Mikhail
The cold air bites through my clothing, sending shivers down my spine. The tension between Vito and me is tangible, like the storm overhead waiting to break. Maria has pleaded with us to work together, but I can see in Vito’s dirty looks that he is not ready to let go of his anger. Neither am I.
The closer I move toward Vito, standing in the drive defiantly, the sharper my glare becomes.
“You knew what was going on,” I tell him. “You hinted at it that evening at the bar, but I had to find out for myself. Well, I dug the shit up. Shit, you could’ve told me.”
Vito scoffs. “You would never have trusted me.” He spits the words out like acid. “Do you trust us now?”
I wince slightly, and his words sting more than he had intended. Memories of what I put Maria through enter my mind-that and my refusal to trust any woman who wanted to get too close.
“Are you trying to blame me for not trusting you enough to tell you?” Vito taunts, shrugging off his suit jacket. “Come here, Ivanov, and I’ll shove your head up your ass where it belongs.” Vito squares up to me, fists clenched, ready for a fight. “Come on then,” he growls, daring me to make the first move. “I don’t need a gun to take you out.”
I yank at my cuffs and the buttons tear out of the fabric as I rush toward Vito, but suddenly I stop in my tracks as his eyes widen on me. I thought the rain had started, and drops were hitting the SUV. But then I hear it again. A sharp sound hits the gravel-too heavy for a raindrop. Suddenly, shots ring out all around us, and it’s impossible to tell where they’re coming from.
A loud bang is too close for comfort. Before either of us can run to the inn, the sudden sound of gunfire erupts around us. Bullets whiz past, forcing us to instinctively duck and take cover behind anything we can find. The feud between us is immediately forgotten as we face a hidden enemy.
Gunfire echoes through the woods. Did Zakhar spot something? Or are the Barinov guards training? Then, a bullet whizzes past me and hits one of my guards. The man falls to his knees, clutching his chest before a bullet hole appears in his forehead. I run toward Vito, pulling him roughly down onto the gravel drive behind the parked SUV.
“What the fuck?” Vito says before he glares at me. “Who’s shooting at us?” Vito shouts over the deafening noise. “I don’t have my gun.”
“I don’t know who’s shooting!” I yell back, my mind racing. Could Zakhar have turned against us? “Stay down!” I shout as I try to pinpoint where the shots are coming from. I stare into the woods past a small stream, and though the leaves have begun to fall, there’s still enough cover for a sniper to hide and take aim.
His men and mine take cover behind trees and the other vehicles, taking a chance that another intruder isn’t behind us on the road. Could it be? No, Zakhar came around, didn’t he? But maybe he saw this as a chance to take Maria away from me. I pat down my pockets, and my blood stops in my veins when I realize I don’t have a phone to call and warn her not to step outside.
I left her alone. Unprotected.
Vito taps my shoulder. “Truce?” He holds out his hand, and I quickly shake it. Reaching up, I tap the keypad on the SUV and swing the door open. Vito scrambles in, and I slip inside through the other door.
“You have the fob?” he asks, breathing heavily.
I shake my head while reaching under the dash and pulling out a concealed handgun. Vito stares at me as I hand it to him.
Laughing, he shakes his head. “To think this was by my knees the whole time.”
“Too bad the glass is bulletproof.” I slip out of the vehicle again and aim at the woods.
We exchange fire with our unseen attacker, and the muzzle flashes briefly, illuminating the grayness. My heart pounds in my ears as adrenaline rushes through my veins. I glance at the inn, hoping Maria is taking cover. This is a battle I can’t afford to lose.
As suddenly as the gunfire started, it stops. Silence falls over our surroundings, broken only by our ragged breaths and the sound of heavy rain hitting the vehicle. Cautiously, Vito and I emerge from behind the SUV, scanning the area for any remaining threats.
“We’re in the clear,” Vito says, his voice tense but relieved. “For now.”
“For now,” I reply, still on high alert. Who was it, and were they shot dead?
“Good work back there … Ivanov,” Vito grudgingly admits, and I feel a small sense of camaraderie with him. A noise alerts us, and the boasting ends until Zakhar appears, accompanied by the Barinov guard, who is dragging a bundle down the slope. Relief washes over me as I realize he hasn’t betrayed me. Two corpses are dumped at my feet, and I shake my head.
“Not my men,” I reply.
Zakhar shakes his head. “Hired guns. Assassins.” Zakhar looks at the inn and then back at us.
“Both of you need to get your heads on straight,” he scolds, his breath visible in the misty air. “Fighting each other instead of watching out for Maria? Fuck your pride.”
Vito grumbles an apology, rubbing his hands together to keep warm, and I nod solemnly, acknowledging my mistake.
The cold air slaps my face as we walk back towards the inn, and I feel a pang of guilt for leaving Maria alone while I had a brawl in the yard.
“Thank God you’re safe!” she exclaims, rushing over to us as we enter. The relief in her voice is strong, and I return her hug tightly, vowing never to leave her unprotected again.
“We need to talk,” Zakhar says, watching us with a frown. She looks at me questioningly as we gather around the fireplace, but there are so many things going wrong that I can’t think which one is presently on Zakhar’s mind.
“Running from safe house to safe house isn’t working anymore,” he says. “We need somewhere safe and guarded.” He glances at Maria, who nods in agreement, her arms crossed defensively.
“Perhaps … the Sorokin estate?” she suggests hesitantly. “It is a castle.” Her eyes dart nervously between Zakhar and me, gauging our reactions.
Zakhar considers the idea before nodding. “It’s well-guarded and isolated. It could work.”
“Absolutely not,” I interject hotly. “Sorokin will be furious when he learns what’s happened.”
Zakhar’s face is grim as he poses the question. “Do you wish to carry on this deadly game of cat-and-mouse?” He stresses the last words, making it clear that we are all in danger. “Maria isn’t the only one whose life is at risk. Someone knew where to find you, and an assassin was sent. Mikhail.” His expression softens into concern. “We all have something to lose if Gunsyn and Alexander take over the Ivanov Bratva. They will hunt us all down and those we love. And that’s just the beginning.”
My stomach knots with dread. I know what I must do but reluctantly concede. “Fine. We’ll go to the Sorokin estate. But don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.”
My gut sinks like lead, but I have no choice. I have to trust my enemies and be wary of my friends.
As we prepare for our departure, I can’t shake the feeling that we’re heading into even greater danger, but there’s no turning back. I glance at Maria, her eyes filled with worry, and I silently promise to protect her at all costs.
We’ll get through this. I know we will. We’re stronger together, Maria.