Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Dominic

K neeling beside her, my hands—those same hands that commanded respect and instilled fear in the hearts of men—shook as they hovered over her for the briefest of moments. Then, desperate for reassurance, they traced the contours of her body with a meticulousness borne of necessity. My fingers skimmed over her arms, her torso, searching for injuries, feeling for the rise and fall of her chest that would signal life amid the nightmare.

"Please, be okay," I murmured, voice a gravelly whisper that betrayed the steel edge of my usual command. The familiar scent of her hair, a mixture of vanilla and something uniquely Alexa, filled my nostrils as I leaned closer. It was a stark reminder of what was at stake, of what I stood to lose.

My touch was gentle yet frantically thorough, each brush of my fingertips against her skin grounding me to the reality of her vulnerability. I needed to feel her warmth, to know that the pulse of life within her hadn't been extinguished. With every second that passed, with every shallow breath she took, the relief that she was alive battled the gnawing terror of what could have been.

In this moment, I was reduced to silent pleas and whispered promises, all for the fragile woman whose life seemed to hang by a gossamer thread.

Her lips parted slightly, a whisper of a breath escaping, and I drank in the sight like a man starved of air. The inherent strength that usually defined me now bowed before the frailty of the woman I vowed to protect. It was a dichotomy of power and vulnerability that raged within me, fueling a protective fervor that would burn the world to ashes before letting harm come to her.

As if summoned by the intensity of the moment, a shadow loomed from the darkness. Nikolai stepped into the dim light, his figure imposing, the cruel smirk on his face a silent testament to the malice that coursed through his veins.

"Pathetic, Gambino," Nikolai sneered, his eyes glinting with malevolence. "Brought to your knees by love."

My gaze never wavered from Alexa's, even as I rose to my full height, positioning myself between her vulnerable form and the threat that Nikolai posed. My body became a shield, muscles taut and ready to unleash the violence that simmered just below the surface.

"Leave her out of this." My tone was ice, a dangerous calm that only those who knew me understood as a prelude to fury.

Nikolai's laughter sliced through the tension, a discordant sound that echoed off the walls of the deserted alley. "You think you can dictate terms to me?"

"Try me," I challenged, stance unyielding, every fiber of my being prepared to engage in a deadly dance with destiny.

The precarious standoff held tight, two titans locked in a gaze that foretold an inevitable clash.

My voice was a blade, sharp and deadly as I spoke. "If you're going to take me out, Nikolai, do it where she can't see."

Nikolai's grin widened, cruel enjoyment lighting up his eyes. "And why would I offer you such a kindness?"

"Because," I said, each word measured and heavy with intent, "you know the kind of hell it'll unleash if you harm her."

"Threats are weak coming from a man in your position." Nikolai's hand rested casually on the gun at his hip, a silent declaration of power.

"Consider it a promise," I countered, unflinching, my own hand itching for my concealed weapon. "One my men intend to keep."

"Promises are made to be broken, Gambino." Nikolai's refusal hung in the air, dense with the stench of animosity that had long festered between us.

I faced the man who had become my father's nemesis. Nikolai's taunts hung in the air like a toxic mist, but I remained stoic, an unwavering fortress amid the tempest of threats.

"Your move," Nikolai sneered, yet my stance was resolute, a silent testament to his unyielding spirit. I could feel the weight of Nikolai's eyes upon me, attempting to dissect my defenses, but my resolve was ironclad.

"Whatever you're thinking, it won't work," I said, voice level but laced with a steely edge. My broad shoulders squared against the threat before me, embodying the defiance of a man who walked familiarly with danger.

Nikolai's presence was like a looming storm cloud, dark and oppressive, yet I did not falter. Instead, I anchored myself deeper into the moment, my awareness sharpening to a fine point. The chill of the night air seemed to wrap around us, heightening the suspense of the silent duel.

"Is that supposed to scare me?" Nikolai's question sliced through the tension, yet my lips curled into a half smirk, devoid of humor.

"Scared? No. Prepared? Always," I retorted, my gaze never leaving Nikolai's.

The darkness seemed to press in, eager to witness what would unfold in its shroud. I knew the stakes were high, every muscle coiled like a spring, ready to respond to the slightest provocation. It was a dance with death, choreographed by fate, and I was no stranger to its rhythm.

The metallic click shattered the silence, a sinister symphony that resonated with finality. Nikolai's fingers, pale and unyielding, wrapped around the pistol's grip, his thumb pulling back the hammer with deliberate slowness—a predatory grin spreading across his face. The message was clear—there would be no more words, only actions that could snuff out life as swiftly as blowing out a candle.

My instincts screamed danger, yet I remained a statue carved from stone, my body tensed for impact. The night air grew heavy with the scent of impending violence, the kind that left stains on the soul that no amount of regret could cleanse.

In that heart-stopping moment, I turned, movements fluid despite the adrenaline coursing through my veins. My eyes found Alexa, her figure bathed in the sickly yellow light that did nothing to mask her vulnerability. The world narrowed to the space between us, every detail imprinted onto my memory—the way her hair framed her face in golden waves, the tremble of her lips, the silent plea in her eyes that spoke volumes of the shared torment.

Our gazes locked, an invisible thread weaving through the chaos, tying us together in an unspoken vow. It was a look that carried the weight of every unuttered promise, every whispered confession in the dark, every tender touch that defied the harshness of the reality. In the depths of Alexa's blue eyes, I saw not just fear but an unwavering trust, a beacon in the night that guided me through the tempest raging within.

Time slowed, the pulsing beat of my heart the only sound that seemed to exist. I memorized her image, a talisman against the darkness, as the gun in Nikolai's hand promised a verdict with its cold, steel kiss.

My jaw tensed, resolve hardening like forged steel as I faced the man who threatened to shatter my world. Nikolai's gun—a merciless judge poised to deliver a final sentence—held steady in the tremulous air between us. But it was not death that clawed at my insides; it was the thought of leaving Alexa alone in the shadows we had navigated together .

Nikolai pointed the gun straight at her.

A surge of protectiveness, fierce and primal, rose within me, drowning the fear that whispered of my possible demise. My stare bored into Nikolai, conveying an unspoken challenge that ricocheted off the walls, as palpable as the scent of gunpowder hanging in the air.

"Alexa is off-limits. You know the rules, Nikolai."

The subtle click of the hammer being pulled back was the only response—a sound that normally would've made lesser men flinch. Not me. My gaze never wavered from Nikolai's, even as sweat beaded at my temple, the cool metal of the gun glinting ominously under the flickering lights.

"Rules?" Nikolai sneered, the word distorted by malice. "I make my own."

The stand-off stretched taut, a single moment laden with lifetimes of decisions, regrets, and the relentless pursuit of power. My thoughts spiraled back to Alexa, to the promises I'd made, the future I'd envisioned—a future that now hung by a gossamer thread.

I took a measured breath, every sinew in my body coiled and ready. The look I gave Alexa was a silent declaration, a testament to the inferno that raged within—love intermingled with an ironclad oath to shield her from the tempest of the world. She was mine to protect, mine to cherish, and no bullet could sever the bond we shared.

"Then shoot me," I dared.

Nikolai's finger tightened on the trigger, the threat of violence swelling like a storm about to break.