Page 279 of Vexatious Queen

MARCH 16 – MONDAY 8:40 PM

Yuliana

Ren, thankfully, hadn’t been badly injured.

Aside from the cut on her forehead, the doctors had been most concerned about a setback. After imaging and a cognitive test, they had ruled it out, but insisted she stay the night for observation.

Eddie had woken up after surgery in a panic until he saw Ren sitting in a chair at his bedside and me perched on the bed beside him. I’d lifted his knuckles to my mouth and kissed each finger. He’d finally relaxed with a faint smile on his lips as if he could rest once he knew we were safe.

Ren had insisted on being in the room next door to Eddie, while Mo and Blake guarded her. That had saved me a fight. According to Blake, the rest of the guys were hunting Sharpe.

When both Ren and Eddie had fallen asleep, it was my cue to leave.

Now, here I was sitting in a dark SUV watching the mansion where my father was hiding.

I looked at Vlad and then lifted the binoculars to the target.

The rental property was situated two hours outside of Portland, nestled in a valley on a few hundred acres. We’d been able to see the glow of the house from a half a mile away. It was lit up like a Christmas tree and included guards armed to the teeth.

“You sure he’s in there?”

Vlad nodded.

“Our tech guys had no problem tracing the dead shooters’ calls to this location. The signal is coming from inside, and our spotter saw him talking on a phone outside at three. No one has come or left since.”

“Good. Do we have enough men for this?”

“You act like this is my first time,” Vlad said.

I rubbed my hands on my black jeans, and my leather jacket creaked.

“I can’t let him escape. He went after my family…again. He needs to die today.”

Vlad reached out and touched my arm.

“He won’t escape.”

Tapping the com on his ear, he gave the order to attack.

Vlad had positioned four sharpshooters around the property to stop anyone from leaving. The rest were on the ground, moving stealthily in the dark. I watched as my men snuck out of the woods and drove up the drive with no lights on, attacking with an effectiveness that only came from killing too many men.

I couldn’t hear the gunfire, but that didn’t stop the violence from being just as vicious. Blood splattered against the walls as men were cut down as fast as they dared to come out of the house.

More fell off the roof, looking like rag dolls as they tumbled to the ground, while others tried to surrender. There would be no quarter.

Then, like a swarm of ants, my men entered the house, and my nervousness rose. My knee bounced as I waited for the words I’d longed to hear.

It seemed like hours, but Vlad finally turned to me.

“Mylo has him,” Vlad said.

I took a deep breath, but it wasn’t over.

“Let’s go,” I ordered.

I watched for enemies all the way up to the front door, weaving through a maze of dead bodies. Vlad stayed behind me, acting as my shield as we entered the elegant house that hadn’t deserved the violence.

“Take the hallway on your right,” Vlad said.