Merciless Saints (St. Monarch's Academy 1)

I attach a KA-BAR to my belt and take the Browning and suppressed gun for myself. The extra ammo is loaded into the bag.

“Let’s go,” I mutter as I head for the door. Winter sticks to my back with Cillian behind her as we go down to the ground floor.

Armindo glances up from where he’s sitting at a table. “Ready?”

“Yes.”

He holds a set of keys and the three passports and other ID documents out to me. “I got rid of the jeep. The SUV you’ll use is parked at the back. There are extra plates in the passenger door compartment.”

“Thank you,” I murmur as I take the keys and documents from him.

We follow Armindo through a series of hallways until we reach the back door. He opens and checks if it’s clear, then stands aside so we can pass by.

“Thank you,” Winter whispers as we leave the building.

Reaching behind me, I take hold of her hand and yank her right to my side. “Stay next to me at all times. I don’t want to have to look for you when we’re attacked,” I grumble as we walk to the SUV.

Cillian opens the back door, and it has me saying, “You’re driving. I need both my hands-free.”

“Okay.” He takes the keys from me and opens the driver’s door.

I climb in next to Winter and set the bag down between us.

Only when Cillian starts the engine do I say, “Schaffhausen. We’ll go to Augsburg Airport from there.”

“Got it,” Cillian mutters as he pulls away from the pavement.

The streets are quiet, which is good. I check the passports and hand Winter hers.

She sets it down on her lap, then she glances at me, and our eyes lock.

I can see the questions in her gaze, and knowing we have to talk about the future, I murmur, “Tell me about the island. The layout. The security. Everything.”

“It’s seven hundred acres,” she begins. “A forest of birch and pine covers the land. We have security cameras and motion detectors set up all over the grounds. There are four piers, a helipad, and a landing strip with a hanger for a small jet or aircraft.”

When she swallows, my gaze drops to her throat before meeting her eyes again.

With all hell breaking loose, my attraction for her took a back seat, but as Cillian drives us out of Switzerland, it begins to sink in that Winter is under my protection. I have twelve months with her.

“There’s a swimming pool covered with camouflage netting and enough housing for a small army. We’re also equipped with our own satellite dishes.”

I nod, memorizing the information. “How many guards?”

“Twenty-three,” Cillian answers. “All trained by me.”

“Good,” I murmur while my eyes leave Winter to scan our surroundings.

Just outside Zurich, Winter asks, “Will Alexei be able to get more men?”

“Yes.”

“We’re meeting him and Demitri today?” she asks again.

“Yes.”

“Thank you,” she whispers, and the sincere tone in her voice has my eyes snapping to her.

I miss seeing the spark of fire in her gaze, but I understand she’s taken one hell of a blow with the loss of her family.

When we drive through Zurich, I say, “We need to hide the weapons. If they pull us over at the border, we’re fucked. Find an underground parking.”

A few minutes later, Cillian steers the SUV into an underground parking area. As soon as he parks the vehicle, I hold my hand out to Winter. “Gun.”

She hands it over, and I get out. Opening the passenger door, I wiggle the panel loose and let out a relieved breath when there’s space. I grab the gun from Cillian as well, and he has to help me put the panel back on.

“What about the knives?” Winter asks.

“Under the spare wheel,” Cillian says.

Nodding, we move to the back as I mutter, “Bring the KA-BARS from my bag, Princess.”

When she joins us at the back, there’s a slight smile tugging at her lips.

She likes it when I call her princess?

At first, it was a derogatory name, but it’s grown on me since.

Cillian lifts the mat, and we tuck the knives under the wheel. “Hopefully, we won’t be searched,” he mutters as we close up.

We pile back into the car, and then Cillian steers us toward Schaffhausen.

As we near the border control post, there are several cars on the road, which gives us better odds of not being pulled over and searched.

Winter clamps her hands together on her lap and pulls her bottom lip between her teeth.

“Don’t look nervous,” I murmur to her.

When I’m able to see border security, my eyes stay glued to the man. My breaths slow down, and my muscles tighten. When we’re in sight of him, I reach for Winter’s hand.

Her gaze snaps to mine and then down to my hand covering hers.

“Smile. You look like you’re about to have a panic attack,” I say as a smile forms around my own lips.