Page 38 of Kidnapped Bride

Tyren stumbled several feet and collapsed over the checkout counter as blood pumped from his throat in thick surges. "Tyren!" I shouted as I darted toward him without thinking, and that was my mistake.

Before Vlad or Yakov could make him, the shooter adjusted his aim and fired at me. I felt the round hit my left side like someone had driven a hot crowbar into my ribs.

The impact spun me into the shelving unit and I dropped to my knees, and for a second the whole store went white and silent except for a high-pitched ringing that swallowed everything.

Yakov killed the shooter. I didn't see it, but I heard the single round and then the heavy sound of a body dropping. Then he was beside me with his hand on my shoulder, pulling my jacket open to get a look at the wound.

"You're hit, Boss. Let me see it."

"Get to Tyren," I said, and my voice sounded like it was coming from far away, not from my own mouth. It must've been bad, or maybe the pain and shock were a natural reflex after so much adrenaline in my system.

But Vlad was already with Tyren, on his knees, pressing both hands against the man's neck, but there was too much blood and Tyren wasn't moving. His eyes were pointed at the ceiling blankly, and Vlad's head hung.

The pain in my side radiated outward until my whole left side felt like it was on fire. I pressed my hand against the wound and felt blood soaking through my shirt and into my waistband.

It hurt enough to make my vision swim, but I could still breathe without gasping for air which meant it missed my lung.

"We need to move," Yakov said. "We have about ninety seconds before the cops get here…." He got his arm under mine and pulled me to my feet.

I swayed a few steps before Yakov got my arm over his shoulder to help me, but I couldn’t just leave my men like that.

Three of them were dead and Deshi was still tied up. I protested Yakov's movement to the door as I started barking orders.

"Cut Deshi loose," I told Vlad before Yakov managed to manhandle me out the front of the store. With that much gunfire, it was no wonder I heard sirens wailing up the street. Onlookers gawked at us as we pushed through a gathering crowd, and Vlad caught up in the alley, sliding in under my other arm.

The three of us moved as fast as I could manage, which wasn't fast at all.

Every step drove a spike through my left side and by the time we reached the car, my shirt was soaked through and a chill had started settling into my hands and feet.

Shock was setting in due to too much adrenaline and the blood loss.

"Get the doc," I grumbled, fishing in my pocket for my phone, but Vlad beat me to it. He pulled it out and climbed in beside me as Yakov rounded the car to get in the front. My vision faded in and out as I watched Vlad type in a text message, but I didn't see what it said. Then he turned to me.

"Looks like a through and through, Boss, but you're gonna need stitches." Vlad held pressure on the wound, but the elephant inthe room had us all quieter than normal after something like that. Markin was going to pay for his men taking Tyren out.

When my phone buzzed, Vlad looked down at it and scowled. I managed to pry my eyes open enough to see the number and knew immediately who it was.

"Answer it," I grumbled, letting my eyes shut as Vlad swiped to answer and turned it on speaker phone.

"Dragonov…" Markin's voice made fresh rage surge through my veins, which I knew probably wasn't a good thing given how badly I was already bleeding. "I hear you've had quite an evening."

"You're gonna regret this, you sick bastard."

"Am I?" He chuckled at me and continued. "A few inches to the left and this whole war would already be finished, Nikolai… No more Dragonov territory to worry about. It would all be mine." His nasty comment gave me chills. He'd been watching the whole fucking thing.

My jaw was locked so tight, I could feel my molars grinding. I breathed through my gritted teeth, focusing on not losing consciousness. The pain was incredible.

"Think about that while someone stitches you up tonight," he said. "And think about what happens next time, when my guys don't miss."

I didn't know if the line went dead or if I lost consciousness, but his voice was suddenly gone, and I felt cold.

Markin was going to pay for all of this.

Tonight was only the first step.

First news of my marriage would be spread everywhere, forcing his allies to back out, and then little by little, I would eat away at everything he had, and I wouldn’t stop until I consumed him.

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