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But Dani beats me to it.
With a strong kick to the chest, Dani sends the man harshly to the ground. I’m pretty sure I hear the unmistakable crack of a rib.
“Back off!” she screams at the top of her lungs. “Fire! Fire! Someone call 9-1-1!”
It’s a smart move on her part. People are always more responsive when they think there’s a fire rather than when the police need to get involved. The crowd around us starts to grow, several people pulling out their phones to either call for help or record what’s going on. Our attacker seems wary of all the eyes on him, so he scrambles to his feet and starts to make his escape.
“Sleep with both eyes open, Antonov. The Trinity are coming for you.”
My head throbs, confusion coursing through me. The Trinity? What the fuck is he talking about? He mentioned Uncle Konstantin earlier… Could this be his doing? No, surely that’s impossible. We’ve had him locked up for years. My thoughts spiral. It’s really hard to concentrate now that the shock is wearing off, giving way to the pain radiating from my lower back.
I lose track of my attacker as he slips into the crowd, disappearing from view. It’d be a mistake to let him escape, but I’m in no shape to go after him.
Dani is at my side, her hands cupping my face as she worriedly locks eyes with me. “Luka? Luka, are you alright?”
“Fuck no,” I grumble. “There’s a literal knife in my back.”
“I need to get you to the hospital.”
“Take this out first.”
“No,” Dani says firmly. “You’re never supposed to remove a knife. If it nicked something important, you might end up bleeding out faster.”
A cold sweat breaks out across my brow. This shithurts. There’s a reason I prefer to stay behind the scenes, causing damage from the safety of my computer. My brothers might not take issue with being caught in the crossfire, but I sure as hell do. Even the simple act of breathing is an impossible task.
“Fine,” I murmur, doing my best to ignore the scent of metal lingering in the air. My shirt is sticky with blood.
“It’s going to be okay,” Dani says gently. “Everything’s going to be okay. The ambulance is on its way.”
Her concern for me is almost touching.
Too bad it’s only for show.
* * *
I got lucky, the doctor keeps telling me. Apparently, the thickness of my coat ensured the knife couldn’t plunge deeper and cause more damage. None of my organs were damaged, though it’ll take some time for my muscles and skin to heal. I’ll be walking away with five stitches and a buttload of pain.
“The woman you came with has been asking to see you,” one of the nurses informs me. “She’s been in the waiting room for hours. If you’re feeling well enough, I can send her in.”
The painkillers they have me on make my brain foggy. Dani’s waiting to see me?
“I want to make a phone call first.”
“Okay. Let me grab your phone.”
My things are on a table close to me, but I’m grateful she hands me the phone rather than making me reach for it. Not the burner, butmyphone. These fools have laid out my things like a display at a museum. If Dani had been here, she would have had access to my personal device. I can’t let her get her hands on this one.
My thumbs are shaky as I punch in my brother’s phone number. It’s late, and Pyotr’s got kids and a wife. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already in bed, sleeping like a baby.
“Somebody better be dying,” my brother snarls when he answers.
“Close. I’m in the hospital.”
I hear the springs of his mattress creak as he sits up quickly. “What happened? Are you okay?” And then, in a much darker tone, “Did the woman do something to you?”
Pyotr referring to her asthe womanirks me. It’s the way he says it—like she’s scum beneath our boots. Knowing how protective my brothers are, I wouldn’t be surprised if Pyotr’s already getting ready to make a move against her.
“We were out together,” I tell him, “when someone approached us.”
