Page 105 of Savage Reign

NIKOLAI

I crackopen the door of my office, my pistol gripped tightly in my hand. The sounds of chaos—shouting, gunfire, shattering glass—slam into me like a physical force. Every fiber of my being rebels against the idea of leaving Sofiya alone and unprotected, but I have no choice.

I slip into the hallway, keeping my back pressed to the wall. The muffled commotion of violence filtering through the building sets my teeth on edge as I move through the back corridors, my senses on high alert.

As I round a corner, a series of shots ring out, aimed directly at my head. I dive, but not fast enough—pain explodes through my shoulder. Fuck! Blood runs down my arm, but I push past the burning ache. Raising my gun, I fire back. The attacker crumples to the ground, motionless.

He’s clad head to toe in black, a balaclava obscuring his face—no way to identify him. I’ll search him as soon as I get the chance.

I pause, scanning my surroundings, then creep forward, my steps near-silent. At the entrance to the main room of the club, the conflict grows louder. I stop at the threshold, taking in the destruction: overturned tables, shattered bottles, and scattered debris littering the floor. My men are hunkered down on one side, locked in a fierce exchange with the attackers on the other.

There’s no clue as to who these men are—Syndicate soldiers? Tural’s cartel? Or someone unexpected?

Crouching low, I creep along the edge of the room, ignoring the searing pain in my shoulder. I make it to the bar, sliding over the top and dropping to the sticky floor behind it. Bullets rip through the shelves above me, showering me with glass and booze. Cursing under my breath, I crawl on my stomach to the end of the bar, my gun clutched tight.

Peeking around the edge, I spot one of the attackers, his back turned as he reloads behind an overturned table. I don’t hesitate. I rise, aim, and fire. The bullet finds its mark, and he crumples to the ground.

One down. Who the fuck knows how many more to go.

I duck back behind the bar, my ears ringing. My men are holding their ground, taking cover behind toppled booths and shattered furniture, but the attackers are using the DJ booth as a shield. It’s sturdy enough to absorb most of our rounds, giving them the upper hand.

I inch to the edge of the bar, trying to find a better angle. Just as I’m about to fire, I catch movement—one of the attackers raises his hand, motioning sharply to the others.

In unison, they break formation and sprint toward the shattered windows. Glass crunches beneath their boots as they vault over debris, disappearing into the night.

What the fuck?

For a moment, no one moves. The room is unnervingly quiet, the acrid scent of gunpowder thick in the air. I rise from my position, stepping into the middle of the room to take in the carnage.

Slowly, my men emerge. Vadim climbs out from behind an overturned table, his gun still drawn. Others step out from behind shattered furniture and the cover of broken booths.

“What the hell was that?” Vadim mutters, raking a hand through his hair.

“An ambush. But they didn’t stay to finish what they started.”

In the far corner, one of my men lies near the entrance, his lifeless eyes fixed on the ceiling. Fuck. My stomach sinks, but as far as I can tell, he might be the only casualty—which feels like a minor miracle.

“Let’s check the wounded,” I say. “And get Dr. Safin here immediately.”

Vadim is already moving, barking orders to the others as he pulls out his phone.

I instruct a few senior soldiers to sweep the building, making sure none of these black-clad bastards are lurking in the shadows.

Vadim is at my side when Eva bursts from the back room, pushing a group of trembling party guests into the main space. They’re all affiliated with my bratva, but that doesn’t mean they’ve ever experienced something like this before.

Eva takes one look at me and blanches. “Shit, Niko, your shoulder?—”

“Will be fine,” I cut her off. The nick is the least of my problems right now. “What the hell was that?”

Vadim shakes his head. “They came out of nowhere, like ninjas in all black, but retreated before the fight was finished.”

“This doesn’t add up,” I grit out. “Why leave like that? Unless they were just trying to send a message. If so, it’s lost on me.”

Eva’s eyes sweep the room. “Any idea who’s responsible?”

“Not yet, but we need answers.” I gesture at my shoulder with my chin. “I dropped the guy who did this to me in the hallway outside my office. Search him. And if any of them are still breathing, I want them interrogated.”

“Understood.”

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