Page 70 of The Russian Pakhan's Forced Bride
“Duck down—don’t bring your head up until I say!” I tell Victoria, grabbing her and keeping her close to shield her body as best as I can.
She curls up against me with panic rippling through her, arms over her head defensively. Despite her labored breaths, she doesn’t say anything.
With several guns firing at the SUV at once, I grit my teeth and try to protect us both. But the scales are far too uneven.
Taking the risk, I slide the pistol out of my waistband and roll the window down before firing at the assailants.
Their driving is reckless as they swerve and dodge other vehicles on the road, not paying enough mind to where they’re going. At the same time, it makes it even harder for me to meet my target.
With enough bullets reaching us, one sinks into the back window, causing a spiderweb of cracks to erupt throughout. The sight makes my heart drop.
When they start gaining on us, I bark at the driver, “Throw them!”
Wordlessly, the driver presses the gas harder, turning off onto another street. At the same time, I continue to fire, unsure if any of my shots are making it.
With my stomach in knots, I watch as the cars continue to pursue us, leaving me to question what else I’m supposed to do—how else I can keep Victoria safe.
Finally, two of our cars fall into line, surrounding the assailants and giving us some backup. They open minimal fire, but do more to put on the pressure as the tables shift.
Meanwhile, the driver hooks multiple turns, going down streets we wouldn’t normally take and meshing in with the other traffic.
With the shift in dynamic again, I withdraw my pistol from the window and surround Victoria, silently hoping the gunfire will stop for her sake.
After taking enough turns, I glance out the rear window and watch as the firing stops and those cars turn off in opposite directions while our men follow, surely prepared to keep close tabs on them.
Before long, the streets return to their normal noise and action level, and the car fills with tense silence.
The driver takes care to wind around a few different neighborhoods to make sure we’ve fully shaken them, and by then, he eases on the gas.
“We’re clear,” I murmur, loosening my grip on Victoria as she sits up again.
Wide-eyed still, she glances between the splintered window and me. “What the hell was that?”
I hesitate to answer, and then I rub my face before grabbing my phone and furiously texting Mikhail. “Goddamn Nikolaev…”
We’re quiet through the rest of the drive home, with Victoria shell-shocked and me sitting in that boiling anger.
Maxim has done his fair share of truly idiotic things…but to put Victoria’s life in danger like that…his own sister…
That was too close—far too close.
He never should’ve had the chance to fire a bullet anywhere near her or our growing child.
That was a bigger risk than I’ve ever been willing to accept.
By the time we get home, my mind is so wrapped up in all the ways that the chase could’ve gone wrong, and I catch myself getting stuck in a loop I never would’ve found myself in before.
Before…it was just me and my siblings. I didn’t have to worry about protecting a precious life, or that of my wife.
Now, I have too much at stake. Too much to lose.
With the tension coming to a head as we reach the living room, I feel Victoria’s questioning gaze on me.
Meeting her eyes, I can see the deeply troubled expression there…the fear and the confusion of it all.
With a hand against the back of the couch, I rub my eyes before looking at her again. “It wasn’t my intention for this kind of thing to reach you…But it’s too late.”
Victoria’s brows furrow slightly. “What do you mean? Tell me what that was back there, Roman.”
