Page 98 of Shadows of the Past
I punch in the coordinates for the drones and set the reload timer. My twin’s voice snaps me back to the phone pressed between my ear and shoulder.
“Maksim.” There’s a strain in his voice I rarely hear.
I know what he’s about to ask, and I know how much it would cost him to say it, so I cut him off before he can finish.
“I have eyes on the house where Luna is.”
For someone like him, always in control, I’m sure the fact that he’s not the one watching over her is eating him alive.
I watch the console as the code compiles. The server gives me the green light.
“NOW!” I shout, and gunfire crackles in the background as the drone unleashes everything it’s got on that house.
I’m already rushing toward them, pushing way past the speed limit. Because for some strange reason, I feel like he needs me there. I don’t owe him anything, but there’s this stupid bond that keeps pushing me forward.
On the drone feed, Irish soldiers pour into the house in pursuit of Roman and Damien. I hope they can hold their own. I could send the drone in, but programming it to target only specific people would take more time than we have.
Time blurs. Suddenly, someone bursts out, carrying Luna, while another Irish soldier drags a woman by the hand.
What the hell is happening?
I watch as Luna is forced into a car, my fingers already flying over the app to lock onto the license plate and track it through traffic. On the drone feed, I spot Roman sprinting toward a parked BMW so I dial his number, and he answers mid-breath, not wasting a second before barking, “Track that car!!”
“I'm watching it. I'll let you know when it stops.”
I know exactly how he feels. If Julia were in that car, I’d have the whole army on their tail.
“Maksim, I need reinforcements. I don't know what I'm walking into, so call Niko.” His nerves are right there in his voice.
“I'll be there personally.” I don’t know if he wants me there, but I’ve got two hands and a backpack full of grenades.
“Weren’t you supposed to be in Russia?”
There’s something in his voice that makes me swallow hard—vulnerability. He doesn’t get why I’m doing this for them.Honestly, neither do I. But I know I’d never forgive myself if something happened to Luna or Roman and I wasn’t there.
“I landed twenty minutes ago. I'm here now.”
A heavy silence settles between us. We’re not the kind of brothers who hug it out, but I know, down to my bones, we’d take a bullet for each other, and that scares me. This kind of bond doesn’t need words or time. I could have gone my whole life without ever meeting them face-to-face, but I know I still would’ve watched over them from the shadows, just to make sure no one hurt them. And that’s a hell of a feeling for someone who’s had to embrace loneliness for as long as he can remember.
After I give him the final directions to where the car stopped, I check my GPS.
“Roman, I’ll be there in three minutes.”
I make a quick call to our younger brother, and together we try to figure out a plan. A full-on assault could get Luna killed, but if we wait any longer, we’ll lose their trail. If anyone knows what it’s like to lose someone, it’s me. So many kids, gone without a trace, like the earth swallowed them up.
When I spot Roman outside the factory, he looks like he’s about to lose it.
“Finally,” he says, but I know he’s just anxious to get Luna back.
Damien gets out of the car, jeans soaked with blood, limping, and it’s obvious some of that red is definitely his.
“Niko will be here in twelve minutes with reinforcements,” I tell them, but I can see on their faces they’re not waiting.
Damien catches my eye. I raise an eyebrow. A strange grin spreads across his face, and he laughs.
“Hell yeah, I like you!” Damien grins at me. “You’re like Ro but without the stick in the ass. And you bring explosives. One day, I’ve got to show you my knife collection.” He heads toward the gate, as casual as if we’re about to feed ducks in the park, not take on a bunch of Irish mobsters.
Roman just shakes his head, as if this is typical Damien. If I hadn’t been walking right behind him, I might have missed the muttered, “He’s gonna get me killed one of these days.”
