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“Get behind me,” I snap, hearing more voices drawing closer. “I’ll cover you,” I tell her.
“Don’t be insane!” she snaps back. “You’ll put Niko in danger!”
I feel my brow furrow. She’s right. I scowl down at my terrified son, then back up at the woman glaring back at me.
“There!” someone shouts, followed by a string of commands in Russian. They’re regrouping. Bracing to use force to take me out.
I need to get Niko out of here.
“Move!” Scarlett says, gathering herself. “I’ll distract them.”
“Are you out of your fucking mind?” I snarl back. There’s no way I’m leaving her to fend for herself.
“There’s no other way, Anton.” She reaches out a hand to cup my cheek and I find myself speechless in the face of her courage. “Please! I can’t get him out of here myself, and you’re not going to outrun them on that leg unless I steer them away.” She glances down. I’m bleeding like a stuck fucking pig. “Go! There’s no time for this now.”
“Papa, I’m scared.” Niko is now crying.
I swallow hard. Fuck, Scarlett’s right. There’s no other way out of this. But this woman is literally risking her life to save my child.
“Hide!” I grit out. “I’m coming back for you.”
“I can take care of myself,” she shoots back…still, so fucking stubborn. And then she’s sprinting in the direction of the oncoming men, then veering away as they spot her.
Jesus, I’ve never seen anything like it. But I don’t have time to stop her. I’m already bolting back away from the onslaught, cursing my throbbing thigh as it slows me. There’s a room near the garage that I can hide Nikolai in.
“Papa!” he chokes out. “Papa, I’m afraid.”
“I’ve got you, Niko.” I realize I’m breathless. Pain is being held off by adrenaline but the blood loss is taking its toll. Ducking out of sight, I get around to the parking bay at the back of the house and kick open the door to the small storage room.
“You stay here, do you hear me?” I say sharply as I set Nikolai down in a darkened corner of the room. His eyes are huge as he nods back at me. “You don’t move unless you hear me or Luka come for you.”
“Or Miss Scarlett,” he whispers.
“Or Miss Scarlett,” I agree.
Fuck! I… have to get to her. Bending quickly, I cup his face in my hands.
“Ya lyublyu tebya, malysh,”I say firmly. He stares up at me, his lower lip quivering, and then I press him gently behind a tall cabinet before leaving the room and shutting the door behind me.
Be safe.
I’m already rushing back the way I came, vaguely aware that I’m leaving a trail of blood behind me. I don’t have time to assess the damage to my leg properly. There’s more shouting from up ahead and I round a corner just in time to see Scarlett streaking through the trees, a flash of crimson betraying her zigzagging race to get away from her pursuers. I have no idea where she’s planning to flee to, but her speed is impressive.
She’s no match for their brute force though. Sliding my pistol from where I’ve tucked it into the back of my pants, I check the mag. Four rounds. And I’m ready to use them. I take aim and fire, catching one of the men in the shoulder. He yells out in pain and falls to the ground, but his accomplices barely acknowledge him.
In a heartbeat, I’m charging toward the men who are closing in on her. Two of them have already caught up and are trying to restrain her.
“Let her go!” I bellow, aiming the gun at them. My headlong rush is a mistake. I don’t notice the pair of fuckers coming in from the side until one takes my legs out from under me. The pain is blinding, but I fight it down. I twist in his grasp and get a bullet in beneath his chin, taking the back of his head off before he knows what hit him. The other one isn’t so easy to get rid of though. His fist connects with my jaw, leaving my ears ringing.
Dropping the body of the dead thug away from me, I stagger to my feet, preparing to confront him. But there here are more. Too many more. I brace myself, knowing it’s probably futile. But if I’m going down, I’m taking these motherfuckers with me.
Something hits me in the small of my back and I feel the air rush from my lungs. There’s another kick between my shoulders as I hit the ground. I fight against the attackers, throwing off their punches and kicks. I pull out my knife and swing it wildly at them, but still they come.
I am overwhelmed by their numbers and the sheer force of their assault. There’s blood in my eye and my vision is blurred, my breath coming in ragged gasps as I struggle to stay conscious. With one final surge of strength, I throw a punch that catches one of them in the throat. He chokes on his own blood as he falls back, but it’s not enough. The others close in on me, raining down blows until I’m too weak to fight anymore.
A final blow catches me on the temple, and everything goes black.
***
