I open my eyes; the light causes a piercing pain in my head, and I close them. I moan and try to move.
“Brat, you need to stop moving,” Czar says next to me.
“Fuck, my entire body hurts,” I hiss, turning to look at him.
“Do you want some water,” Pakhan asks, handing me a plastic glass.
“Let me help you,” Czar says.
Czar helps me with the glass, and I take a few sips.
“The doctor said that I was lucky. My head hurts from the impact and wound on my head, so I have a mild concussion. The gun wound on my arm wasn’t terrible. The doctor stitched it up, but I have bruises on my body; the bruises on my side make it hard to breathe. I’m lucky that I didn’t crack my ribs, any bones, or have any other serious injuries,” I say, leaning back into the pillow, inhaling deeply, wincing from the pain, and closing my eyes.
Fuck!
“Da, you are. So, tell me what happened,” Pakhan says, standing at the foot of my bed and looking at me.
“I went to check out the svoloch, and it turned out that it was a trap. I waited and waited, then an SUV drove into the warehouse parking lot . . . . . . .then I blacked out. I woke up here in the hospital,” I say, looking at my Brats.
“Fuck! You know better, Anatoly! Why didn’t you take the fucking Soldiers,” Pakhan growls, running his fingers through his hair.
“I was only going to check out what the hell the svoloch’ were doing on our turf, as we agreed,” I utter, grabbing my side, grimacing as I move.
It’s supposed to be fucking bruise, but it feels like my rib is broken, fuck.
“Da, but you scared the fuck out of us,” Czar hisses, fisting his hands.
I know that he’s pissed off.
“Da, I fucked up. Now I owe my life to Fuentes,” I huff, closing my eyes.
“Motherfucker! Yeah, you do. We will deal with his fucking demand when it happens. I have Soldiers stationed at the door until you’re released. I’m going to get us some coffee,” Pakhan says, walking out of the hospital room.
I know that Pakhan is pissed off and decides to walk away before he says anything that he would regret. Pakhan wants to keep the Brat's love and respect intact.
“What the fuck! You can’t go and scout the fuckers without taking your Soldiers! What were you thinking,” Czar hisses.
“The motherfuckers set a trap,” I say through clenched teeth.
“Da,” Czar says, shaking his head.
Prologue Georgina
“Oh my, I’m not sure that I’m going to pass the test,” I hum, tossing my wallet into my purse.
“The test was hard, but I know that you will. You got this,” Heather says, pulling out her cell phone.
She looks at the screen and runs her fingers over the screen.
“We will know soon, but don’t worry,” Marissa says, nodding.
“Yeah, but the last two questions were hard. It took me a few to get the answer, but I’m not sure it was right,” I say, taking a few steps.
“Let’s not worry until we get the results,” Marissa says, walking next to me.
“I can’t wait for Friday; the new Fuego Club is the hot spot,” Heather says, walking up to us.
“I love the new dress; it’s perfect,” Marissa hums, pulling out her cell from her purse.
