He pulls me to my feet and loops an arm around my waist to keep me up. I feel nauseous again, but I hold it down as we make our way over the dead bodies of the soldiers and out of the apartment.
We get to the corner of the hallway and turn towards the elevator lobby.
And then we both freeze in our tracks.
A fifth Bratva soldier stands in front of the elevator doors. This one is dressed like all the others, but he has removed his face mask to reveal heavy-set features, dark, bushy hair, and unsettlingly light eyes.
And he’s got a gun held against Tamara’s head.
My cousin’s face is screwed up in terror, her eyes wide, panicked, and brimming with tears. She’s mumbling under her breath, begging for her life, her eyes darting between Artem and me.
The soldier keeps her body in front of hi
