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Ambulance. No. Ambulance meant hospital and hospital meant someone figuring out who I was. I lurched backwards, crying out as I hit the ground again.
“Shit! She’s like a freaking eel or something.”
“Yuri, shut the hell up.”
“Enough.” That voice I recognized and when I forced my eyes open as much as they’d allow, I wanted to cry when I saw his face. Viktor. The man who got me into this mess. The man who saved my life. I both hated him and wanted to hug him at the same time. He reached for me, freezing when I jerked backwards with a cry. “I don’t want to hurt you. You need a doctor. Let me–”
“No! No!” I scrambled backwards, sobbing as my body protested the movement. When it became too much to bear, I collapsed, rolling to my belly and attempting to drag myself away. I didn’t get very far before I started dry heaving from the pain.
With a growl, Viktor plucked me off the ground and into his arms. He ignored my protests, stalking over to a large SUV that was idling nearby. He bypassed the doors, heading for the back. I thought for sure that he’d dump me into the trunk, but when he opened it, he barked at someone to drop the third row of seats and laid me gently down before climbing in with me.
“Gabi, get back in the car!” someone snarled. They all piled back in, the movements of the SUV making me flinch and groan. Someone shut the door behind Viktor, who put a hand gently on my shoulder to steady me.
“Viktor, who is that?” the feminine voice queried. It sounded like she was just behind me, probably in the back seat.
“She warned me of a planned attack. Many could have been hurt had she not told me.”
For all the good it did me. Maybe they weren’t hurt, but I was. My whole body trembled, quiet sobs escaping me. I shut my eyes, willing the pain to stop, but when we hit a particularly hard bump, my scream was inescapable. A string of Russian I didn’t understand came from Viktor before he gently scooped me up into his lap, cradling me close.
“Drive easy, Vlad,” the woman murmured.
“I am trying. I cannot avoid every pothole in this city and still get to the hospital.”
“No!” I cried out, fighting Viktor’s grasp. My hand connected with him and I heard him grunt, but he never complained, pulling me closer to restrain me.
“No. Bring her to the tower. Gabi, call O’Connor. Tell him to send his brother.”
There was a pregnant pause before the car began moving again. I had no idea where the tower was, but it wasn’t like I could fight my way to freedom. I had no choice but to go along with them. I sagged helplessly in Viktor’s arms, deep painful sobs making it hard to breathe. He said nothing, his grip just on the edge of uncomfortable to keep me from wriggling away. At the same time, it was also soothing. He was so vastly bigger than me. It was like being cocooned on all sides. My eyes slipped shut, and I leaned heavily against his chest.
“What’s that smell? Did someone step on something? I– Ow!”
Embarrassment swept through me, but my body was in too much pain to blush. Whoever was complaining said no more, probably to avoid being hit again, and the rest of the ride was silent outside of my sobs.
The car went dark as we descended into an underground carpark. Whoever was driving pulled gently to a stop, and they exited the car a lot gentler than when they got in. That or being in Viktor’s arms took the edge off the jostling. The back door opened, and he gently slid out, keeping me cradled against his chest. I didn’t have the strength to open my eyes anymore, so I only saw the lights behind my eyes as we moved into an elevator.
“Is he coming?”
“Yes. I told them to meet us in the guest apartment.”
The elevator dinged, signaling our arrival to wherever they were bringing me. We moved as a big group, the sounds of multiple footsteps following us until we arrived at the apartment.
“I think for now, it’s best to give her some privacy. Besides, someone needs to be downstairs to wait for Dmitriy,” the woman spoke softly.
A few grumbles went up, but they listened to her and a group of footsteps walked away.
“You too, Yuri.”
Yuri made a shocked sound. “Me? Why me?”
“Because you are a fuckwit with no filter,” another voice growled. “Go away.”
“Me? I’m the best man for the job! At least women actually like me. Unlike you, you ill cultured–”
Viktor growled, stepping away from the group and into the apartment. He left the rest to argue amongst themselves, moving silently through the space. I tried to force my eyes open, but it was exhausting and he must’ve noticed because he spoke low as he moved.
“Rest. You are safe here. The doctor is a friend. He will do nothing to hurt you.”
He deposited me into a bed, kneeling next to me to brush the hair out of my face. I peeled my eyes open, needing to make my point before I lost consciousness again. I grabbed the lapel of his jacket, my throat tight and rough.
