Page 88 of Silken Chains
Ari’s SUV is next, a well-aimed shot taking out his tires. He spins out, crashing into a ditch with a sickening crunch of metal.
I take a quick peek at Ari, my heart in my throat. He’s alive, crawling out of the wreckage with a look of pure fury on his face. He catches my eye, nods once, then turns his attention to the two vehicles now solely focused on us.
It’s clear now—Ivan’s men have one target in mind, and that’s me.
They want me dead, no matter the cost.
It’s just us now, Misha and me, hurtling down the road with Ivan’s men hot on our heels. “We need to lose them!” Misha yells, leaning out the window to return fire.
“I’m open to suggestions!” I shout back, my mind racing.
A sudden movement catches my eye. Misha lunges across the seat, his body slamming into mine. The crack of a gunshot splits the air, and Misha grunts in pain, his shoulder jerking back. Blood blooms across his shirt, but his eyes are fierce, focused.
“Misha, what the fuck!” I yell, realizing what he’s done. He’s taken a bullet for me, the crazy bastard.
“Just drive,” he grits out, his hand pressed against the wound. “I’ll live.”
I floor the accelerator, my heart pounding. Misha’s blood is on my hands, literally and figuratively. I’ve got to get us out of this, got to make sure his sacrifice isn’t in vain.
I grit my teeth, my mind racing. We’re running out of road and options. Up ahead, a narrow bridge looms, the river churning below.
“Hold on,” I growl, my foot pressing the pedal to the floor. Misha braces himself, his eyes wide as he realizes my plan.
The SUV leaps forward, tires screeching as we hurtle toward the bridge. Ivan’s men are right behind us, their headlights blinding in the rearview.
At the last second, I jerk the wheel, sending us crashing through the guardrail. For a moment, we’re airborne, the world suspended in breathless anticipation.
Then we’re falling, plunging toward the icy depths below. “Yob tvoyu mat’!” Misha screams, his voice lost in the roar of the wind and the rush of the river.
We hit the water hard, the impact slamming us forward. Everything goes black, the cold and the chaos swallowing us whole.
The icy water shocks me back to consciousness, its frigid grip threatening to pull me under. I gasp for air, my lungs burning as I struggle to the surface. Beside me, Misha thrashes, his face contorted in pain.
“Misha!” I yell, my voice raw and desperate. I grab him by the collar, hauling him toward the shore with every ounce of strength I have left. He’s dead weight in my arms, his blood mixing with the churning water.
We collapse on the riverbank, gasping and shivering. Misha’s eyes flutter open, glazed with pain. “Boss,” he croaks, his hand pressed against his side. Blood seeps between his fingers, stark against his pale skin.
“Hang on,” I growl, tearing off my jacket to staunch the flow. “We’re getting out of this.”
But even as I say it, I hear the screeching of tires, the shouts of Ivan’s men. They’ve found us.
I drag Misha behind the wrecked SUV, my heart pounding in my chest. He’s fading fast, his breath coming in short, sharp gasps.
I press the fabric against his wound, my hands shaking. He’s losing too much blood, his face growing paler by the second.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” I say, my voice rough with emotion. “Taking that bullet… you could’ve died.”
Misha laughs, a wet, gurgling sound. “And let you have all the fun? Not a chance.”
I shake my head, a mix of gratitude and frustration welling up inside me. This is the kind of loyalty that can’t be bought, the kind that runs deeper than blood.
And I’ll be damned if I let him die on me now.
“Don’t you fucking die on me tonight,” I yell. As I peer around the twisted metal, my stomach dropping at the sight of Ivan’s men surrounding us. They’re closing in, their guns drawn and ready.
For a moment, I close my eyes, Laura’s face flashing before me. Her smile, her laugh, the way she looks at me like I’m the only man in the world.
No. I can’t die here. Not like this. Not when I have so much to live for.
