I’m afraid he’s going to kill Samson right here. At his own wedding.
I finally find my voice and step in, my hand hovering over thepakhan’sarm. “Matvei, don’t.”
Time slows, the world around us grinding to a halt. I hold my breath as I wait to see what Matveiwill do next.
Samson nearly collapses as Matvei releases him. His hand goes instinctively to his neck, where the red, angry outline of fingers will no doubt leave a bruise.
“Fuck you, Matvei,” he growls, his voice hoarse.
“Stay away from what’s mine.” It’s Matvei’s last warning, the growl of a predator, before his arm wraps around my waist again to lead me out.
The last image I see is of Samson leaning on the wall for support, gasping for breath, his face red with anger. The coat check girl is crouched behind the counter, trembling, her face white as a sheet.
The cool night air, the hum of the city, and the sound of traffic are jarring after the last few minutes. Evgeny is waiting at the curb by the black sedan’s open door, his expression tense.
“Everything is fine,” Matvei calls out, his voice tight and controlled as he leads me down the steps.
Evgeny asks something in Russian to which Matvei replies coolly. An odd expression crosses the big bear’s face, and he says something else I don’t understand. I wait by the high wall at the bottom of the staircase, waiting for the two men to finish their conversation.
I need to learn Russian.
I don’t want to think about what’s circling my brain, that I didn’t stop Matvei because I wanted to save Samson. I stopped Matvei because I wanted to savehim. No matter how violent, or how frightening, I don’t want this man to suffer. Even if our contract does end tonight and he’s out of my life once he drops me off at my apartment, I cared more about him than anything else in that moment.
A car with its high beams on moves down the street, causing me to squint and cover my eyes with my hand.
I barely see the bright flash before I hear the explosion coming from the car.
And then, everything is darkness and pain.
13
SONYA
Gunshots.
It’s the only thought echoing through my mind as everything else stops, my head and back exploding with pain. My vision goes dark for a heartbeat.
More gunshots, closer this time, echoing back and forth between buildings. A scream wrenches from my throat, and I curl in on myself.
Then, it all goes quiet, except for the buzz in my ears from the noise and the blood rushing along with it. My heart is pounding so fast, I’m afraid it’s going to jump right out of my chest.
“Are you okay?”
I look up to see Matvei leaning over me, shielding me. All I can do is blink up at him, wondering how the hell he got there. I realize the pain I felt was Matvei slamming me back into the wall to protect me, the darkness his black tuxedo as he saved me.
He places his hands on either side of my face, forcing me to look him in the eye. “Sonya, are you okay?” His eyes are wide as he frantically searches my face along with the rest of me.
“I’m okay,” I manage, though I don’t know if it’s true. My gown suddenly feels too tight, like a vise, and I can’t draw enough air into my lungs.
I’m not okay. I’m shaking so hard my teeth are chattering, and I can’t get myself to stop. I can’t breathe. Sweat is pouring down my back. Tears cloud my vision.
“I can’t breathe, Matvei. I can’t breathe!”
His hands press on either side of my cheeks and he bows his head, his forehead touching mine. His warmth, his presence, his patchouli-cardamom scent envelop me.
“You’re okay, Sonya. Focus on me. Focus on my voice. Breathe.”
I do as he says, focusing on the warmth of his hands, the rumble in his voice, the protection I feel with him. Eventually, my heartbeat slows, the vice around my chest loosens, and I stop shaking.
