Page 64 of Unwilling Bratva Bride

More firing kicked up in response, and Ivan quickly ducked down before pulling back up to return his fire himself.

“Did you fucking see that, Abe? Didn’t even let me finish.”

I could hear Abe call out from the other side of the room, the crack of gunfire coming from that direction.

“So rude. Just interrupting you like that? Ugh. I wouldn’t stand for it, Ivan.”

As shots rang out over my head, Ivan smirked, but I could see the way he clenched his jaw. He was clearly pissed, but worse, I could sense the fear coming off him. I didn’t want to think about that or the way that my stomach fluttered with terror all its own.

He can’t die. He can’t. I won’t lose him.

“You know, I don’t think I will.”

Several decisive shots went off, one after the other. I heard the corresponding thud of bodies hitting the floor, and then Ivan stood up.

“That’s the last of your men, Donovan. Now come out and face your punishment like a good boy.”

Nothing. Not a single sound played out as I waited for Donovan’s response. Looking up at Ivan and meeting his eyes,he pointed down at the floor, signaling for me to stay put. I wasn’t about to move until I knew it was safe. Then Ivan looked across the aisle at Vlad and Abe, silently asking what they could see.

I leaned forward to see Ivan’s brothers better, and they both shrugged. Ivan gestured for them to move out from their positions, probably to find Donovan. Abe and Vlad moved silently as they crept through the tiny pews, searching.

Maybe Donovan is dead.

Quickly dismissing the thought, I crawled out—just a hair—on my hands and knees. I didn’t think we were lucky enough for Donovan to be out of the picture just like that.

“Fucking bitch.”

Whipping my head around, I came face-to-face with Donovan as he slid out from his hiding spot in the pew behind me. The barrel of a gun stole all my attention as he raised it toward me, and dimly in the background, I heard Ivan holler my name.

But the loud crack of the gun going off was already sounding in front of me, and then there was just black.

Chapter 24 - Ivan

I’d heard probably a million gunshots in my life. I couldn’t even remember them all or the times when it was me firing versus my brothers or our opponents. Gunshots weren’t anything special to a mobster.

But I’d be remembering this one for the rest of my life.

“Adley!”

I was already diving for her when I heard Donovan give away his position. My body collided with hers, taking my new wife to the ground as the explosion of Donovan’s pistol tore through the impossible silence hanging around us. My shoulder collided with the ground with a hard thud, knocking it out of the joint.

Still, I held onto Adley, rolling us so my back was between her and Donovan. There was a fraction of a second where I just waited for him to pop off another round. He didn’t, and that was my only opportunity to take him down and finally end this.

Swinging my arm in a wide arch, I fired as soon as my gun was pointed in Donovan’s general direction, hitting him in the shoulder. He screamed, falling to his knee as he gripped the injury. Abe and Vlad were over in a flash, grabbing the gun out of his hand and clocking him in the jaw for good measure.

I looked down at Adley, still clutched in my arms, and held her dazed stare.

“Hey. Talk to me. Are you okay?”

She turned slowly, blinking up at me with unfocusing eyes. “I…what…”

Warmth pooled in the fabric covering my arm under Adley’s neck.Shit. Not good.

Paying more attention, I leaned back, and reality hit me as soon as my eyes left Adley’s. Blood oozed from a deep laceration across her shoulder, right through the trapezius muscle. I’d knocked her out of the way of a more severe hit, but Adleyhadbeen shot, and she was bleeding way too much for my liking.

“Adley. Fuck,” I gritted out, pressing my hands to her neck forcefully as I got her to the floor as gently as I could. “Abe! Get us a safe exit the fuck out of here. We need Parker. Now!”

The sound of boots hitting the floor circled me, and I knew that my brothers were taking care of ensuring Donovan’s thugs were out of commission.

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