Chapter 19 - Emory

The rough voice knifed through the air—jagged but sharp, and I looked over my shoulder just as Vlad was sprinting past me toward the thug. He'd screamed. He'd spoken the word "no."

And it had everything to do with me.

My entire body was rigid and screwed up tightly as if a straightjacket had been strapped around me without my realizing it. I couldn't move, only able to watch as Vlad barreled forward and into the man who was firing a gun at me.

A loud pop from the firearm echoed through the building as Vlad collided with him, shoving the man's arm up toward the ceiling. The glass above us shattered, and I finally found my feet again, dashing out of the way and behind the safety of a stack of crates.

But Vlad wasn't rushing in the same direction, and after a few seconds of hiding behind the shoddy wooden fortress, I stuck my head out. I immediately had to track my eyes downward. Vlad and his opponent were both on the ground, wrestling for control of the gun.

Vlad.

The man had saved my life, had called out like he was terrified and furious, and now he was grappling with an armed thug. God, he could still be shot, and right on cue, the gun went off again. This time, it went somewhere off to the side, but I didn't like how close the muzzle was to Vlad's body.

No. No, this isn't right. Vlad can't die. Not saving my dumb ass. I…

But my head emptied, my thoughts becoming too scrambled to process as Vlad still fought for control over that damn gun. However, just then, he was able to get his knee up into the other man's ribs, and the attack made the Italian mobster lose focus. He groaned, and Vlad followed it up by grabbing the man's hand with both of his.

Vlad pounded the man's fist into the ground over and over until he finally dropped the weapon. Punching the man in the face bought Vlad a few moments, and he leaned back and got to his feet, kicking the gun far away.

"Vlad!"

As I called out, Vlad turned and looked over his shoulder. Unfortunately, the thug took the chance to sweep his leg out in a wide arch, sending Vlad back down to the floor. Panic gripped me again, but I couldn't just hide here and do nothing.

I searched the area around me and found that dumb pipe I'd kicked. Snagging it, I rushed over toward the scuffle. I raised the pipe over my head as the thug jumped on top of Vlad and began to pummel him with his fists.

Lining up my strike with the man's head, I swung down with everything I had.

Crack!

The pipe impacted with the man's skull, and he went down like a sack of potatoes. Vlad looked up at me, his eyes the size of saucers, and I shrugged with a lop-sided grin.

"Well, you saved me first. Just returning the favor."

I extended my hand, and after a moment of shock, Vlad took it. Helping to pull him up, Vlad stood over the mafioso, and I dropped the pipe to the floor. It clattered loudly as Vlad reached into his waistband and pulled out the gun he'd been holding when he first arrived. He leveled it over the unconscious man.

"Wait! You can't just kill him. He's unconscious."

Vlad glared.

"Yes, I know. This is what you do, but—"

Said thug reached for the pipe, swinging it in my direction, and I flinched back. A loud pop rang out next to me, and before I knew it, the guy was lying on the floor, blood spattered across the floor behind him. I nearly threw up but managed to hold it back with just a gag.

When Vlad met my eyes again, the "I told you so" plain on his face, I sucked in a shaky breath, nodding absently.

"You know what? Yeah, you're right. He needed to go. But, umm, I'm going to throw up if we stand here near that blood for too much longer, so…Vamanos."

Vlad grinned, and something fluttered in my belly. Whether it was emotions or nausea, I wasn't sure. Then, Vlad held out his hand, and I took it as he rushed us again toward the back of the building.

As we sprinted for the exit, Vlad checked his watch. I was about to ask what that was about when his speed doubled down, and I had to focus on keeping up with him, or I'd fall flat on my face.

We burst through the backdoors, and Vlad yanked me to the left. Heading for the small hill that created the division between the warehouse's property and the next one over, I noticed the car I'd seen at Vlad's house. His brothers had obviously come with to help, and I had to imagine that it was them who'd initiated the explosion.

"So, what about the men still in the building? Are you concerned they'll come—"

But my words were cut off by a massive explosion that, even as I stood with Vlad near his car, shoved me forward, forcing me to lean on the SUV to avoid tripping.

I looked over my shoulder; the building was a roiling cloud of smoke and flame.

"Oh, never mind then."

Vlad smiled, and there was a relief and happiness behind it that I didn't know what to do with. I could barely make eye contact with him, and then Vlad spun me around gently. I felt his fingers on my skin as he worked to unwind the rope that kept my hands behind my back.

As the pressure was abruptly released, I sighed, my arms swinging forward. Pain radiated through my wrists, and I rubbed them where the rope had begun to chafe my skin. Turning around, I smiled at Vlad before ducking my head.

"Thank you."

There was a beat of silence, and then…

"T-Thank y-you." Flicking my stare back up, I met Vlad's beautiful dark eyes as mine stung with unshed tears. "Y-you…you…ugh, saved my life."

He sounded like a person coming off a ventilator in the hospital, his voice scratchy and filled with discomfort. And it had to hurt him. It had been decades since he'd spoken.

"You saved mine, too. Remember?" I tried to keep smiling, but it was faltering—the gravity of the situation pulling me down into a black abyss. "Umm, I…I'm okay. I think."

Vlad's brow furrowed, and he looked at me for injuries like a terrified mother hen. I wanted to hate his concern. I wanted to focus on what the Italian man had said about him. Every second he touched me and worried over me, it made my brain spin harder and harder.

I couldn't be with him. That was insane. He was a patient. And hell, he shouldn't even be that. This entire situation was so completely fucked. Abruptly, I was aware that I was trembling and clutching Vlad's arms like a damn lifeline.

Shooting back a few feet, I jumped as Ivan and Abe stepped out of the car.

"Well, holy fucking shit. That was a damn explosion. God, I'm raging fucking hard. Please tell me we can go blow something else up."

"Fucking hell, Abe." Ivan smacked his arm, shoving Abe away from him. "No. We need to get back to the house. I don't want any trace of this being us. Understood?"

Abe rolled his eyes at the eldest brother. "Ugh. Buzz kill."

"I, umm, I want to go home, please." I traded glances between Vlad and his brothers. "I'm pretty sure my parents are worried sick about me since I've officially been a no-show to a mandatory family event. They'll be freaking out and pissed if I know them."

Ivan didn't say anything; he was just looking at Vlad with a question. When I followed Ivan's eyes, coming face to face with Vlad, he swallowed hard, his jaw working as he blinked several times.

"Your house. Of course."

I smiled gently, but there was no keeping the sorrow from my expression. But who was I kidding? This wasn't a fairy tale, and I wasn't about to end up with the dashing black knight.

"Did you just…" Vlad and I looked over at Ivan, whose mouth had dropped all the way open. "What in the fuck sticks? You still have an accent."

Vlad chuckled lightly, walking over to his brother and bringing him in for a rough hug. They stayed like that for a moment until Abe shot over and yanked Vlad back, taking his face in both hands.

"It's been a long fucking time since I've heard that voice." For as coarse and mean-spirited as the guy was, I could see the glassy coating over his eyes. "Fucking hell, dude."

Vlad lifted a hand, resting it on Abe's shoulder. He looked between his brothers, grinning, before he met Ivan with a serious gaze.

"Thank you." He still sounded so hoarse. "For protecting me for as long as you could."

Ivan's expression was filled with unspoken relief and grief. He'd clearly done a lot for his little brother, and from what I knew of the situation, that made sense. Ivan gave off big "protector" vibes.

"I don't plan on stopping any time soon, брат." Ivan pulled Vlad closer, kissing his temple. "Unless you get better at doing it yourself."

The brothers chuckled, and I felt very much like an odd spectator to an event that was supposed to be private. When they separated, Ivan and Abe got back into the car while Vlad waited a moment and then opened the door for me.

"Let's get you home."

"Okay."

I nodded, climbing inside, but even after years of not speaking, I knew that Vlad understood tone. Both of ours were flat, and there was no mistaking the dread that clung to the few short words we exchanged.