CHAPTER 21
Anna
I slowly make my way back up to my room, the tears are starting to fall. I don’t even give a shit who sees me. Some people stare, a few of the guards look away, probably wondering what’s wrong with me. Martha notices me and starts to head in my direction. I shake my head no and continue on my way up the stairs.
My heart is broken, I thought I would honestly be able to get through to Maxim. But he is so hell-bent in his ways that he can’t see the bigger picture.
If he would’ve agreed with me, we could’ve continued working on the case. I might’ve even told him about Jax coming tonight. When they got here we could all sit down and talk everything out.
With all of us together, we could figure out who the insider is, and the stalker. Right now, I think it’s the same person, it has to be.
I still have hours to go before anything’s gonna happen. I curl on my side and just let myself think of a world where there are no Mafia bosses and no overprotective brothers. A world where everybody’s just happy and free.
There’s no revenge and no hate or sadness. I let myself hangout on the bed and cry for everything that I’ve lost. If only I could tell him that I’ll be leaving tonight and please try to work something out, but I can’t.
I know I’m just living in a fairytale. One that I wish would come true. One that I wish I can make come true with everything I have, but there’s just not enough.
I pull myself up off the bed and decide to get ready. I don’t have any knives, which still makes me feel naked but at least I have my regular clothes that I wear on a job.
I go back over to my bed and crawl underneath the covers and set my alarm. Before I drift off to sleep, I’m hoping that I can make it to the kitchen first and at least grab a couple of knives before they get here.
I’m not sure how long I sleep for, I just know that I set my alarm for one a.m. I feel more tired now than before I went to sleep.
I want to get out there a little bit early, I want to be prepared. I’m not exactly sure how they plan to penetrate the compound.
By one-thirty a.m. I’m pacing frantically around my room. Being caught down there fully dressed would raise big red flags. Maxim’s been a little quiet and I could hear Booker when I came back up yesterday trying to hire more men.
They might actually know something’s up. I say fuck it in my head and slowly ease myself out of the door. They never changed the codes so getting out wasn’t a problem at all. Even if they did, I could still pick my way out.
The house is silent as I ease my way down to the kitchen. I’m trying to make sure I’m very quiet and invisible. I passed by a couple guards that are playing a game in the living room. They just glanced my way then back to their game. They probably think I’m getting a midnight snack.
My stomach rumbles at that thought. I probably shouldn’t have skipped dinner. When I got up to my room last night, I texted Martha that I would eat tomorrow, I didn’t feel very good. I also texted Maxim and told him that I started my period and I wanted to be alone.
I didn’t start my period, but I just couldn’t be with him one more night. I would beg and plead. I would end up telling him everything, then I’d never get out of here.
No one is in the kitchen as I enter. I quickly walk over to the knives. I’m able to find a couple of smaller ones that I slide into my boots. The serrated edge that I found will just have to be kept in my hand. I got no way to sheath these bastard’s. It’s not like a gun that you could put in the back of your pants. If I were to move wrong in any direction I could cut myself a new ass hole.
I glance up at the clock, it’s ten minutes before two. I decide to stay hidden in a dark corner till everything starts. I wish I had a way to talk to them so I could find out where they’re coming in, and what their main plan is.
It doesn’t take more than a few minutes till I have my answer. The front door is blown off the hinges. I never even heard any noise before. They must’ve all been in stealth mode, very quiet, but when the door blew I screamed and jumped. Thank God I didn’t shit my pants.
Men start to run in, I can see them running by the kitchen. They can’t make me out in my dark hiding spot. I don’t see my brothers at all. I figured that they would be in the front. Until I know for sure who these guys are, I’m not leaving.
I try to count the men as they run by five, ten, twenty, thirty. That’s a lot of fucking guys. I can hear a commotion coming from the basement as the door flies open and five men with their guns rush past me.
Those are the Ivanov guys. I recognize a couple of them. I’m pretty sure they are running in different directions, but I’m still not ready to move.
I can faintly make out screaming and shouting that’s coming from outside the front door. A gun starts going off as more screams follow. I quickly drop to my knees and cover my head.
I just want to run back up to my room and be safe. Maxim and Booker come running to the kitchen. I sink back farther in my hiding corner as I can hear them talk.
“Nobody knows where she is,” Booker yells as they run past.
“Fucking find her,” I hear Maxim spit out as he follows.
More guards start to trickle in. These ones are running, going as fast as Maxim and his men were. I can hear them start to talk.
“Jax wants us to find her right away and then get out. Limit the fighting and the bloodshed.” That voice makes me jump up.
The noise from my jumping up and the surprise that someone was over in the corner has about six guns pointed right at me.
“Anna,” Ray runs over and pulls me into a tight hug. He pulls back, brushing the hair out of my face, checking me over to make sure I’m okay.
I squeeze him back hard. I’m so happy to see a familiar face. “Where are my brothers?”
“We all split up. Whoever finds you first is supposed to get you out of here. So that means that you and I are getting away.” Ray looks back at the other guards. “Don’t let anybody else come in here. We will make our way out the back.”
They all nod in agreement, turning their backs to us, helping us to escape.
Looks like I’m going home.