Page 31 of Deadly Devotion
She sat on the sofa, pulling her legs underneath herself. “It’s amazing how quickly your crew cleaned the apartment,” she noted.
I glanced around, impressed at how neat the apartment looked. In a matter of hours, my cleaning crew had turned the ransacked apartment back into a livable space.
“I appreciate what you’ve done for me and Sandy,” she says, peeking at me from underneath her long lashes. “And I appreciate that you agreed to take me to see her.”
I nodded, sitting across from her on the sofa.
“You’re not how I expected you’d be when you told me you’re thepakhanof a Russian mafia family.“ She slowly sips the water, waiting for my reaction.
“Oh? And what did you expect?” I ask casually.
“I don’t know,” she chuckles. “I expected you to be more like the mobster guys in the movies, not an uncle of two awesome little kids and a nice guy that helps clean up ransacked apartments.”
“I’m not that nice,” I reply nonchalantly.
“You’re nice to me,” she breathed quietly. Her mouth opened and closed as if she were going to say something else, but then she simply smiled.
“Let’s finish here,” I suggest, shifting the subject. She finished drinking the glass of water, and we gathered the last of her things. Taking one last look around the small apartment, she closed and locked the door behind us.
As we made our way downstairs, unease settled in my gut. Dimitri opened the SUV trunk in anticipation of loading up Talia’s belongings. I glanced around the street as the air outside crackled with a forewarning of the violence to come. When we stepped onto the sidewalk, a black sedan raced down the street, screeching to a stop next to the SUV. The dark-tinted windows of the sedan rolled down, and two guns were pointed directly at us.
“Gun!” Dimitri screamed, diving in front of me, acting as a human shield. I heard the crack of the gun and instinctively pulled Talia into my side, covering her with my body. Bullets whizzed past us as I pulled her behind the SUV.
Dimitri squatted down next to us, exchanging fire with the sedan’s assailants. My men sprang into action, pulling out theirguns and rapidly firing at the sedan. Another round of bullets sprayed past us, some bouncing off the bulletproof exterior of the SUV.
My heart thumped loudly as I reached for my gun, returning fire. The sedan’s assailants were relentless, firing more bullets. Talia’s eyes widened with fear, her hand gripping my arm tightly. I cursed under my breath, my mind racing with calculations and strategies to survive this ambush.
The assailants retreated as abruptly as they had attacked, leaving us breathless and shaken amidst the chaos on the street. Sirens blared in the distance as onlookers spoke rapidly into their phones, relaying information to the police. I glanced over at Talia, her face pale, eyes wide with shock.
“Are you hurt?” I asked urgently, scanning her for injuries.
She shook her head, but her gaze faltered. “I’m fine,” she replied, her voice trembling.
Then I saw it—the dark stain spreading across her shoulder, blood seeping through her clothing. Dread washed over me, icy and paralyzing.
“Talia,” I whispered, my hands trembling as I helped her to her feet. “Get her in the car…now!” I boomed.
Dimitri jumped into action, helping Talia get into the backseat of the SUV. I slid into the seat next to her, keeping her cradled against my chest. Holding a rag against the shoulder wound, I hoped to slow down the bleeding. Her eyes were glassy and unfocused as Dimitri drove us to the mansion, unconcerned with traffic lights or the posted speed limit.
“Talia,” I whispered against her silky hair. “Stay with me, baby. You’re going to be okay.”
Her skin was cold, and her eyelids fluttered closed. I shook her gently, and her eyes opened again. She was looking at me but not focusing. “Aleksandr…” she whispered, struggling to keep her eyes open. “I…I have…have to…tell you…s-something.” Her body went limp in my arms. Bile rose in my throat as I tried to wake her up.
“Baby…please wake up.” I held her closer, willing my body heat to warm her up. “Talia?”
Her breathing was shallow, but shewasbreathing. “Hurry,brat.“ My voice was laced with urgency as Dimitri’s eyes met mine through the rearview mirror.I can’t lose her.He understood without having to hear the words and stepped on the gas pedal, propelling the SUV forward even faster.
The drive seemed to last for hours, although, in reality, it was less than thirty minutes. My trusted and personal physician, Dr. Daria Algorin, is on call twenty-four hours a day. She’s also an attending physician at the local hospital, which works out great since she can handle medical emergencies from the makeshift hospital room in the mansion or the local hospital. Having a personal Bratva doctor on call helps to keep the police at bay and questions about our illegal activities to a minimum.
As we burst through the doors, Dr. Daria was already waiting. She took charge immediately, ushering Talia into the nearby examination room. Holding out her hand, she stopped me in the doorway.
“Stay out here,” she ordered, not giving a shit that I’m thepakhan. Her lips were pulled into a thin line, and her hands were placed firmly on her hips. She stood no taller than five feet four inches, but her presence was formidable at thismoment. “Dimitri, keep him out of this room. I don’t need any distractions.”
Dimitri nodded, then stood guard next to the door, crossing his arms over his muscular chest. “The doctor will help Talia,brat. Just give her time.”
I paced outside the room, my nerves taut with anticipation. When Dr. Daria finally emerged, her expression was contemplative. “Thankfully the bullet missed any major arteries. I was able to stop the bleeding and remove the bullet, but she’s going to need a lot of rest.”
Relief flooded through me, but it was short-lived. Dr. Daria hesitated, then met my gaze squarely. “There’s something else,” she said, her tone measured. “It’s a sensitive issue, and I think we should speak privately.”