“Well… that was close. Remind me to never do that again,” Kostya says, his laugh thin and shaky as we climb clear of the cars beneath us.
I don’t add anything to the remark, too busy sprinting back to the cabin, searching for my medical bag. Most airplanes carry only a basic first-aid kit, while ours stores every medical supply aBratva soldatcould possibly need in times of war.
“Follow me,” I order Kostya once I have the supplies in my hands.
I might need his brand of distraction to keep Kira and Lucky entertained while I dig that bullet out of Stella.
I’m coming, baby. I’m coming.
The moment I walk back into the room, the metallic scent of blood hits me like a punch. My grip tightens around the bag’s handle as I force myself to keep it the fuck together. She’s still lying on the bed where I left her, pale and unconscious, her hair matted to her beautiful face with blood. I drop to my knees ather side and brush her hair away from her face. My fingers shake once—only once—before I force them still.
“Has she woken up yet?” I ask, never taking my eyes off her.
“No,” my niece answers, the worry clear in her voice.
“Good. Might be for the best,” I retort, lifting my head to Kira and waving her over. “Hold her head while I take off her jacket.”
“What the fuck are you doing?” Lucky growls, still not trusting I have his sister’s best interest at heart.
“Your sister has a bullet in her shoulder. I’m going to take it out.”
“The fuck you are! Land the goddamn plane and take her to a hospital!”
“That’s not happening.” Cold settles into my voice, the kind that makes grown men shut up.
“Let him help,” Kira says, moving to my defense.
She moves to offer me assistance, as if understanding that Stella is the one person I’d never intentionally harm. Lucky visibly shakes with the effort of not fighting me, forcing himself to trust Kira’s instincts, which earns him a little respect from me.
Then Kostya, being the idiot that he is, says, “Oh shit—this is Stella?TheStella?”
I snap my head toward him.“Zamolchi. Ni drugogo slova.”
Thankfully Kostya hears the warning in my tone and shuts up, before he says something I can’t take back.
With Kira’s help, we ease Stella upright as gently as we can, just enough for me to be able to take off her clothes. Her jacket peels away wet from the blood. The turtleneck beneath is soaked through too. And it’s in this moment that Stella’s eyes begin to flutter open as I lie her on the bed again.
“What… what’s going on?” she whispers, her voice groggy as if sleep wants to take her under again.
“One of mysoldatshot you,milaya,” I explain, while hurryingly slipping off my coat and shirt. My skin hits the coldair, but I barely feel it. “I need to get the bullet out. You’re losing too much blood.”
She blinks slowly. “Ki… Kill?”
“Yes,dusha moya. I’m here.” My voice softens instinctively. “How’s your head?”
“I’ve… had… worse hangovers.”
That’s my Stella.
“This will hurt,” I warn, tipping her forward again. Blood pulses from her shoulder in slow, sickening waves. “Hand me the alcohol and small forceps,” I order to no one in particular.
“Here you go, doc,” Kostya jokes as he tosses them over.
I hit him with a glare that promises I’ll skin him alive if he cracks one more joke. When I turn my attention back to Stella, all that rage vanishes.
“Bite into me if you need to,milaya,” I say before pouring alcohol straight into the wound.
Her scream tears through the cabin, primal and raw. She bites into my shoulder, hard enough to draw blood.
