Without hesitation, he fires once at the lock mechanism, kicks the door open, and pushes me through, following immediately after.
We tumble into darkness, the door slamming shut behind us. For several seconds, we can hear only our ragged breathing and the muffled sounds of the sedan outside. Then his hands are on me again, checking for injuries with clinical efficiency.
His fingers skim over my arms, my shoulders, and my torso in his search for blood. “Are you hit?”
“I don’t…think so.” My voice sounds strange, distant.
He’s already moving deeper into what appears to be a service corridor. “I dropped your bag inside the building entrance before they started shooting. We might not be able to retrieve it.”
Outside, engines rev as the sedan repositions again while continuing to hunt us.
Alexei’s hand settles on the small of my back as he nudges me into the unknown darkness. “Keep moving. And stay with me.”
The service corridor stretches out before us.
He keeps me close, his hand a constant pressure guiding me forward through the maze of industrial pipes and electrical panels.
Cold, metallic fear coats my mouth. My breathing comes in short pants, each inhale carrying the musty scent of disuse.
Outside, tires squeak as our pursuers loop the building. The sound echoes through the walls.
I slow as the corridor splits. Alexei chooses left without hesitation, as if he’s memorized the building’s layout and calculated our escape route already.
Maybe he has. Maybe this is just another day at work for him.
A hysterical laugh gets caught in my throat as we reach a metal door marked “Exit.”
Alexei pauses to press his ear against the door.
I examine his face, noting the minute shifts in his expression as he listens and the calculation in his eyes. The lethal grace and controlled power.
He eases the door open a crack, peering through the narrow gap. “Stay behind me.”
“Okay.” I mold myself to the wall, shrinking smaller. The cold concrete seeps through the thin fabric of the maid costume, raising goosebumps across my skin.
He grabs my hand and squeezes to demand my attention. “Clear. But we need to move fast. The car’s circling.”
We slip out into some sort of loading dock area behind a row of shops. Alexei scans our surroundings, his body tense and alert.
The sudden roar of an engine shatters the momentary quiet. Headlights sail around the corner, ensnaring us in their glare.
“Run!” Alexei shoves me forward, away from the vehicle barreling toward us.
My sneakers slap against the rough pavement as I sprint across the open space, Alexei right on my heels.
Gunfire joins the chorus of screaming tires.
Alexei pulls me backward until we crash behind a rusted trash bin. He folds himself over me, shielding me as more bullets zing by.
Under his crushing weight, every breath becomes a struggle. This should feel threatening, suffocating. Instead, I feel secure. His body creates a fortress around mine, blocking out the murderous world. His breath warms my neck. His arms bracket my head, cloaking me from flying debris. He’s transformed himself into a human bulletproof vest, placing his flesh between me and danger without a second thought.
Except he’s not bulletproof. He’s literally putting his life on the line to keep me safe.
“Why?” The question comes out a muffled whisper.
He eases some of his weight off me, hovering his face inches from mine as he scans for threats. “Why what?”
“Why protect me? I’m nothing to you.”
