Page 74 of Dark Obsession

He’s gone.

I turn to the lake, stumbling toward it. I drop down into a squat at the water’s edge, my body screaming with every small motion. My arm is useless, bullet-riddled and barely holding together. I’m bleeding from God knows how many places, ribs shattered, head pounding with what’s got to be a concussion, hell, maybe worse. Every beat of my heart feels like another countdown. I’m lucky even to be breathing.

As I stare out over the water, I think maybe this is it. Not the worst place to go out. I got my revenge, saved the Bratva, and kept Elena safe.

I won.

And I get one hell of a view to finish on.

The ache in my chest spreads, not from any wound but from the thought of her. I can picture her face—her stubborn, gorgeous face that I’d do all this for again a hundred times over. But even that’s slipping away, blurring as blackness creeps in.

“Just… a few… more minutes,” I mutter, feeling my head start to slump forward.

The world tips and darkens around me, and then, slowly, everything goes black.

I wake up, and for a second, I don’t know if I’m dead or alive.

I can’t feel much beyond a distant, dull ache, like my body’s given up registering the finer details of pain.

Everything around me feels hazy, like the edge of a dream.

“Look at this guy, sleeping on the job.” That voice. Familiar. I force my eyes open, slowly and reluctantly and see Alexei and Yuri standing over me, their faces coming into focus, looking just about as smug as I would expect.

"He’s not dead after all," Yuri says, a hint of relief breaking through his usual stoic front.

A groan slips out of me, rough and low. "If I’m dead and your ugly mugs are the first thing I see in heaven, I’m turning around and walking straight to hell."

They both laugh, and damn if it doesn’t feel good to hear it.

"Speaking of ugly mugs," Alexei smirks, "you should see yourself. Looks like a truck ran you over… twice."

Yuri chimes in, "We need to get you some proper treatment. Doc’s not too far off."

They each grab an arm, hoisting me up. The world tilts, pain crashing through me in waves so intense it’s unbearable. Darkness closes in once more, and I’m out cold.

Next thing I know, I’m in a car. My head’s lolling against the window. Alexei is driving and Yuri is in the passenger seat. The hum of the engine barely registers over the muffled sounds of their chatter.

“Elena,” I manage to croak. My voice sounds rough, foreign, even to me. “Is she safe?”

Alexei glances back briefly, his eyes flicking over me, a mixture of relief and exasperation. “Safe as can be,” he says. “And the cartel’s done for. Everything at the warehouse is taken care of.”

A small, strained smile pulls at my lips, a sense of satisfaction warming me up from the inside. Job’s done, and she’s safe. That’s all that matters. The world fades again, and I let it.

When I wake again, I’m in a warm bed, white sheets covering me, a doctor leaning over, checking my vitals. Yuri and Alexei are still hovering nearby.

“Luckiest son of a bitch I’ve ever seen,” the doctor mutters, shaking his head. “You’ve got a long list of injuries. If these two hadn’t found you when they did, you’d have bled out for sure.”

Alexei leans over, grinning. “Hear that? You’re gonna have a few more scars to add to the collection.”

Chapter 32

Grigori

The light’s too bright and everything’s hazy. My head is swimming in that half-dream state that makes me wonder if I’m in the afterlife. A face looms over me, examining me closely. The man’s about fifty, solidly built, with graying hair and the practiced, no-nonsense look of someone who’s been stitching up broken soldiers for a long time.

My voice comes out as a croak. “Am I dead?”

“Nope,” Alexei calls from across the room, his mouth half-full. “Unless they have Chick-fil-A in the underworld.”

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