Page 89 of Until Death or Defeat

“Look at me. Breathe. I will come back to you. There is not a reason on this Earth that I would not return to you,lyubimaya. I will crawl from my grave if I must. Do you hear me?”

I nod quickly, trying to ground myself again until I realize everyone around us just witnessed me about to melt down.

“Swear to me that you won’t follow us.”

“I...swear I won’t follow you,” I say as I look to the side.

“I’m not fucking joking with you, Giselle. Look at me clearly,” he demands as he turns my face to him again. “You will not, because I can’t even think of a harsh enough punishment right now that would be worthy of such disobedience. You don’t want to test how far I’ll go.”

I furrow my brows. “Fine. I won’t follow you. I already said I wouldn’t.”

He releases my face and stands straight. I can’t even meet my brother’s eyes after that, it’s humiliating. I didn’t realize how much I needed Artem to ground me, or that I’m really that unstable in front of other people.

They all take a few minutes to discuss where they’re going, and pass around guns. Once they’re ready to walk out of the door, Artem tells them to go ahead and wait for him outside.

“You will be fine, yes?”

“Dandy,” I say, crossing my arms.

“I’m going to put an end to this for you. And when I do, things can change. I...will change. If these are the men I’ve been hunting then?—”

“Just be careful,” I say, cutting him off. My heart can’t handle another romantic monologue right now. Not with all of my anxiety swirling at the anticipation of all of this shit coming to a sudden head.

His hand pats my head as he takes a final look at me, and he turns and walks out of the door.

Oh, woe is me.

What should a girl like me do now that the big, strong men went to go save the day?

I laugh to myself as I skip to the staircase, running up thesteps and walking to Caesar’s room. The door is locked and won’t budge, so I take a breath before ramming myself at it.

Ouch.

That is not as easy as they make it look in the movies.

I turn and grab the small, metal statue on the side table of the hallway and ram it onto his doorknob a few times before it finally breaks off. When I walk into his room, I feel a rush of nostalgia. My brother’s room smells like him, and the walls are still lined with old pictures and trophies from our childhood.

I see his sweatshirt laying on the bed, and I put it on over my blouse since I’m going to need it in the cold of the night. I make my way to the small nightstand on the opposite side of his bed where he has a dummy drawer set up inside.

Aha.

Found you.

He should really find a new hiding spot.

I take the small revolver and put it in the large pocket on his sweatshirt. They think they can go on a mission and just make me sit at home and wait?

Fuck. That.

I walk back out of his room, running downstairs but as I’m about to open the front door I realize I have to dump my phone, or else Artem will see my location.

Ugh. Guess we’re going the old-fashioned way.

I toss my phone on the couch and snatch Caesar’s keys and run outside, getting in his sports car and starting it with a rumble.

Wait, I can’t drive stick.

No, it’s okay. How hard could it be?