Page 29 of Matteo
Nikola scoffed. “As if anyone could impress that man. He’s a lunatic.”
“Then you two should get along swell,” Gabriel remarked dryly.
Nikola let out an exasperated breath. “There’s only room for one lunatic in this world.”
My brows rose in surprise. “How does that work with you and your uncle Sasha, then? He’s as unhinged as they come.”
“There’s an understatement,” Gabriel scoffed.
“I tolerate him because he’s family.” Nikola grinned, seemingly proud of his reputation as a straight-up maniac.
“Aren’t we the lucky ones,” Gabriel joked, slapping him on the back. “But don’t forget, I’m your family too. Your uncle and superior.”
“Fuck. You.” Nikola hated the reminder. Needless to say, the Nikolaev-Santos family relationship was not exactly straightforward. “You’re lucky my mom likes you or I’d ship you off to Siberia.”
“Wow, this is quite high tech,” I murmured, staring at the keypad.
“Something is definitely off here,” Gabriel echoed my earlier thoughts.
“Did you bring the equipment, Nik?” I glanced at my friend, dressed in all black like Gabriel and me. “We’ll need it to break this code.”
He wasted no time connecting his application to the keypad remotely. A soft ding signaled the search was over.
“Do we have the code to get in?” I asked.
Gabriel nodded. We checked our weapons one last time and slid out of the car. We wouldn’t have to sneak around because the street was otherwise deserted.
Once at the door, Nikola entered the retrieved code into the keypad and the door clicked open. The minute we crossed the threshold, the chill in the air raised the hair on the back of my neck.
The interior of the brick manor was a stark contrast to its pristine, welcoming façade on the outside. The shutters kept the world firmly outside, and I couldn’t help but wonder what they were keeping hidden inside.
This floor was nearly empty, save for a battered couch slumped in the corner, its glory days long forgotten. The walls were bare and grime-covered, reeking of blood and urine. The air was thick, oppressive, saturated with a sinister presence—darkness clung to every surface, echoing with silent screams.
Guns in hand, we crept ahead—Nikola to the left, Gabriel to the right, and me straight ahead. The wooden boards groaned under our feet, the noise too loud in the tense silence.
I exchanged a look with Nikola and Gabriel. Gabriel pointed to the bottom of the door that was farthest from us, noticing the light coming through and the dark shadows moving back and forth.
The air felt electric, charged with the promise of violence.
Nikola moved first. He kicked the door in, the crack of splintering wood spearing through the space like a gunshot.
In the next breath, chaos erupted. Bullets tore through the air in a deafening symphony. I dove behind a column, heart pounding in my chest. Gabriel and Nikola hit the ground, taking cover behind the tattered couch that barely offered protection.
There was another shot, closer this time. I tracked the sound, instincts sharpening in the haze of adrenaline. Calculating its origin, I aimed and fired.
A sharp grunt, telling me I’d hit my mark.
“Got one,” I yelled.
“I got the second one,” Nikola shouted. “Third.”
“Don’t kill them all,” I demanded a heartbeat too late, because a body hit the floor with a loud thud.
The silence that followed was unnatural. No bullets came, but I could almost feel eyes on me.
“That’s it?” Nikola asked with disappointment.
“Thank fuck,” Gabriel muttered. “Would you prefer World War III?”
