His eyes locked on mine, and I looked away quickly, just in time to catch a figure sprinting toward the east wing. My heart lurched. I glanced back at Matvet and noticed he had straightened, his hand brushing the gun holstered at his hip. His men mirrored his alertness but didn’t follow the man. Moments later, Doctor Dorothy and another man hurried to Artur’s quarters, urgency etched into their faces.
Matvet didn’t hesitate. He bolted after them, leaving me standing alone. Panic threatened to drown me. Should I stay by the cars or follow?
Before I could decide, Renat appeared. He followed the same path, disappearing into the mansion like shadows. My stomach churned. Something was wrong.
I was halfway to the entrance when a gunshot cracked through the air. I froze, the sound ricocheting in my skull. Then another followed, coming from the gate.
Soldiers rushed toward the source, shouting commands. The blaring of an alarm pierced the chaos, followed by a frantic voice shouting, “Get to safety!”
But I stood rooted to the ground, every muscle locked in fear.My instincts screamed at me to run, but I couldn’t.
Was this Marco’s rescue mission?
The sharp crack of glass snapped me out of my daze. A car’s window shattered, sending shards flying my way. I screamed and ducked, scrambling behind the nearest car for cover.
The scene descended into chaos. Gunfire erupted in every direction, bullets ripping through the air.
Bodies hit the ground, and the metallic stench of blood thickened the night. I pressed myself against the car, trembling. This wasn’t a rescue. It was carnage.
“Alessia!” Matvet’s voice tore through the chaos like a war drum. He charged toward me, gun blazing. A bullet tore into his arm, and blood burst in a vicious arc, but he didn’t slow. He kept firing. “Get inside now,” he barked.
My legs refused to move, paralyzed by the sheer insanity of the situation. He cursed under his breath, diving behind the car next to me.
“Are you insane?” he snapped, tossing his empty gun aside and gripping his bleeding arm. “You’ll get us both killed.”
I knew this was it, this was how we would die. Until Artur appeared like a force of nature, striding into the fray. He tossed a fresh gun to Matvet without breaking stride.
“West wing. Now,” he ordered, his voice cold and furious.
Matvet nodded, disappearing into the chaos. Artur dropped to a crouch beside me, his gun ready. His presence weighed down on me. The plan failed. He wasn’t unconscious. He was very much in control.
“Tell me something.” He cocked the gun and fired at the person rushing toward us. “What was your wish tonight?” he asked, his voice low and biting. “My death? Or yours?”
Caught in the crossfire, I couldn’t speak. Artur’s hand shot out, yanking me against his chest. I flinched as something heavy slammed into the car behind me: a loud thud, followed by ascream. His arm remained firm around my back, holding me in place. The scent of blood clung to him. His other hand shook as he fired with precision. Each shot sent vibrations through my body.
Minutes felt like hours, each one dragging like a slow, agonizing eternity. Then the gunfire ceased, and the night fell into an unsettling silence. In the distance, tires screeched as a car peeled away into the darkness.
Artur released me and rose to his feet. “Follow that damn car,” he roared to his men.
I stayed where I was, trembling, my knees refusing to cooperate.
“Fuck,” he growled. Turning to me, his expression changed. “And you.” I scrambled back on my butt and hands, desperate to create distance. “This is what you’re going to do. Get your ass inside and make yourself useful.”
My head bobbed like a frightened child.
“Boss,” Matvet appeared.
Artur’s attention snapped to him. “Get me the motorbike, now.”
Matvet nodded and disappeared again. Artur’s jaw clenched, his hands flexing at his sides. For a moment, he looked like he might say something to me. Instead, he turned and left, his coat billowing behind him. I sat there, my mind reeling. What just happened?
Artur wasn’t the kind of man you crossed and lived to tell the tale. That much I knew. So I had to be ready because he would find out what I did, and when he did, he wouldn’t spare me.
Chapter Thirteen
Alessia
Nothing ever seemed to goright in my life. That thought echoed through my mind as I collapsed onto the bed and buried my face in the pillow. My life was a series of disasters: I missed an interview because I got kidnapped, dated Lucas, who was full of hollow promises, and now, Marco and Salva’s failed rescue.