I screamed just as Arko ran toward me, dropping to a crouch before me.
“Are you hurt?” Arko asked softly, tucking his gun away.
I shook my head, still struggling to breathe normally.
“Can you stand?”
I nodded, and he helped me to my feet. My legs felt wobbly, and he placed an arm around my waist, holding me back.
“I’m okay,” I protested weakly. “I can walk.”
“Let me help you,” he said, his voice tight with what I couldn’t believe was concern. “Please.”
The “please” silenced me. I let my body droop against his.
Just then, we heard footsteps running down the alley.
Chapter 7 - Arko
I turned to see three men charging down the alley like bulls and immediately realized what was happening.
The dead man at my feet was just their scout. He had back-up, and they were coming for us.
I pulled Beatrice’s trembling body closer to my side. We had seconds, maybe less, before they’d be on us with guns blazing.
Fuck. I only wanted to bring Beatrice out to show off my new Lebedev wife and start those rumors. I certainly didn’t want to put her in the middle of his mess.
“We have to run,” I said, spinning her toward the opposite end of the alley.
“Faster!” I hissed, giving her a gentle push forward with one hand, while I steadied my gun with the other, just in case I needed it to defend ourselves.
I could take them all, probably, but not with Beatrice here. I couldn’t risk a stray bullet hitting her. That thought alone made my blood run cold.
She stumbled forward on those ridiculous heels, and I caught her elbow, steadying her. Those gorgeous shoes were going to get us both killed if she couldn’t move fast enough.
The men started gaining on us just as we broke into a run.
“Stop right there!” one of them yelled, and we heard a gunshot. It hit off the brick wall beside her, and I pulled Beatrice harder as she yelped, forcing her to keep pace.
“Where are we going?” she gasped, her breath coming in short pants. “Your restaurant was closer.”
I tugged her around the corner, away from the restaurant. “There’s a club down there on the left. We can lose them in the crowd, but the restaurant was too risky to head back into.”
We soon saw the sign for Club Enigma, and since it was a Saturday night, the club was packed, with people lined up outside. I thanked the stars, knowing the crowd worked in our favor.
I glanced back, spotting the first of the Volkov men rounding the corner. I fired in his direction, just to slow them down, buying us precious seconds.
“Keep moving!” I urged, as Beatrice nearly tripped on a crack in the sidewalk. I caught her around the waist, my fingers digging into her. Her skin was hot beneath it, and her body tight with tension.
We reached the club entrance, and a line of people wrapped around the block waiting to get in. I pulled Beatrice toward the VIP entrance instead, where the bouncer recognized me immediately.
“Mr. Pavlov—”
“Emergency,” I cut him off, showing past with Beatrice in tow. “Keep those men out.”
I jerked my chin toward our pursuers, who were now pushing through the crowd toward us.
The bouncer knew who I was and what an emergency meant. “Yes, sir,” he said and started barking orders into his walkie-talkie.
