Page 173 of Stolen Empire

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The ringing in my ears is so loud that I can't hear anything for a long moment.

My back is on fire where Koval's bullet hit the vest, and I'm not sure if I'm breathing or if the impact knocked the wind from my lungs permanently.

Then hands are on me, pulling me up.

I see Dimitri's face so close to mine that everything else blurs.

He's checking me for injuries, his hands running over my body, looking for wounds beyond the impact point.

"Are you hurt?" he demands, shaking me.

But I can't respond right away.

"Dammit, Katya, are you hurt!"

"No."

My voice comes out ragged.

"I can't breathe properly, but nothing's broken."

He pulls me against himself, his arms wrapping around me so tightly I wonder if he might break me himself.

But I lean into him, letting him hold me, letting the reality of what just happened wash over me.

I'm alive.

We both survived.

The battle is over.

Artemy strides into the center of the spur and looks at me, then at Dimitri.

"The contract is broken," he says.

"Savely Koval is dead. The Radiches will retaliate, but the immediate threat to your life is ended."

I nod, still breathing heavily, still trying to process the violence of what just occurred.

But I don’t pull away from Dimitri.

He's my anchor right now, the only thing keeping me from going into shock.

Dimitri's arm remains around my waist, keeping me close.

"Thank you," he tells Artemy.

"You didn’t have to commit your soldiers to this fight."

"No, I didn’t."

Artemy lights a cigarette with steady hands despite the chaos surrounding us.

"But Savely Koval represented a threat to both our families. And my cousin performed admirably. She stood in the fire and didn’t flinch."

I look at Artemy, and he meets my gaze.

There is something different in his expression now.

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