Page 92 of Daddy Brigadier

“Valentin!” I scream, shaking him desperately, but there’s only silence. The world around me spins, and then everything begins to fade to black around the crimson.

My hands shake as my fingers graze his skin. He’s still warm.He has to be alive. Please, be alive.

Valentin’s body lies beside me, the blood seeping into the concrete.

“Alexis,” Elise urges, taking my arm and gently pulling me away from him.

My stomach knots, and I struggle to catch my breath. “No,” I call out, gripping him tightly. I won’t let him go.

“Get her out of here,” Nikolai orders, his voice hoarse.

This time, strong arms wrap around me, dragging me away from Valentin’s lifeless form. I struggle fiercely to return to him, but the grip is stubborn, pulling me further away.

Nikolai breathes out, and a sharp pain flickers in his face. He kneels beside Valentin, his expression grim, eyes cutting through the dark in search of movement.

I hardly notice everyone around me. The haunting image of Valentin traps my thoughts, seeing him sprawled in a pool of blood. Time starts to lose its meaning, each second stretching endlessly as I stand by the vehicles. Lev remains steadfast by my side, guarding me as if my safety is now the very essence of his existence.

“It’s time to go!” Nikolai orders, and the soldiers move quickly.

Elise nods, her eyes filled with sadness. She wraps her arms around me. “I’m sorry, Alexis,” she says, her voice breaking with grief.

Her declaration serves as the ultimate determination that Valentin is indeed dead.

She gently kisses my temple. “This was my fault. This wasmyplan to draw out Petrov.”

The pressure bearing down on me is suffocating, like a hammer striking my chest. The room swirls around me, and the air feels heavy. For an instant, I can’t catch my breath, swallowing hard, nausea surging within me. “What do I do now?”

My throat constricts as my entire world collapses—slowly, agonizingly.

Elise clasps my cheeks, smoothing away all my tears as best she can, though for each one she wipes away, a thousand more come cascading.

“All those men are now under your command. That’s the Brigadier’s order.” She turns my head, directing my attention to Lev and his group of men. “Lev will escort you to the loft. I’ll join you there as soon as I finish up here.”

She steps away, glancing back at me for a brief moment. “I promise you’ll be safe. I’ll call your friends to meet you there.”

Lev places his hand on my shoulder. “Let’s get you home now, Lexi.”

I step into the vehicle, and Lev follows, sliding into the passenger seat beside me while nodding at the driver.

He places his hand quietly on my knee, avoiding my gaze. “I’m sorry for before,” he says, and his voice trembles. “For throwing you out of the warehouse.”

Why is he bringing this up now?

“Valentin loved you, and he pushed you away because he didn’t want you near Petrov when all this went down.”

The weight of his words settles heavily in my heart. They were both trying to protect me.

He gives my knee a reassuring pat and gazes out the window, but I can sense the muffled sorrow in his throat, as he too is mourning the loss of his friend.

As we drive away from the decimated warehouse, I catch a disheartening glimpse of bodies being dragged out. I flinch away, not wanting to see Valentin lying there, dead.

I rest my head back against the seat, letting my eyes close for a moment.

A tumult of conflicting emotions swirls in my chest—anger, heartbreak, and a hint of relief—yet heartbreak reigns supreme. Softly, I instinctively trace the intricate design of the tattoo thatwraps around my neck, and whisper into nothing, “I love you, too,” hoping the words will somehow reach him, wherever he is.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

LEXI