Page 38 of Surprise Bratva Daddy

He opens the car door, and I reach for the handle to the other side before he can lock it again. I pull open the door and dive in as he slides into the driver's seat. "Get out," he says, reaching for my arm.

I slap his hand away. "Don't you dare try that shit with me. I'm going with you. I can't be alone again. Not today."

He narrows his eyes. "Fine. You can come with me, but you're staying in the car with the doors locked. It's armored, so there shouldn't be any issue unless they're launching rockets down the street or something."

I nod, buckling my seat belt. "I can do that, but you need to give me a gun, at least."

He sighs, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a pistol. He puts it on my lap, and the weight is surprising to me. It's a lot heavier than I thought it would be, and I immediately feel uncomfortable with it sitting so close to my belly.

I pluck it off my lap, holding it awkwardly in both hands and making sure not to touch the trigger as Zane speeds off. He's driving faster than I've ever traveled before, tearing through streets and weaving through traffic like it's an arcade game.

My nausea comes back tenfold. My body feels like it's spinning even though the car is stationary, and the only thing keeping me from throwing up is the thought of Zane turning back around and dropping me off at home. We can't waste any more time with the lives that are on the line. We have to get to the bar as soon as possible.

Zane takes a sharp left, and my body shifts against the door. I almost drop the gun because of how sweaty my hands are. Jesus, I hope I don't end up having to use this thing.

Zane's grip tightens on the steering wheel, his jaw clenched in determination. I can see the veins in his hands popping as he maneuvers the car through traffic toward the bar. He glances over at me briefly, his expression softening just a bit before hardening again.

"Are you okay?" he asks, his voice strained with tension.

"Yeah," I lie, gripping the gun tighter. "I’ve never been to a shootout before.” I try to laugh, but it sounds more like a terrified squeak.

"Don't worry," he says, his eyes back on the road. "We'll get through this. Like I said, just stay in the car.”

The drive feels like an eternity, but finally, we screech to a halt a few blocks away from the bar. Zane parks the car in an alley, hidden from the road. He turns to me, his eyes intense. "This is it," he says. "Stay here, keep the doors locked, and if anything happens, you drive away as fast as you can. I’ll leave you the keys. Got it?”

I nod, my heart pounding so hard I can hear it inside my head. "Got it."

He leans over, pressing a quick kiss to my forehead. "I love you," he whispers.

Before I can respond, he's out of the car, running down the alley and disappearing around the corner. I watch him go, my heart stuck in my throat. I put the gun down on the seat and shift over to where Zane’s body sat behind the wheel. It’s warm on his seat, like he’s holding me from behind, and I can smell his sweat and cologne.

Suddenly, I hear shouting and the unmistakable sound of gunfire, and my stomach sinks. It sounds like it’s getting closer, and then suddenly, I see Zane sprinting down the alley back toward the car.

He’s yelling, but I can’t make out the words he’s saying. I lean over and hit the switch to unlock the doors as I see Kiro running close behind him with the blue book with gold lettering clutching in his hands like it’s the holy grail. It’s a little funny to me that they’re all so obsessed with that book now, but I’m not going to laugh when Zane starts raking in millions from the stock market.

I use my foot to kick open the door as I slide into the back seat so that Zane and Kiro can sit in the front. I don’t see any sign of Andrey, though, which makes me worried. He seemed like a nice guy.

Zane jumps into the car, immediately starting the engine and pulling out before his door is even closed. Kiro jumps in, slamming the door shut just as a couple of men round the corner of the alley.

“Hold tight,” Zane shouts as he slams on the gas, flying toward the group of men. They barely have time to get any shots off before they’re knocked in all directions like bowling pins as Zane smashes through them.

Kiro lets out a holler, grinning wildly as we slide out into the road.

“What happened?” I ask, looking out the back window as we race down the street.

Zane slows down a little, laughing with Kiro. “Well, the cops showed up, so that’s one thing. I don’t think Maksim expected a three-way shootout, but that’s what he got.”

“More like two against one,” Kiro says, running his fingers through his hair. “My god, it was glorious. I saw like six or seven of his guys get hit. We didn’t lose a single one.”

I place my hand over my heart. “Thank goodness. So, Andrey’s okay? Where is he?”

“He took off in my car,” Kiro says. “I decided to go with Zane, but I’ll tell you, it was close. They almost had us back there.”

“It wasn’t that close,” Zane says quickly, trying to cover up the severity of their situation. “We were fine up until we decided to leave, and the run here wasn’t far. They’re not very good shots, either. Bad aim all around.”

I shake my head, but I’m just happy that everyone is okay. “Did Maksim make it out?” I ask, curious about the police situation. Is he going to end up in prison again? I know Zane didn’t want that, but I wouldn’t mind if they locked him up. We wouldn’t have to deal with him for a long time, potentially forever.

“Maksim has a knack for wriggling out of situation he shouldn’t be able to. It’s his only true talent,” Zane says, taking a turn down another road and slowing even further. “He took off when the police came. I’m not really surprised. He’s probably on probation, and if they find him in any kind of sketchy situation, they’re liable to put him back in jail.”

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