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“Oh, God! Oh, my God, Lev!” she chokes out, burrowing against me so frantically it’s like she’s trying to climb into my chest. Relief hits me with such force I find myself chuckling.
“Fuck!” I manage to get out. “Fuck!” I’m shaking my head in disbelief as Sergei steps out of the shadows.
“Boss,” he says as he glances with distaste at De Luca writhing on the concrete where blood and oil have formed a slick red pool. His eyes are wide as he tries to stem the spray of blood from his shredded throat. “I know you had things under control, but I thought I’d step in anyway.”
“Fuck!” I say again, feeling like an idiot for not being more eloquent.
“Oh, God!” Aurora blurts, releasing her death grip around my chest only to twine her arms around my neck. “I was so worried about you. I thought he had killed you. I was losing my mind! Tell me you’re not hurt! Swear to me you’re okay!”
I’m almost bowled over by the force of her emotion… probably because it’s matched by my own. I can’t believe I didn’t see how much she cared about me.
All my foolish plans to get her to give up her plans and reveal her accomplices before I discarded her. What was I thinking? I was never going to let her go. No matter what had come out. She could have put a gun to my head and I would have loved her as she pulled the fucking trigger.
Love.
Holy fuck.
That’s been it all along.
“I’m fine,Solshinko,” I say as I cup her face. Those eyes are deep enough to get lost in, and maybe now it’s time to do that. Now and tomorrow and forever.
Fuck, I’ve wasted so much time.
I want to tell her everything I have bottled inside me. No more fucking games. No more defenses.
“Aurora,” I murmur, dipping my face toward hers.
That’s when another gunshot rends the air and Aurora freezes in my arms. I freeze too, confused for a moment as she stares up at me with wide eyes. Behind us, De Luca’s rattling gurgles mingle with rasping laughter. He’s pushed himself onto his elbow, a gun wavering in his bloody fist.
“Motherfucker!” I roar as I clutch Aurora to my side, reach for my firearm, and release a volley of shots in De Luca’s direction. I’m dimly aware of the man’s body jerking and flopping and finally going still.
None of that matters as I look down at Aurora in my arms. She’s limp against me. I drop my gun, run my hand down her body and feel a sickening stickiness between my fingers. I don’t need to raise my hand to know I’ll see blood, but I do it anyway, because it seems unbelievable. I cradle Aurora as she starts to sag to the floor.
“No,” I say, my voice barely audible. I sink to my knees with her in my arms.
This is all wrong!
We didn’t just go through all that for it to end this way. Her breath hisses as she struggles for air and I press my hand more firmly against her side, willing the life to stop flooding from her.
“Solnishko, stay with me,” I choke out as the light starts fading from her eyes.
Helpless. So fucking helpless!
“Lev,” she whispers.
“Don’t say anything.” I press my lips against hers. “Help will come.”
Jesus, let it come!
Footsteps are thundering around us, men shouting. I don’t take any of it in.
“I love you.” I choke out. Her eyes are wide as they fix on my face and I think of the countless times I heard these words and wasted those moments. I’m about to lose the one person who means fucking everything, and it’s all my goddamn fault.
Again, it’s my fault.
“Don’t go,Solnishko,” I plead against her lips. “Please don’t leave me. Give me a chance. I love you. I will show you that I love you.” But her eyes are fluttering shut, and they don’t open. Even when I press my lips to hers, seek her breath, shake her lightly. They don’t open.
“No,” I choke. But it’s not the roar of a mob boss or the snarl of a killer I’ve come to recognize as my voice.
