Page 55 of Tracking Shadows

“I’m not worth it,” he whispers. “I can’t fix this. I can’t fix what I’ve done.”

Tears spill down my cheeks as I inch closer, not daring to make any sudden moves. “Ivan, please . . . don’t give up. We can fix this. We can fix everything. You don’t have to do this. I’m here. I never left you.”

His grip on the gun wavers, his arm shaking as he fights some invisible war within himself. His body tenses, and his teeth grind together as his finger brushes the trigger. My stomach lurches so hard that it feels like I’m going to throw up.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers again, voice drenched in self-loathing. “I’m so sorry.”

My scream tears through the air as his finger begins to press down on the trigger. I hear the sound of the gunshot and close my eyes. It's over.

Then, a yelp causes me to fling my eyes open. Ivan is clutching his injured hand, a cry of pain tearing from his throat. Before Ivan can recover, Alexei lunges, tackling him to the ground. They hit the concrete with a thud, and Alexei pins him down, his body pressing Ivan's arms firmly against the floor.

Ivan struggles beneath him, his movements desperate but weakened, and Alexei’s voice comes out as a harsh growl. “Stay down, Ivan. It’s over.”

Ivan’s eyes widen, wild and unfocused, and his brows draw tight together as if he’s trying to make sense of the chaos around him. His lips pull back into a grimace, teeth clenched in a silent cry of pain as he thrashes beneath Alexei, but Alexei doesn’t let up. With a practiced motion, Alexei brings his elbow down hard against Ivan’s temple. The blow is sharp, and in seconds, Ivan goes limp beneath him, his body slumping into unconsciousness.

Alexei doesn’t move for a moment, his chest rising and falling heavily as he keeps Ivan pinned, his eyes hard and focused. Then, slowly, he looks up at me, “He’s out.”

“That fucking bastard.” Sergei lets out a string of curses under his breath as he tries to limp away, but Alexei is faster. Alexei is on him, tackling him to the ground. The sound of their bodies hitting the concrete echoes through the warehouse, and before Sergei can even react, Alexei’s fist connects with his jaw, the crack of bone audible.

Sergei grunts, struggling beneath Alexei's weight, but it's useless. Alexei doesn't give Sergei a chance to speak. His fist slams down again, then again, each blow harder than the last.

"That’s for me," Alexei snarls, landing another punch to Sergei’s already bloody face. "For Dmitri."

He hits him again, his knuckles splitting from the impact. "For Irina."

Another blow, Sergei's face now barely recognizable. "For Valentina. For Katya."

Alexei’s voice grows darker, more dangerous, as he leans in closer, his breath hot against Sergei’s bruised skin. "And for Ivan."

Sergei barely manages a groan, blood pouring from his mouth, his eyes swelling shut, but Alexei isn’t done. He grabs Sergei by the collar, and pulls him closer.

"You know how Mikhail died," Alexei hisses. "I think that's why you’re terrified of Dmitri. Good. I’ll be glad to take you back to him. Let’s see what he does to you."

Sergei’s body goes limp in Alexei’s grip, his breath ragged, his face a bloody mess. He doesn’t have the strength to fight anymore, and Alexei tosses him aside like a piece of trash, his chest heaving with each breath.

I stay on the ground, cradling Ivan’s unconscious body. I hug him tightly.

Alexei stands, wiping the blood from his knuckles as he looks down at Sergei's broken body. He presses his earpiece, “Katya, send me some men. We’ve got bodies to move."

Chapter 19 – Alexei

The bathroom is quiet except for the steady beat of the water hitting the tiles. The steam from the water clouds the mirror, and the heat from the shower seeps into my skin.

Irina is in front of me, her back pressed against my chest, her head tilted down, as she lets the water stream over her hair and shoulders. I had to pull her away from Ivan because she wouldn’t leave him and wouldn't accept that he wouldn’t wake up for hours.

I run the sponge over her back slowly, careful of the dark bruises left by Sergei’s fists. I can still feel the sting of the bullet graze on my side, but that pain is nothing compared to the marks that cover her body.

Without a word, she turns to face me. Her eyes are tired, her lips parted like she’s about to speak, but instead, she leans up and kisses me. Soft at first, just a brush of her lips against mine.

“Thank you,” she whispers, her breath warm against my mouth, before she kisses me again, harder this time, her body pressing closer to mine.

Irina kisses me with a purpose, like she's trying to convey everything she can't put into words. Her lips are demanding, insistent, and I can taste the desperation in her kiss.

I pull away, my breath ragged. "Irina—"

She kisses me again, her hands gripping my arms. "Please, Alexei. Touch me."

I swear under my breath. I can't believe this is happening. "Are you sure?"

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