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Nico jerked back, hitting the wall, his gun lowered and his eyes wide open.
“We’re leaving.” I swung around, looking for Jonas. He and two men were engaged in another battle, at least five Armenian soldiers surrounding them. I fired off another shot, managing to catch one in the shoulder.
Jonas threw me a look, one I understood far too well.
They’d been prepared for our attack.
Blood pumped through my veins, the adrenaline flowing. I shoved another enemy against the wall, reacting before he had a chance to take a shot. Then I turned my attention back to my brother.
As he lifted his head, blinking several times, disappointment rode his face. He had no stomach for murder. I turned toward the front, moving my head from side to side, the silence foreboding. The only noise was the wails and harsh sobs from those left alive.
Then I heard a crack, my instinct kicking in. As I spun around, Nico had jumped in front of me, lifting his weapon toward an enemy soldier. Without hesitation, he took a shot, saving my life.
But not before the bastard got off one of his own.
I lunged forward, popping two in the enemy’s head, spinning around and catching Nico before he fell. “Fuck. Fuck!”
He’d been shot in the chest, his face contorting from the pain.
“I… tried,” he gritted out.
“Yeah, bro, you did. Just hang on. You’ve going to be just fine.”
As I stared at the carnage, blood spilled on almost every surface, I realized that no one could provide me with salvation.
Including the woman I’d fallen in love with.
* * *
“You fucking bastard!” Stavros didn’t mince words as he lunged toward me, issuing a brutal punch to my jaw.
I reared back, taking the blow then glaring at him. “While I understand your concern, he was the better man for the job.”
My brother snarled, acting as if he would repeat the act. I shored my shoulders, giving him a warning look. One punch was allowed. A second wouldn’t be acceptable.
“You have no fucking clue what you’re doing.”
“Lower your voices,” Pops demanded. “This is a hospital.”
Mother rushed forward, wrapping her arms around me. “How is he?”
I noticed Elena and Alexandra walking together, both with pained looks on their faces. They’d experienced this same situation twice before, our father almost losing his life. However, I could tell this one hit them hard, the statement of who and what we were difficult to swallow.
I’d staved off the police, including with the hospital administrators, but there could be repercussions, a statement necessary to an officer of the law. At least for now, I had it under control.
But I couldn’t avoid the nagging feeling that I’d been set up. Still, I refused to believe Jonas had anything to do with it.
“Nico is in surgery. The wound wasn’t life threatening.” I heard the lack of emotion in my voice, but the guilt was just under the surface. Nico had saved my life, but he hadn’t been ready for the frontline. I’d known better, my arrogance in my anger with Stavros guiding my decision.
“Thank God,” Elena said, tears brimming in her eyes.
Mama pulled away, her hands shaking. “We can’t lose him.”
“We won’t.”
“What about you?” Alexandra asked as she walked closer, her gaze falling to my bloody shirt.
“He saved my life.”
