.

Anger boils through me that Stacy had managed to get to Isabella. I’m about to step in, not giving a fuck about Isabella’s own army surrounding us but stop in my track at what unfolds.

Stacy lunges forward, but before she can get to Isabella, Isabella swings the butt of the gun, connecting with Stacy’s jaw. Stacy goes down, and Isabella stands over her, aiming the gun at her head.

“That’s for my dog Titan, whom I believe you killed.”

Stacy starts laughing. “That stupid fucking dog was all you spoke about,” she sneers. “It gave me such pleasure with each swing of the bat.”

Isabella’s about to pull the trigger, “Isabella, don’t!” I call out. Her head snaps up, and our eyes meet. “Don’t!” I shake my head, knowing it will haunt her for the rest of her life. “She’s not worth it. Hand her over to Konstantin and Roman. Let them dish out justice for you.”

“You bitch!” Stacy’s on her feet in a flash and dives for Isabella, but before she can reach her, Temur puts a bullet between her eyes.

“Stacy!” Lev roars, lunging at Isabella, but before he can reach her, Temur intercepts, shoving him back into the living room with a powerful thrust.

“Everyone, just stay calm,” Temur tells us and turns as a man drags Sasha into the room and pushes him toward us. “Konstantin and Andrey, drop your weapons and kick them to the door.”

“What the hell is going on, Isabella?” Our eyes meet, and I suck in a breath as I see hers brimming with anger and unshed tears. “We have Lev and Stacy. Why are we being held hostage still?”

“Yes, Isabella, I’d like to know, too,” Roman growls.

“Because, dear Uncle,” Lucien cuts in with a smirk, eyeing Isabella, “my cousin has finally pieced together the fragmented puzzle.”

“Then why are we still being held like this?” my mother snaps, her voice sharp.

Isabella strides into the room, her gun trained on my mother, her gaze cold and unyielding. “Because Lev isn’t the mastermind, and he didn’t kill my mother.”

“Ivan and your father killed your mother,” my mother retorts, her eyes narrowing, “because they were covering up their crimes against their older brothers.”

“That’s a lie, isn’t it?” Isabella’s voice drips with controlled fury. “Ivan and my father weren’t the monsters she was fleeing from. It was someone else—someone who slaughtered their entire family to seize power and made a deal with a like-minded devil to make it happen.”

“Is that what the recording said?” my mother sneers. “Because Karina probably doctored it to spite me for breaking her brother’s heart.”

“You’d better tread carefully, Isabella,” I warn, my voice cold as steel. “Whether your accusation is true or not, this will end with someone paying a heavy price. Either my mother’s crimes will demand justice, or you’ll face the wrath of our world for daring to falsely accuse her. One of us will lose everything.”

“Trust me, Andrey,” a deep voice rumbles from behind Isabella, “it won’t be Isabella who stands to lose everything.”

A tall man, who is slightly stooped and leaning on a cane, steps into view behind Isabella. His graying hair and the severe burn scar down one side of his face are unmistakable. I hear gasps from Roman and my mother as the man turns to face us fully. My eyes widen in disbelief as I recognize the face I’ve seen in a portrait on my father’s study wall—Grigory Belov.

“Grigory!” My mother’s whisper confirms my worst fears. “How?”

“It’s Dmitry Popov Junior now,” he corrects her, his voice dripping with bitterness. “If you’re wondering how I escaped the burning barn, you and my stepmother had her Irish mob family lock us in?” He glances at Temur. “Vasilli, Temur’s father, managed to pull me out. I was left for dead and endured years of suffering from my injuries.”

Isabella’s eyes meet mine, and at that moment, I know with absolute certainty that whatever trust or connection we had is shattered beyond repair.