Acting on instinct alone, I raise my arm and pull the trigger as his eyes widen, my hands as steady as my resolve. I don’t wait to watch his body drop, turning back to Daniil instead. I drop his gun and go back to trying to unlock my phone. I can’t do anything for him, but I can try to keep him alive for a little longer. If I can just get Doc here, maybe—
“Andrei,” he chokes out.
“Shut up,” I mutter, trying to get my phone to register the passcode through the blood, but it isn’t fucking working.
He grabs onto my forearm, trying to make me put down my phone, but his grip is weak. I look him in the eye, and the resigned look he gives me makes my throat squeeze. I shake my head, but he just blinks back at me.
I can’t do this without him. He’s been a royal pain in my ass since the day I met him, but he’s my best friend. He’s the only person I’ve ever trusted with my life, and I’ve never had tonavigate life without him. He smiles weakly, even when I place my hand on his neck.
I’m no longer trying to keep him from bleeding, just forcing myself to feel every beat of his heart pushing him closer to death.
“Take care of my family, yeah? Better than me?” His voice is weak, his eyes barely open.
“C’mon, man, they need you. Let me call Doc to come fix you up and you can go home and look after them yourself.” He grips my arm a little tighter, and it feels like an apology.
He’s not going to let me lie to myself, and I want to hate him for it.
Even if the doc was already here, Daniil’s losing blood faster than we could push it into him. I just wish that he didn’t know it, too.
“Promise me, Andrei. She’s gonna need you.” He blinks again, his eyes taking a beat too long before he’s able to force them open again, looking around blankly but not really seeing.
When I nod, it feels like I’m betraying him. “I promise.”
He smiles faintly. “Sorry I was a shit friend.”
“You aren’t.”
He shakes his head, and the heartbeat against my hand is so weak I can barely feel it. “I was, and you know it. I shouldn’t have made you feel like shit. Tell her I’m sorry, too,” he coughs, a wet sound. “Make her happy, yeah?”
Daniil’s head falls forward and I adjust him, moving my hand to his unmoving chest. I have to clear my throat, trying to find my voice.
“I promise,bratan.I’ll make sure she’s happy.”
Around us the room is quiet. I have no doubt that all of the people in the main room have fled, and someone has turned off the music.
I hold Daniil until the blood cools, and the chill seeps into my bones.
Chapter 6
Blair
My phone stays dark next to me as I chew on my thumbnail, watching the ticking clock. A baking show is playing on the TV, but I can’t even pretend to pay attention to it.
Daniil always texts me when he’s done with his meetings.
I don’t even know if he realizes it, but it’s the most comforting thing he’s ever done for me. If he texts me, I know that he’s okay. He might be working late, but he’s fine. He’s not in the fray, and he’ll come home in one piece.
Even when he’s with Emiliya, I typically get some indication he’ll be late. Either he’ll say something before he leaves in the morning, or his phone is turned off when I call, or—if we’ve been arguing—he’ll tell me not to wait up.
But I called him an hour ago, and it rang through to voicemail, so I doubt he’s with her. Besides, it wouldn’t be like him to stage a whole production of having Andrei come over under the guise of work so he could meet up with her. If he wanted to, he’d just go to her.
Where the hell is he?
I’ve only called once, and I resist the urge to call him again.
Maybe he really is just working late, and blowing up his phone will just make things more difficult. Or he’s just with Emiliya, but he forgot to leave me any painful hints.
I settle into the couch, trying to let that thought settle me.
