AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Two gunshots rip through the air. A woman screams only to promptly be silent. Someone manages to hit the alarm, blue lights flashing against the hospital ceiling. More gunshots, merciless and cold. The thunderous sound of boots trampling toward us grows louder and louder, along with violent Russian commands.
“Find Luka Antonov,” a man barks. “Levitsky and Salkov want him alive.”
My heart leaps into my throat. Levitsky? I remember Dimitri dealing with that sorry excuse of a human being several years ago, but I thought he was safely locked away in the Pit, too.
I breathe against the pain as I throw myself out of bed, grabbing Dani’s wrist. “Stay low,” I hiss. “We need to get out of here.”
“Who are those people?”
I shake my head. “I honestly don’t know.”
There’s nothing but conflict in Dani’s eyes, her breaths coming slow and even. Her bubbly, chipper persona of Willa slips away, and I finally get to see her. Therealher. Cool, calm, and collected. Something within her shifts. She holds herself differently, no longer shy and bashful, but confident and ready for action.
She reaches into her purse and pulls out a standard issue Beretta. “Stay behind me,” she orders. “We’re going to take the south exit.”
There’s no point in pretending to be surprised. I’ll save my comments and questions for after we get out of here alive. Survival takes precedence. I don’t blame her for blowing her cover.
It’s a mad crawl across the floor, shifting beneath the thin curtains into the next section. A terrified elderly man and woman have their arms wrapped around each other for comfort. I press my finger to my lips, asking for their silence. They nod and allow Dani and I to slip through.
The pain in my back is excruciating, but we can’t stop. Whoever these people are, they mean business. I know they said they wanted me alive, but any number of things can go wrong—and I’d really rather not test their hospitality.
“Luka Antonov!” one of the men yells. “Where are you? Show yourself!”
Dani gives me a pointed look as we manage to make it to the hall. It’s a mad dash for the exit, our legs carrying us as fast as they can. “Who the hell did you piss off?”
I don’t have the energy to answer. All I can focus on right now is getting out of here and warning my brother not to come. Pyotr is on his way, and I don’t want him to walk straight into the bloodbath.
As we run, I reach for my phone and dial his number, panting hard as Dani and I burst through the back exit of the hospital. It’s the ambulance bay, full of trucks both coming and going.
Mercifully, Pyotr picks up on the first ring. “What?”
“Don’t come to the hospital!” I shout, out of breath and barely audible as I switch to Russian. “Gunmen are here. They’re looking for me.”
“Are you okay? Are you somewhere safe?”
“I’m with Dani. I’ll call you once the coast is clear. Warn Misha and Dima. I’ve heard Konstantin and Levitksy’s name thrown around. Something’s happening, and they need to be on high alert.”
“Got it. Be careful, Luka. Call me as soon as you’re able.”
“Hurry up!” Dani shouts at me, taking my hand as we race across the street to safety.
Our pursuers are nowhere to be found, and there doesn’t seem to be anyone waiting for us. We’re in the clear—for the moment. Dani and I thread through the busy crowd. Even though it’s pushing ten at night, there are still plenty of people. We seamlessly blend in with the tourists and locals alike, disappearing from our would-be captors.
She guides me to a backstreet, hidden from view in the shadows. Then and only then do I take a deep breath. The pain of my injury is catching up to me.
“Why did we stop?” I ask.
Dani turns and points her gun at me, her hands completely still. “Stop talking.”
“Whoa, what the fuck did I do?”
“I might not speak Russian, but I know my name when I hear it.” Dani reaches into her pocket and pulls out her phone, quickly dialing a number. “Gomez. I’m on 42nd and Harling. Bring the van and the cuffs. We’re taking Antonov in for questioning.”
I huff, shaking my head bitterly. “Nice to finally meet you, Daniella Harper.”
She sets her jaw, her lips pressed into a thin line.
Looks like the jig is up for both of us.
