22
Aleksandra
Is Antonio coming to rescue me or kill me?
I want to believe that he’s here to save me, and the firefight seems a pretty good indication, but I can’t help but worry that he’ll hold me hostage inside his home again.
The helicopter goes down, skidding against the ground. It was already low when Mario shot several rounds at the engine, bringing it crashing to the ground.
A ball of fire rises into the sky.
Thankfully, the helicopter isn’t near the vehicle.
With Mario dead at my feet, I reach for his gun and hurry to the car for Liam and Sophia.
The passenger-side door is open. The car is empty.
Shit!
“Sophia! Liam!” I shout into the void of darkness.
Without the helicopter’s light, the only glow was from the blaze and the explosion when it landed unceremoniously on the ground.
Who was in the helicopter?
Antonio and his men or the bratva?
My head throbs and my stomach grumbles, but I ignore all of it, rushing around the vehicle, searching for the twins.
“It’s safe to come out!” I can’t see much of anything. It’s a new moon, and the stars don’t offer up enough light in the darkness.
Whether they’re ten feet or a mile away, I can’t tell. There’s no rustling of leaves or twigs—just silence stretching onward in front of me.
Behind me is a crackling of the fire, the creak and groan of metal crunching on the ground, the weight squeezing down, crushing anything in its way.
“Aleksandra!” Antonio’s voice carries across the night from behind. I don’t turn around to see if there are any more survivors.
I can’t abandon the twins, but they could be anywhere. I need light, whether a flashlight or a torch, something to help me see the woods in front of me.
Behind me, is the clearing where the helicopter went down.
Heavy footsteps on the ground, boots crunching, and two adult shadows looming toward me.
Do I run?
The blaze offers enough light to examine the wreckage, but there’s no sign of my children.
Antonio strides with a purpose, and one of his men is beside him, limping but hiding the pain well as he attempts to keep pace.
“Where are the kids?” Antonio shouts.
“I don’t—they were in the car,” I say, gesturing to the empty vehicle with the door ajar.
While I don’t trust Antonio, what other choice do I have? I need his help in locating Sophia and Liam. It’s cold, and they’re not adequately dressed to be outside for an extended period.
Antonio affixes his night vision goggles and grabs my hand. He’s forceful as he pulls me into the thicket of the forest all around us.
“Stay here,” he orders at his comrade.