I strip off my holster and toss it a few feet away before we circle each other in the limited space while Danielle watches with terrified eyes that beg me to be careful. Luca moves with fluid confidence of someone who’s spent serious time learning how to hurt people with his hands, but I’m fighting for my family’s survival.
He strikes first, issuing a quick jab toward my face that I slip and counter with a hook to his ribs. The impact makes him grunt and step back, but he recovers quickly and comes at me again with a combination that forces me to give ground.
We trade blows for several minutes in brutal exchanges that echo through the concrete room. Luca is skilled and ruthless, willing to target vulnerable areas and use dirty tactics that speak to extensive combat training. I’m not surprised he fights with so little honor, but I do the same under the circumstances.
I manage to land a solid cross that staggers him backward into the wall, then follow up with a knee strike that doubles him over. For a moment, I think the fight is over, and I’ve won both Danielle’s freedom and control of our conflict. Even as I think it, I know I can’t trust him to honor our agreement, and my gaze goes to my holster and gun, which is too far away to easily reach.
Luca straightens with blood streaming from his nose and reaches into his jacket with desperate speed. The small pistol he produces wasn’t part of our agreement, but honor means nothing to a man who’s about to lose everything for which he’s fought.
“Radmir.” Danielle’s scream coincides with the sound of the gun firing.
The bullet tears through my left side with burning agony that drops me to one knee. Blood soaks through my shirt immediately, but the wound doesn’t feel like it hit anything vital. I look up to find Luca pointing the gun at my head with triumph written across his bloody features.
“Did you really think I’d honor an agreement with a man I plan to kill?” He adjusts his aim slightly. “Your mistake was believing honor matters more than victory.”
“I never trusted you to live up to your word,” I assure him through teeth gritted in pain.
His finger slips to the trigger, but the gunshot that echoes through the room doesn’t come from Luca’s weapon. Andrei appears in the doorway with his rifle raised, and Luca stumbles backward with blood spreading across his shoulder. The impact spins him around and sends his pistol skittering across the concrete floor.
“I thought you might need backup.” Andrei kicks Luca’s gun toward me while keeping his weapon trained on Luca. “Sorry it took so long to find the basement.”
I retrieve the pistol and struggle to my feet, pressing my free hand against the bullet wound in my side to slow the bleeding. Luca leans against the wall, clutching his shoulder and glaring at me with hatred that comes from complete defeat.
“Any last words?” I raise the gun and center it on his chest.
“You think killing me solves anything?” Blood runs between Luca’s fingers as he applies pressure to his shoulder wound.“There will always be someone else willing to take what you’ve built.”
“Maybe.” I adjust my aim slightly and look him in the eyes. “But it won’t be you.” The gunshot is loud in the confined space. Luca’s body jerks once before he slides down the wall and comes to rest in a spreading pool of blood that tells me I won’t have to worry about him anymore.
The adrenaline that’s been keeping me upright suddenly drains away, and the pain from my bullet wound crashes over me like a wave. I drop the gun and try to take a step toward Danielle, but my legs give out, and I collapse to my knees on the concrete floor.
“Radmir?” Danielle’s scream echoes through the room as blood continues to soak through my shirt at an alarming rate.
The last thing I see before darkness takes me is her terrified face as she struggles against the zip ties that still bind her to the chair, calling my name while Andrei rushes to apply pressure to my wound.
27
Danielle
Iwatch Radmir’s chest rise and fall in the steady rhythm of deep sleep, counting each breath like a prayer of gratitude. The private doctor left an hour ago after confirming the bullet passed cleanly through his side without hitting any vital organs, but infection and blood loss remain concerns for the next forty-eight hours. He also examined me but determined my mild concussion just requires monitoring unless I feel worse.
The guest room that’s been converted into a private clinic in the estate overlooks the ocean through large windows. With evening settling over the estate, the room feels peaceful and protected in ways I never thought I’d experience again.
I haven’t left his side since the ambulance brought us back six hours ago. Mrs. Yranda tried to convince me to rest in my own room while he recovered, but the thought of being separated from him for even a few minutes makes my chest constrict withpanic. I came too close to losing him today to take his presence for granted.
A few minutes later, his eyes open slowly, blinking against the soft lamplight as consciousness returns. For a moment, he looks confused about where he is, but then he sees me and something in his expression settles. “Hey.” His voice is rough from anesthesia and pain medication, but the relief in his tone is unmistakable. “You’re really here.”
“I’m really here.” I reach for his hand, needing the confirmation of warm skin and steady pulse beneath my fingers. “How do you feel?”
“Like I’ve been shot.” He attempts a smile that doesn’t quite hide the discomfort he’s experiencing. “I’m alive, which is better than I expected a few hours ago.”
The casual reference to how close he came to dying makes my throat constrict with emotion. “Don’t joke about that. Please.”
“I’m sorry.” He squeezes my hand gently. “How are you? The baby?”
“We’re both fine. The doctor checked me when we got back, and everything looks normal.” I press my free hand to my stomach, where our daughter continues to grow despite the trauma of the day. “She’s strong.”
“She gets that from her mother.” Radmir tries to shift position and winces at the movement. “What about Leo? Is he safe?”
