Chapter 25 - Alyssa

Once again, we’re back where we started, as Piotr fought for me. I had to find a way to get free. While everyone’s attention was on the fight, I wiggled my hands profusely. It took a while, but I felt the ropes loosening.

I was glad they used rope and not cable ties; otherwise, I would never have gotten them off. Forcing my one hand free, the skin around my wrist burned as the rope chaffed it. Tears stung my eyes, but there was no time to cry.

Bending down, I quickly untied my feet. As I got up, I glanced at the ring where Piotr was fighting to get me back. He was taking a beating but was also dealing some massive blows. He wasn’t complaining; he was doing what he needed to do for me. I felt my heart skip a beat. He was determined to get me back even if the opponent wasn’t fighting fairly.

I needed to find a way out for both of us. The place was packed, the crowd rowdy as usual. But there were so many people they were pushing up against the ring. I scanned the room and noticed the opponent moving to the side. A man on the outside handed him a knife.

“No,” I screamed. But my voice was drowned out by the roaring of the crowd. I had to do something. The guy was going to kill Piotr. I knew I couldn’t get to the ring in time to warn him. But I had to do something; I couldn’t just stand and watch.

Pushing through the crowd, I moved to the back wall and headed towards the casino. I had to hold onto the wall to keep myself up as the people shoved left and right. Just before I reached the opening of the casino floor, I felt the bulge on the wall. Looking at it, it was like a light had come on in my mind.

It was a fire alarm. Opening the lid, I pulled the lever. The sirens blared, filling the building with an intense shrieking sound. The sprayers popped out of the ceiling and rained down on everyone.

Suddenly, there was more pushing and shoving. But most of the patrons headed for the doors. The people were panicking and running over one another, trying to get out. I couldn’t see inside the ring as clusters of people moved around it.

Focusing only on getting to Piotr, I didn’t care about anything else. Placing my arms next to my head on both sides, I bent slightly forward as I started moving through the crowd. I caught a glimpse of Piotr trying to keep clear of the knife the man was yielding.

Shoving a woman to the side that stepped into my view, I felt a large hand close around my arm. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Jones standing behind me. “Where do you think you’re going?” he screamed at me.

His face was red and appeared swollen from rage. He yanked me off my feet and flung me across the floor. I slid over the wet floor, smashing into the wall. My head throbbed instantaneously as it made contact with the hard surface.

Before I could even find my feet, Jones stormed at me. He grabbed me by the throat and lifted me up against the wall. “You have ruined my life enough,” he spat.

Remembering something Piotr had said during our training, I couldn’t help but smile. ‘Bring the opponent down to your size,’ he had told me in a similar setting as this.

As I kicked out with all my might, I saw a flicker of confusion crossing Jones’s face. It was instantly replaced by agony as my foot collided between his legs. His hand released its grip around my neck, and I fell to the floor as Jones grabbed his jewels. Bending over forward, he let out a deep huff.

Turning, I tried to run. I had to get myself away from him before I could even consider getting to Piotr. With all the water on the smooth floor, it was hard to move quickly. I was slipping and sliding more than I was moving. Getting down on my knees, I crawled into the crowd.

Any method of moving away was better than being caught again. The people were noticeably less, and I could see the two men in the ring. Piotr looked like he had been stabbed in the leg as the red liquid ran down it.

The man he was fighting was about double his size. I felt a hand close around my ankle and knew Jones had caught me again. As he pulled me towards him, I saw the man in the cage jabbing at Piotr. It looked like he stuck the knife into his chest, but I couldn’t be sure.

Jones had pulled me back too far, and I could no longer see them. I kicked with my free leg at Jones. Yet, it had no impact on him. My head bounced on the floor as he pulled me further back away from the ring. He stopped as we reached the back wall again.

I tried screaming as he pulled me up by my feet. My throat closed, it felt like a mountain was stuck in it, and nothing came out. Jones hoisted me up. He slammed his fist into my stomach. He hissed as he dropped me to the floor. “I’ve had enough of you!”

Clutching my stomach, I gasped for air. My lungs appeared to have stopped working. I felt sure I was about to die on the wet floor of the despicable place. Jones grabbed my neck again, shoving me up against the wall.

I felt the first hit to my face as it rapidly swelled, pain shooting through my brain. The second hit was almost as painful. But I was sure my face was numb after that. I saw his fits coming at me again and again but felt nothing more.

My one eye was completely closed, and a warm liquid ran down my cheek. I could only assume it was blood. Then the beating stopped, and I dropped to the floor like a rag. In the distance, I heard Piotr calling out. It sounded like he was on the other side of town. His voice was so soft and distant.

My breathing was uneven, but my heart still pumped. At least I was still alive, I thought as gentle hands wrapped around my waist, lifting me. Hearing Piotr’s voice, I opened my good eye. “Alyssa, I’m here.”

Seeing him smiling at me broke the wall, I felt the tears burning as they left my eyes. Glancing down as we started moving to the door, I saw Jones lying on the floor. The knife the other guy used to try and Kill Piotr was extruding from his chest.

“Is he…,” I whispered as Piotr guided me around him.

“Yes, princess, he is dead. It is over.” Piotr replied, hugging me to him.

I didn’t mind the pain that shot through me. I was in Piotr’s arms and felt safe. Most people had exited already, and only a few were still scurrying around. Four guards entered our way as we neared the corridor leading to the parking area.

If Piotr felt as bad as he looked, I didn’t know if we would be getting out. I was of no use. My body was stiff and painful. I would not even be able to stand without assistance. Piotr looked around and stepped back. He readied to take on the guards as he placed me down in the chair by the reception desk.

Suddenly, we heard screaming coming from the corridor. Looking over the desk, I saw them entering. Mila, Konstantin, Leon, Ashan, and a ton of men came barging in with their guns ready to take control.

The guards surrendered as the Morozov family took over the place. Relief washed over me at the sight of them. Piotr pulled me back into his arms, and we headed down the corridor once again.