My father opens fire and suddenly, the hallway erupts with gunfire. Mikki grabs me and pulls me around the counter to shield me from any stray bullets.
I hear the sound of grunting. Whoever father was shooting at, he’s hit him.
I pull away from Mikki and look around the corner to see my father walking down the stairs slowly. “Didn’t Maksim ever teach you to check every corner before you walk into a strange place?”
Maksim…oh, no…
He kicks at him and there’s the sound of clattering. Mikki pulls at my arm. “Let’s go,” he whispers.
I yank free, leaning forward so that I can get a better view. I see him. Anton’s crouched before my father and blood is dripping from his body and pooling on the floor.
“Natalya,” Mikki says, and I turn to him.
“Anton’s hurt,” I whisper back. I turn back just in time to see my father lowering his gun down toward Anton.
“I will be sure to tell your men that you died well… once they are calling me Pakhan,” my father says.
“NO!” I’m moving before I realize it. I run across the kitchen and throw myself in front of Anton. My father flinches slightly, but his gun is still pointed at him through me… well, it’s pointed at my head now.
“Don’t,” I say desperately. “Don’t do it, Dad.”
There’s a half-second of surprise on his face, then he rolls his eyes and says, “As much as I loathe the whole star-crossed lovers bullshit that you’re trying to pull, you clearly still do not understand the lengths I will go to do away with Anton Romanov. I will kill the two of you on the spot, Natalya.”
“Three,” I say. My voice shakes, betraying the fear in my bones. “The three of us, Father.”
It takes him a moment, but I see the realization in his eyes as they drift down to my abdomen. I also feel Anton move behind me, his breath hitching. I did not want him to find out like this.
“What…?” The word comes out of my father almost involuntarily. Like an accidental whisper on a breeze. His skin gets blotchy as he stares at me with an expression I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. Is it surprise? Fear? Disgust? All of the above?
“You might be vile enough to kill your own daughter in cold blood,” I say to him, “but how low of a worm would you be to kill your own grandchild too?”
“You lying little slut,” he says, his face going from blotchy to bright red. “You’re not pregnant.”
“Wouldn’t it be terrible if you found out for certain after you’ve killed me?” I’ve grabbed hold of Anton’s arm behind me and myhands are sweating. I’m honestly so afraid to look him in the eyes right now. I can’t imagine what he must be thinking.
He steps back from us, lowering his gun. “Pregnant…?Pregnant??”He stares at us, his eyes darting from face to face. “You… you will stop atnothingto ruin my plans, won’t you?” Then he raises his gun to us both. “Well, not today.”
The hallway explodes with the sound of gunfire. I flinch and close my eyes, turning my head, waiting for the hot burning of lead to enter my chest.
It never comes. I look up just in time to see my father flinching and grabbing his shoulder. He stumbles forward, then runs past us, nearly knocking us both down as he darts out of the house. Mikki steps out of the kitchen, tendrils of smoke coming out of his gun. He raises it again and fires. The second shot catches my father in his shoulder blade. He cries out in pain as he stumbles forward.
I hear the roar of one of his cars just beyond the driveway. My father looks to the side and stumbles out of view.
Mikki steps forward and Anton is already getting to his feet. I do my best to help him stand, but he’s pushing me away. “He’s mine,” he tells Mikki.
Holding his side, he and Mikki move quickly, going outside just as the car pulls out of the circle drive and down the driveway.
“What are you doing?” I yell after him. He glances at me over his shoulder, then he turns to Mikki and says, get that car running, now.”
The car with my father in it turns and is halfway down the block now. As Mikki goes to hotwire the car, I rush back inside to hisoffice where he keeps his car keys. I grab one of them and rush back. I have to bypass the front door since I’m barefoot, going through the kitchen and out the sliding door. But by the time I’m in front of the house, they’re still working on hotwiring the car.
“You’re going to need these if you want to chase after him,” I say, dangling them as I rush over to them. Anton is leaning against the bullet riddled wall and behind him, I see the shadows of his men as they descend on the scene. I also see the bodies of all the men who just perished in this gunfight. I can’t tell which men belong to which Bratva, but I guess none of that matters right now.
Anton looks over at me weakly and says, “Stay here with Mikki.”
“No.”
“Natalya—”
