We’re quickly becoming outnumbered. “Back in the car,” I shout at my brothers.
None of them questions anything. They all start running back for our SUVs. Lifting myself into the car hurts, but I can’t deal with that now. I slam the door just as Niko gets into the passenger side. “Go, go, go!” he shouts. But I’m already accelerating.
Gunfire breaks out behind us. Bullets slam into the back windows. This entire car is armored, though. They don’t stand a chance of reaching us.
“We’ll have to outrun them,” Luka shouts into the radio.
“Stay with us,” Niko shouts back. “Red route!”
Over the radio, we don’t say street names. We color-code pre-plotted routes and use those codes just in case someone is listening in and decides to try and ambush us ahead.
I know this city like the back of my hand, and I’ve memorized the routes, which change every time we do an operation. Losing them is easy enough.
Moving this product should have been straightforward, a simple collect and drop at a different warehouse, but clearly someone caught wind of today’s plan and decided to fuck with us.
“Let’s scrap the warehouse and drop the vehicles underground. For all we know, someone’s waiting at the delivery point,” Niko suggests.
“Agreed. The sooner we get off the streets, the better. And we’ve lost these morons now. Did you see who it was?”
“I didn’t, but I took note of the plates. I’ll run a check later, even though they’re probably fake.”
Pulling into the underground space beneath one of the buildings we own, I shut down the engine and take several deep breaths. Niko is climbing out of the car to talk to Luka and Arkady, who have parked next to us.
“Do you guys have a car stashed here?”
“Two,” Arkady says, sliding out of the seat and dusting his hands over his pockets.
“I’m going to take one,” I sigh, walking around the car to talk to them.
“Fuck, dude, that’s a lot of blood,” Luka snaps.
“No, it’s okay. It looks worse than it is, but I do want to get home to sort it out. Let’s shut this whole delivery down for now. Niko, call a team of guards and have them patrol this building and stand watch over the cars until we can make sure the delivery spot is secure. Ark, where are those keys?”
“The car is unlocked. It’s parked right by security. Key in the center console. You sure you don’t want me to drive you?”
“No, I’m good. Niko, let me know about those plates once you’ve run them.”
“Will do, man, let us know when you’re home safe.”
I groan as I walk away, towards the security office, my hand clamped against my side, where it’s starting to ache nowthat the adrenaline is wearing off.Who the hell is stupid enough to try and attack one of our operations?
Driving home, I have to force myself to focus. I probably should have had one of the guys drop me off, but I guess I’m stubborn. What can I say?
On the way there, I voice note Katerina and ask her to get a first aid kit ready for me in the downstairs bathroom. She panics, messaging back.
“Are you hurt? What happened? Do you need a doctor?” she blurts out in her voice note.
“I’m alright, it’s just a light wound,” I chuckle. But when I do, it hurts more.
It’s probably worse than I initially thought it was.
As soon as I park my car outside the steps of my mansion, Katerina comes running down. She tugs my door open and yelps when she sees my blood-soaked jeans. “Yulian, you need a hospital!” she exclaims.
“No, I just need some disinfectant and a few bandages,” I smile.
My head is spinning, though, and I’m starting to wonder just how much blood I’ve lost.
Katerina slips her arm around my waist and lets me lean on her as she leads me to the guest bathroom, where she already has the first aid kit laid out, preparing for anything.
