Page 86 of Arranged Bratva Virgin

They rush over and pull Stefano to his feet. His eyes are drifting; he is losing consciousness.

“Get him to the car.”

I run behind them in shock. I feel numb with fear.

They get Stefano into the car, and I climb in quickly after.

In the back of the car, I sit with Stefano’s head resting on my lap as I rub my fingers through his hair. He is still chuckling. “I don’t know what all the fuss is about,” he says sounding delirious and out of it.

“You’ve been shot in the side you idiot.” I say through my tears.

Paval is applying pressure to the gunshot wound, but so much blood is still spilling through his fingers. My heart is full of pain and worry for Stefano. I can’t lose him. I need him. I love him.

We drive straight to the doc and rush him inside, then we all stay in the waiting room as Stefano is taken straight to surgery.

Nervously, I pace up and down for hours, waiting to hear if he is going to be okay.

Chapter 27 - Stefano

I didn’t even feel the bullet when it hit me. I didn’t feel pain, and I didn’t feel pressure or the impact. Nothing.

All I was thinking about at the time was that I needed to protect Darya and keep her hidden behind me.

I still can’t believe it was Reina who was orchestrating all of the attacks on my warehouse. She stood to lose business in the process, but she still went ahead and took that risk—all because she thought that we were something more than we were. I had no idea she felt that way. She always played it so casual and cool, agreeing with me that it was just a fling.

Perhaps she did it to keep me close. I don’t know.

I do care—she was someone I knew for a very long time, and it’s terrible that it all had to go down this way.

I wish we could have gotten her help somehow.

But it’s too late.

The moment she threatened Darya in anyway whatsoever—that was her mistake.

I push the button on the hospital bed to raise the backrest so that I can sit up for a bit. Pain shoots through my side when I do it, but I am so sick and tired of just lying here doing nothing. I am bored.

Maxim is on his way to see me and to report back about the warehouse and whether or not Reina was working with anyone else.

I pick up my phone and glance at the time. Darya is supposed to be here in an hour. She went home to get me some fresh clothes in case the doc releases me today. I’m hopeful—even if it means I will be on bedrest at home, it’s better than being on bedrest in this place. It smells sterile and clinical.

“Hey man, how’re you doing today?” Maxim walks in with his usual charisma.

“I have definitely been better,” I chuckle. And then wince because the muscles pull tight across my abdomen and hurt like hell.

“So what did the doc say? How did the surgery go?”

“The bullet went straight through, so I was pretty lucky. But I have a lot of resting to do apparently, so that it can heal properly.” I roll my eyes and sigh.

“You know, this whole scene looks pretty familiar. We really need to stop getting shot, man.” Maxim laughs as though it is hilarious.

“Sure, next time someone’s aiming a gun at you I won’t dive in the way, I’ll skip that pain—but if anyone aims a gun at Darya, I guess I’m going to be right back here again.”

“Hey, but I took a shot for you.” He feigns hurt as he places his hand over his heart.

“No, I’m still incredibly grateful that you did that for me. Seriously, man.”

“Well, I am grateful you did it for my sister. She’s found a really great guy in you.”

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