Page 65 of Cruel Russian Monster
“Fuck,” Zahkar swore next to me.
Yegor might have been right. I've gotten gutted before, but I've never felt this way so soon after.
I didn’t know how much time had passed before the car rolled to a stop and the back door opened.
“Jaroslav, you're home. Let’s get you inside,” Zahkar said.
I nodded once and opened my eyes. My vision was blurry. Inhaling deeply, I forced one foot out, then the other, and stood in place for a moment before I began to move. I was determined to walk under my own power, but by the third step, my knees gave out. Yegor and Zahkar caught me before I hit the ground and half-carried me toward the house.
Before we reached the front door, it burst open.
“Jaroslav!” Vera's voice was filled with panic.
I tried to stand straighter, tried to say something reassuring. What came out was a soft, slurred “fuck” before I slumped further into the arms that held me.
She stood in front of me, her eyes wide, color draining from her face. She stared at the blood on my shirt, then looked at her brothers.
“What happened?” she whispered.
“He took a blade to the side,” Yegor said flatly as we continued to walk to the house. “Luckily, it wasn’t his gut.”
Or the side I got shot in.
Vera’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my God.” Vera opened the door so we could enter, then closed it behind us. “How did this happen?”
She turned to her brothers. “There's a guest room down the hall. Help me get him there.” Her voice cracked.
A few minutes later, I was lying in bed. Someone was taking off my shirt, another my boots, and someone was emptying all the shit I had in my pockets.
“Why the fuck does he carry all these weapons?” I heard someone say, but I couldn't make out who.
I felt hands touching around the wound, while someone else was cleaning the blood from my hands. Then came the burn on the antiseptic and the pinch of the skin stapler. Then light fingers pressing a bandage in place.
I vaguely heard the shuffling around me stop, and the door closing. I felt the blanket being pulled over me, up to my waist, then a dip in the bed beside me, on the uninjured side.
I knew it was Vera by the strawberry scent of her shampoo.
She shifted until she could prop herself up, easing my head onto her chest. Her fingers threaded gently through my hair.
I buried my face into her, breathing in the scent of her, letting it soothe me.
Vera kept stroking my hair, whispering how sorry she was that I was hurt. The last thing I remembered was the soft press of her lips to my forehead, and her telling me she’d always be there when I needed her.
Chapter 18 - Vera
As soon as Jaroslav drifted off, I carefully disentangled myself from him and made my way to the lounge to confront my brothers. Him being stabbed had its stench all over it.
When I entered the room, they stood from the sofa where they were sitting.
“What happened?” I glared at Yegor and Zahkar, arms folded.
“We needed his help to get some information. When we were leaving, a guy spotted us. Zahkar kicked him, but when the guy lunged, he aimed for me, and Jaroslav got to him first,” Yegor stated.
“So, Jaroslav saved your life.” I wasn't asking.
“Yes.”
“Why do you think that is, Yegor?” I tilted my head.
