Page 28 of Forced & Owned By the Bratva Boss

I look away. “Never mind.”

The motorcycle is gone by the time I glance outside again. Relief washes over me.

But it doesn’t last, because a few blocks later, an engine roars somewhere behind us, then another.

I turn toward the window as three motorcycles emerge from the traffic, splitting around our SUV in a way I’ve only ever seen in movies.

A shiver runs down my spine. I open my mouth to scream Igor’s name, but nothing escapes my throat.

Igor’s hand immediately reaches for the gun in the holster beneath his jacket.

One of the bikers pulls out a gun, points it in my direction…and everything else passes in a flash.

“Down!” Igor yells.

Before I can react, his entire body is wrapped around me, shielding me from the impact of the bullet and broken glass.

The first gunshot cracks through the air, and it sounds nothing like it does in the movies.

It’s louder.

So loud that the only thing I hear in the minutes that follow is the ringing in my ears.

The passenger-side window explodes beside us, and despite Igor acting as a human shield, glass rains over my hair, my lap, my face.

I scream as the SUV jerks violently to the left.

More shots follow.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

Something warm splatters on my cheeks, and air drains from my lungs when I see it’s blood.

The car swerves left and right, terror tearing through my stomach when I see the driver of our SUV is dead.

He’s been shot in the head, which hangs sideways with his mouth wide open.

I clutch my head with trembling hands.

This is a nightmare.

This has to be a freaking nightmare.

Sergei swears in Russian as he moves to the driver’s seat and wrenches the steering wheel straight. The escort vehicles behind us surge forward, trying to shield us from the motorcycles.

My shoulder slams against the seat as our vehicle lurches forward. I can barely breathe beneath Igor’s weight. One hand cradles the back of my head, forcing it against his chest to shield me from the shattered glass.

“Stay down,” he growls, his voice calm despite the chaos erupting around us. “Don’t move unless I tell you.”

My body trembles uncontrollably. The ringing in my ears drowns out almost everything else, but I can still feel the thud of Igor’s heart against my cheek. It isn’t frantic.

It’s steady.

Controlled.