“But he’s in there alone. There’s, like, at least ten guys in there!” I exclaim.
“Did you know Dimitri killed his first man at age seven?” Andrei asks nonchalantly as he cuts into the apple, taking off a delicate slice and popping it into his mouth.
“S-s-seven?” I whisper in disbelief.
He slowly chews and swallows before speaking again. “His father trained him as a soldier. No,” he says, shaking his head. “An assassin,” he corrects himself before chewing on another apple slice.
I hear gunshots go off. A man screams in agony.
And that’s my breaking point. “I can’t just sit here and not do anything,” I say before I push past Andrei with all of my might and climb out of the van.
He drops the items in his hands and grabs me, halting my motions. “Dimitri doesn’t want you in danger,” he says, wrestling with me but trying really hard not to hurt me.
Thinking back to the move I saw Darby do the other day, I swing back my arm as hard as I can, my elbow making contact with his nose. “Fuck!” Andrei hollers, clutching his face with both hands and effectively releasing me in the process.
And then I’m running back towards the warehouse as fast as my tired legs will take me. I swing open the door, the moonlight flooding in behind me. And that’s when I see him.
Dimitri. Standing there, chest heaving, in the middle of what can only be described as carnage andmayhem.
Dead bodies are littered across the warehouse floor. Blood coats his face and skin as he looks up at me. “I thought I gave you specific instructions,privighetoare mica,” he mutters.
“I had to make sure you were okay.”
He huffs a laugh. “And what were you going to do? Claw their eyes out? You have no weapon, Savina.”
“I would’ve done whatever was necessary,” I tell him, and I mean it. I would have protected him and done anything in order to do that, because I know he would do the same for me.
Dimitri stalks towards me, his black clothing shining with blood, stopping only when we’re a few inches apart.
“Why did you come for me? Why did you save me?” I ask, desperate to know the answer. “Was it for your brother?”
He hesitates but then shakes his head. “No, it wasn’t for Pavel.”
“Then why?” I demand. “No more hiding. No more pretending. I need to hear the truth.”
“I saved you for myself,privighetoarea mea mica. Because you’re mine. You’ve always been mine. And you’llalwaysbe mine.” And then he wraps a bloody hand around my throat, pulls me closer and presses his lips against mine in an all-consuming, soul-searing kiss that has my legs trembling to keep my body upright. When he pulls back from me, he stares into my eyes and whispers, “And I’m yours. I’ll always be yours. Until my heart stops beating.”
His words render me speechless. Hearing Dimitri admit his true feelings for the first time has my heart and head at war with one another. I love him. God forgive me, but I love this man.
Tears fill my eyes, and he stares at me for a beat before he whispers, “Let’s get out of here.”
I nod in agreement, allowing him to grab my hand and pull me along to safety. Once we reach the van, Dimitri safely buckles me in the backseat before turning his attention to his friend, who is now sitting behind the steering wheel in the front. Andrei is currently pressing a wad of napkins to his bloody face and moaning in pain.
“What happened to watching her and keeping her far away from that place?” Dimitri hisses out at Andrei.
“I tried. She thought you were in trouble,” he whines. “I think she broke my fucking nose.”
Inwardly, I wince. “I’m sorry,” I whisper to Andrei as he glares at me through the rearview mirror.
A smirk forms on Dimitri’s lips as he looks down at me with what can only be described as admiration. “Asta-i fata mea,” he whispers to me as Andrei groans loudly in frustration.
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
Savina
AFTER A QUICKstop at a convenience store for some supplies and a change of clothes in the bathroom, Dimitri returns to the van and gives directions to Andrei on where to go.
“I don’t know if I should be driving. My nose is still bleeding,” Andrei complains.
