Page 85 of Married to the Don (Kornilov Bratva Duet 1)

I feel like I’ve only been hidden for a few seconds, but when I look back out at the parking lot, bodies litter the ground. Most of the guards for the other crime family are dead, and the older man has moved away from the bulk of the fighting. He has his gun pulled, but even in the gloom of the evening, I can see his hand is shaking. Really, this is between Rio, Viktor, and Fedor.

Viktor is outnumbered and now that there aren’t so many other variables, I feel like I could help him. I look around for a weapon and see a bent metal pipe lying amongst the rubble from the fallen wall. I move on my hands and knees across the ground to grab it. As soon as my hand wraps around it, a shot rings out and a cloud of dust rises from the ground. I look over and see Fedor with his gun aimed at me.

I scramble back to my hiding spot, but not before Viktor roars in anger and charges at his brother.

Fedor fires off more shots, but he looks frantic as he scrambles backwards.

I know Viktor can take Fedor. He is much larger than his younger brother and more skilled, but there is Rio to worry about. He is more hesitant to shoot than Fedor, but I can see the hatred he harbors for Viktor in his eyes. I can’t leave Viktor with his back unprotected.

So, I grip the pipe in my hands and charge out of my hiding spot.

I’m literally bringing a stick to a gunfight, but I have to do something.

Rio is so focused on where Fedor and Viktor are wrestling on the ground, no doubt trying to find an opening where he can shoot Viktor without also hitting Fedor, that he doesn’t see me coming. I lift the pipe over my head, prepared to crush his skull with it, the consequences of killing a high-ranking mafia member be damned—

A long, loud horn breaks through the chaos.

Rio looks up for the source of the noise and sees me moving towards him. He jumps back. Even Fedor and Viktor stop their fighting.

Finally, a car moves around the edge of the building, rolling to a stop, and a man climbs out.

He should be shot on sight with how many men with guns there are in the area, but everyone is too stunned to do anything.

The man is middle-aged with a round middle, and he walks towards the scene like a frustrated parent sent to break up the kids. Then, suddenly, he pulls a gun from his hip and shoots at Rio. A split second later, he ducks behind the open door of his car as retaliatory shots are fired his way. He moves deftly for a man his size.

Rio yelps in surprise and scurries away from Viktor and Fedor, who have resumed fighting, this time with Viktor having the clear upper hand.

Whoever this new man is, he’s clearly on our side.

With Rio in flight, the newcomer turns his attention to the brothers. He yells something to Viktor, and Viktor rolls off Fedor and stands up, crouched with his gun held in front of him.

Fedor reaches for something on the ground that I can’t see and then flings an arm over his body, aiming wildly. But before he can, Viktor shoots.

Everything seems to be happening in slow motion and all at once. A gun falls from Fedor’s hand and then he scrambles upright and runs away from the fighting. I can see blood flowing down Fedor’s side, and I hope the wound is enough to kill him. I want him to drop to his knees in the parking lot, too weak to continue.

But he doesn’t. He just disappears into the darkness beyond the parking lot.

Viktor turns to find me, his eyes searching, and I drop the pipe and run to him. I’m halfway across the lot when I notice the stain on his shirt. Then he drops to his knees.

“No,” I breathe, slowing for only a second before speeding up.

Viktor tries to get back up, but he’s wobbling. I reach him just before he collapses on the ground. We sink down to the pavement together as the older man pulls out his phone and makes a frantic call.

“It’s okay,” I whisper, smoothing back Viktor’s sweaty hair. “It will all be okay.”

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