Pulling into my driveway, I sat for a moment, breathing slowly. Certainty won’t keep bullets out of my chest. Still… part of me wonders if I can do it. If I can get close enough, be smart enough, and face the dangers of beating Kolya at his own game.
The thought both terrified me and lit something up inside me. I was still gripping the burner phone Melody had given me, barely aware of it. Looking at my hand, I noticed my knuckles had turned white. Easing my grip, I dialed my brother. I wanted to hear his voice. It always soothes me a little.
It rang a couple of times before the recorded message came on. “Hi, I can’t come to the phone right now, but leave a message and I’ll hit you back.” Grinning, I slipped it into my bra before getting out.
“This isn’t a job anymore, it’s survival,” I mumbled as I headed for my door.
Before I could reach the steps, I heard the footsteps. They were closing in quickly. Spinning around, I saw an unfamiliar man charging at me. His face twisted with intent. My body jolted into motion as adrenaline flooded my veins. My shoes slapped the steps as I sprinted to the door. The air in my lungs is a raging fire.
His footsteps are now as loud as thunder behind me, growing louder rapidly. Don’t look back, get inside, I told myself. Stopping at the door with my keys in hand, I turned sharply, too sharply. My feet tangled. I braced for the impact of the wooden deck. But instead of falling to the floor, a searing pain exploded across my scalp.
Glancing up, I saw the man had grabbed me by the hair, preventing the fall as he yanked me up. My mouth opened as I screamed, but nothing came out as his big hand clamped over my mouth.
“Shh,” he whispered into my ear as he pulled me close. His breath was warm and foul. The sound of his voice slithered over my skin. I thrashed violently, my nails digging into his arm, my heels slamming into his shins, but his grip only tightened.
I stopped as the air around us filled with a loud cracking sound. Gunfire? The sound rips through the air, and I feel the man jerking. Something warm splashes against my back. His grip loosens as his weight comes crashing down on me.
As we go down to the floor, I feel a cold sweat on my face. Then the weight lightens, and I slowly turn my head. There, towering over us, stood Kolya. Gun in one hand and the other stretched out to me. His eyes were blazing with fury. “We need to go, now,” he spat. His voice left no room for arguing.
As he pulls me to my feet, my gaze falls on the stranger. Dead because of me, my mind questions. Accessory to murder? That’s up to fifteen years in prison. Fifteen years! The thought slammed into me like a demolition ball. I felt the wind leave my lungs, and I started heaving.
“Sophia!” Kolya barked.
My head snapped up. I looked at him but couldn’t focus. The world around me was a big blur. My legs were trembling.
“Now, come on, move!” He shouted.
I was frozen in place. Time had come to a stop. “Yes…, we should go,” I managed to get out in an unsteady voice. My gaze swiftly fell back to the corpse. Bile rose in my throat, andI swallowed hard. If Melody’s promise to clear my name falls through, this will be my future! A cell and not a desk.
Kolya grabbed my hand, pulling me back from the gloomy thoughts invading my mind. “Let’s move,” he breathed out loudly. He pulled me closer, wrapping one arm around me, before he started moving towards the SUV parked just down the block.
My feet moved. I glanced back, feeling my mind staying behind, locked on the image of the lifeless body. What if Kolya hadn’t been there? What would have happened if the man had captured me? Questions flooded my mind quicker than I could process.
As he pushed me into the car and got in, I felt as lifeless as the dead man lying there.
Chapter 11 - Kolya
I glanced at Sophia as I started the SUV. My heart was beating in my throat and making it hard to swallow. My pulse raced as I took to the road. She could have been captured. She could have died! My mind was screaming before I even opened my mouth.
That was a close call. She was more resourceful than I had anticipated. But this could have turned out very badly. She had to know that she couldn’t just run off like that. She was my wife, and her life could be in danger at times.
As I pulled out, I couldn’t help but scold her for being so idiotic. I could hear the harshness in my tone. “Sophia! How could you be so stupid? Why did you go out on your own? What was so important?” Glancing at her, I noticed her shoulders were hunched. She was staring out the window, not moving.
The rage bubbling inside me was uncontrollable. “Especially now!” I spat at her. “You are my wife. Connected to my name. Do you realize how many people out there would like to get to me? You are an easy target!”
Breathing in deeply, I tried to calm the storm. It was harder than ever. Something inside me wouldn’t let go as I continued to shout at her. “Don’t you know, once you’re connected to a Bratva name, my name, rivals climb out of the walls. Just like the man back there that I had to kill, he was sent by just such a rival! You could’ve gotten hurt, you could’ve gotten killed. Do you realize that?”
I parked close to the door as I pulled into the mansion driveway. I felt my anger still taking control as I got out and moved around the car to her side. Flinging open the door, I held a stiff hand out. As Sophia slipped out of the seat, I realizedshe had not only been quiet all the way. But she was actually shaking.
She had gotten the fright of her life. As we entered the mansion, I guided her to the small living area. My anger was finally starting to subside. I hadn’t realized how scared she must have been. I had her sit down on one of the couches. Bending down before her, I spoke in a softer tone. “I’m sorry for scolding you. But you have to realize the seriousness of carrying my name.”
Sophia nodded, but I could see she was swallowing hard. Tears were building up in her eyes. “I am so sorry,” I breathed out. Looking down, I tried to push back the last of my anger.
Getting up, I walked to the drink cabinet and poured two glasses. One scotch and one wine. Turning back, I held out the glass of wine for her. She took it without question. I could see her hands still shaking.
“Sorry,” she mumbled. “I’ve never seen such violence in my life. It’s wrong, it’s all wrong.”
Raising my glass, I took a big gulp before sitting down opposite her. “Sophia,” I said softly. My voice is a lot calmer. “The man I shot was going to kill you.”
