Page 45 of Dark Obsession

Her eyes flash with determination as she moves into place.

I open the door slowly, peering out into the hall. Three men. Shouldn’t be too hard, but I’m going to need the element of surprise if we’re getting out of this without a scratch. I glance back at Elena, showing her three fingers. She nods, her eyes sharp, focused.

I count down silently—three, two, one—then mouth the word,now.

She sticks the gun through the cracked glass, the room filling with thepop, pop, popof gunfire. Her shots aren’t meant to hit them, just to scatter them, and it works. The cartel members duck and scramble, trying to find cover.

As soon as they’re out in the open, I move. Three quick bursts, three perfect clusters of fire. One man drops, then the next, then the last.

Within seconds, the room is clear. The bodies slump to the floor, leaving the ringing silence of a job well done.

I nod to Elena, my lips pulling into a small smirk. “Nice work, princess.”

She breathes out, adrenaline still pumping through her, but there’s a grin tugging at her mouth, too. “What can I say? I’m a natural.”

I chuckle, then glance down the hallway. “Come on. Let’s go save your brothers.”

Chapter 19

Elena

We move down the hallway; the place is a wreck.

Debris is everywhere, but thankfully, it looks like most of the damage is concentrated near the main entrance. The further we go, the less destruction we see. No bodies, just overturned chairs and broken glass. It's a small comfort, knowing that most of the patients are likely safe.

I clutch the gun tightly in my hands, my fingers digging into the grip. A thought crosses my mind; tonight could be the night I take a life for the first time. The idea twists my stomach, making me feel like I might be sick. But I also know I’ll do it if I have to.

We turn a corner, and spot a cartel member, checking his gun. I can’t help but gasp, freezing for a second. His eyes widen, he’s just as surprised to see us. He fumbles, raising his weapon, but he’s too slow.

Grigori fires before the man can even get his gun up. The man drops, his body hitting the floor with a sickening thud. I blink, shocked at how fast it happened.

We keep moving down the hallway, taking corners carefully, each step measured and precise. I can’t help but watch the way Grigori moves like a predator—fluid, controlled, and deadly. There’s no hesitation when he kills, no second-guessing. That’s exactly what he’s always taught me.

This is Grigori in his element, his version of how I am when I hack into a secure database—total concentration on the task at hand.

We turn another corner to see another cartel member standing there. Instinct kicks in, and I raise my gun, but the shot goes wide. My heart skips a beat as I watch the bullet miss, the man’s eyes narrowing in surprise.

For a split second I think it’s over. But then, Grigori’s there, calm and steady as he pulls the trigger. One clean shot, and the guy drops instantly.

Grigori glances at me, his voice low and firm. “That, my dear, is why you never hesitate.”

I let out a breath, a tight, nervous smile tugging at my lips. “Lesson learned,” I say with a dry laugh, trying to hide the way my hands are trembling.

We move through the halls, the sharp crack of gunfire echoing in the distance. Then I hear Lev’s voice shouting something, followed by more shots. Grigori and I exchange a look as we hurry toward the sound, adrenaline coursing through me.

We come to a large lobby and find Lev, Yuri, and Alexei pinned down behind some overturned furniture. A couple of cartel members have them locked in place, firing relentlessly.

Grigori motions for me to hang back. “Stay here,” he says. “I’m going to flank them.”

I want to argue, to say I can help, but I know this isn’t my specialty. I simply nod, gripping the gun tightly as I watch him move. He’s a shadow, careful and silent, timing his steps with the bursts of gunfire so they don’t hear him coming.

I watch as he slips to the side of where the cartel members are standing. They don’t see him and when they raise their guns to fire again, Grigori doesn’t hesitate—two clean shots, and they’re down. Just like that, it’s over.

He gives the all-clear, and Lev, Yuri, and Alexei rise from their cover. Relief washes over me, and I rush to them, so damn happy to see they’re all okay. Yuri pulls me into a hug, and even Lev cracks a smile.

“Where’s Luk?” I ask, scanning the room.

“Their biggest squad came after us, led by that snake Claudio Sanchez. But Luk broke off on his own, distracting them, leading them away from us.”

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