Page 12 of Between Power and Passion

Shouts erupt from the entrance hall. Shit, more of Sergei's men. I break into a sprint, boots pounding against the floor.

I skid to a halt as a group of armed men appears. Our eyes lock, and a hail of bullets rips through the air. I dive for cover, returning fire with controlled bursts. One man goes down, then another. Metal glints in my periphery. I pivot, knife flashing to deflect the blade aimed at my heart. My attacker presses forward, raining down brutal strikes. I parry and counter, searching for an opening.

His knife slices through my defenses, burying itself in my stomach. White-hot agony lances through me as I stagger back. Gritting my teeth, I lunge forward, slamming him against the wall. My blade finds its mark, sliding between his ribs with a crunch.

I clutch my stomach, gritting my teeth against the searing pain as warm blood seeps through my fingers. Fuck, that was a deep one. I'll need to get patched up soon before I bleed out.

Alexei rushes in, his eyes widening at the sight of my injury. "Dmitri! You're hit!"

I give him a strained nod, trying to downplay the severity. "I'll live. What's the status?"

Alexei's face is grim, but his voice is steady. "House is secure. No more of Sergei's men, at least for now."

I exhale a shaky breath, wincing as the motion sends another jolt of agony through my abdomen. Getting stabbed never gets any easier, no matter how many times it happens.

One of our men appears behind Alexei, giving a curt nod to signal the perimeter is clear. Alexei returns the nod before turning his attention back to me.

"We need to get that wound treated," he says, his tone brooking no argument.

I grit my teeth and nod again, the room starting to spin from the blood loss. Alexei loops an arm around my shoulders, supporting my weight as we make our way to my room. Each step is like another blow, but I push through the haze of pain. Showing weakness isn't an option, not when so much is at stake.

Alexei gently lays me down on the bed, his brow furrowed with concern. "We need to get you patched up."

I try to sit up. "Get everyone ready to move locations. We can't stay here after this attack."

Alexei places a firm hand on my shoulder, keeping me from rising. "I know what to do, man. You just relax and let me handle this."

His tone is calm but leaves no room for argument. I know better than to protest. Alexei may be the joker of our crew, but he's as lethal as they come when the situation demands it.

I nod and ease back onto the bed, the soft mattress doing little to dull the throbbing ache in my gut. Alexei retrieves a med kit and efficiently cuts away the blood-soaked fabric from my wound. I hiss as he applies a cloth, pressing down firmly to stanch the bleeding. The white material quickly blooms crimson. He works with practiced ease, winding a thick bandage around my midsection.

"That should hold for now," he says, giving the dressing a final tug to secure it. "But we need to get you proper medical care soon."

I start to nod, but the room tilts alarmingly. Exhaustion crashes over me in waves, the adrenaline finally fading from my system. Alexei's face blurs as I struggle to keep my eyes open.

"Rest." His voice seems to come from far away. "I'll have us ready to move in an hour."

I try to reply, to tell him to be careful, but my eyelids feel impossibly heavy. Darkness encroaches on the edges of my vision as I finally surrender to the welcoming oblivion of unconsciousness.

I wake with a start, the car's motion jostling me back to consciousness. Disoriented, I blink against the sunlight filtering through the tinted windows. My hand instinctively moves to my injured abdomen, probing the fresh bandages.

"Easy there." Alexei's voice comes from the driver's seat. "You took a nasty hit."

I turn my head, gritting my teeth against the flare of pain. Valentina sits beside me, her eyes wide with concern. Our gazes lock, and a storm of emotions rages behind her irises—fear, confusion, relief.

"Dmitri..." She reaches out, her fingers ghosting over my arm. "Are you okay?"

I fix her with a steely glare, ignoring her question. Now is not the time for sentimentality. "Alexei, status report."

Alexei's eyes flick to the rearview mirror, meeting my gaze. "Everything's going according to plan. Some of the men are already at the new safehouse setting up. Others stayed behind to clean up the mess."

A terse nod is my only reply. Good. I start to sit up straighter, needing to regain some sense of control. Pain shoots through my body to my head. I suck in a sharp breath, my vision graying at the edges.

"Dmitri!" Valentina's hand is on my arm again, her touch burning through the haze of pain. "Don't move. You'll reopen your wound."

I shake off her concern. Showing weakness is unacceptable, especially in front of her. I force myself upright and fresh blood spreads across the crisp white bandages. I grunt as the car jostles over a pothole, sending a fresh wave of pain through my abdomen. "Did we..." I break off, grimacing. "Secure one alive?"

"Two of them. They're with the first group at the new safehouse."

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