Page 102 of Brutal Vows

Jesus. “There’s no power?”

“There’s a generator and enough fuel to burn the whole place down. Plus candles and flashlights and a wood fireplace. Everything is stocked up.”

“We’re not spending the night?” Milana turns to her, eyes wide, tone saying it all.

“That’s not the plan.” She pokes me in the arm again. “Get going.”

I stall.

Milana shifts in her seat and sighs. “Can we just go? The sooner we’re in, the sooner we’re out, whatever this madness is.”

My princess is getting fed up too, but doesn’t she sense we might be walking into a trap? A trap we could avoid by taking a minute to check out the lodge from a safe distance.

With a sigh, I start the car again. She’s right and there’s no chance in hell Masha would allow me to go scout our surroundings first. Until we’re in it, we can’t react. And we can’t get out of it. At Masha’s mercy, we need to go forward and through this fuckery.

As we inch down the road, I wish I could throw the headlight beams left and right to look for anybody lurking in the woods, snipers aimed at us. My sixth sense is on high alert as a log structure comes into view. I can’t see much, but it looks like something similar to what you’d find in the backcountry in the States or Canada. A typical log cabin. It’s big though, nothing to scoff at.

I’m still trying to make out the structure when the car swerves and skids. A popping sound seems to whisper into the night. I jolt as pins and needles burst out on my skin.

The car comes to a stop, and I clutch the steering wheel. Breathe.

Another pop. The snow dampens the sounds, but there’s no mistaking it.

Those were gunshots, bullets taking out our tires.

Fuck. My stomach turns. It’s not moose or bears or wild boar they’re after.

We’re the prey.

48

MILANA

I freeze in shock. My heart is sprinting. Then I unbuckle my seatbelt at speed, ready to launch myself between the seats to protect Annushka’s body with mine.

Luca’s arm shoots out, holding me back. “Wait.”

His tone is so authoritative, I freeze in place. I drag in a few desperate breaths. It’s quiet. Nobody’s moving. Luca’s arm anchors me to him, forcing me to stay put. I breathe, my gaze scanning the darkness, beyond the wash of snow, trying to figure out what the fuck is going on. As the car leans weirdly forward, it hits me.

“Holy fuck. Masha! Those were gunshots! The tires!” I hiss at her, rage boiling up. How dare she bring us here?

“Keep quiet. I know these fuckers.”

She does? What the actual fuck? How dare they⁠—

Masha opens her door, and cold air floods the car.

“Stop shooting, you mother-fucking assholes!” she screams into the night in Russian. “What the fuck are you thinking? There’s a baby here, you fucking stupid morons!”

She waits a few seconds, then takes in a deep breath, clambers out of the car and walks into its headlight beams. “And not just any fucking baby. You know whose grandchild you almost sent into the fucking afterlife? Fucking dumb idiots. Do you have a fucking death wish?”

Right on cue, Annushka starts to wail, and it’s a fist squeezing my heart.

“Don’t hurt her,” I beg, but the words are a mere breath.

Next to me, Luca is strangling the steering wheel, his jaw tense. He doesn’t move, but his gaze swoops around, taking in our surroundings, assessing.

“Masha said to keep still,” I translate for him. “She knows these guys.”