Page 23 of Shadow

Steeling myself, I turned to face the bed, already knowing in my gut I’d find my worst nightmare come to life.

Shadow was laying in the bed, his eyes closed, and his skin too pale. He was hooked up to a blood bag, an IV line, a heart monitor, a blood pressure cuff, and an oxygen sensor. My hands curled into fists, and my breathing grew heavier as that monster beneath my skin clawed its way to the surface.

“He’s alive,” Anatoly told me as if that was supposed to somehow calm me down. “He took the bullets for me.”

I swung my gaze to his. A lesser man would’ve at least flinched, but Anatoly just met my gaze, more than aware of the monster I truly was. “He tookbullets?” I growled. He’d put a mother fucking s on the end of that word, and I didn’t miss it. “And he took themfor you?”

Anatoly nodded once as I walked further into the room, coming to stand beside him as I stared down at my man. He was so fucking pale, the color leeched from his skin. He was damn near gray, and seeing him so weak and helpless shook me to my fucking core.

“Took two—one to the chest and one to the shoulder. Damn near killed him. Help got to us in time.” Anatoly sighed. “He saw what I didn’t.”

Anatoly didn’t see my fist coming. It was the only explanation for why he didn’t block it. His back slammed against the wall with the force of my swing, and numerous medical items crashed to the floor as his hip knocked into the cart next to him. I pointed a finger at him, my hand trembling with my rage.

“If he dies,” I snarled, “I will burn your entire fucking empire to the groundstarting with you,” I promised. “Mark my fucking words, Pakhan.”

Anatoly clenched his jaw, but he kept his mouth shut. Turning on my heel, I stormed out of the room. Two officers were waiting on me, and the smile I aimed at them was cruel and full of pure malice. “Problem, officers?” I taunted.

“Let him go,” Anatoly said from behind me.

The officers stepped aside dutifully, and I stormed out of the hospital. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I called Hyram. He answered on the second ring. “Rurik,” he drawled.

“Your brother is laid up in a hospital bed,” I told him, barely recognizing my own voice. “Get two men up here to protect him. We’re at fucking war.”

With that, I hung up the phone and made my way to the SUV. Whoever put those bullets in my man was about to fucking meet their goddamn maker.

And I didn’t mean the man high in the fucking sky.

Nah.

They were about to meetme.

19

Rurik

There wasn’t a security system I couldn’t hack my way into. If the FBI knew about me, they wouldn’t lock me up behind bars. No—they’d try to recruit me. To bring me under their control. Because I wasn’t just good at hacking; I had a knack foralwaysgetting what I wanted.

Right then, what I wanted was the blood of whoever put Malik in the hospital on my fucking hands.

I growled under my breath when yet another security camera didn’t show me anything. Gritting my teeth, I shoved my laptop away and pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to force myself to think past the rage bubbling in my gut. From what I saw from the restaurant’s camera feeds, it’d been a sniper that hit Malik with those bullets. And Anatoly was right—those bullets had been meant for him, not my man.

Yet Malik had shoved Anatoly out the way and taken those bullets for him.

“You fucking idiot,” I whispered to myself.

Shoving from the bed, I paced to the window and crossed my arms, looking out over the streets. I needed to think like a sniper. Like someone intent on taking out a high-value target. There’d be a lot of money riding on a hit like that, which meant there would be a lot more risk. Anatoly was not just the leader of a huge criminal organization. He was involved in politics all over the world. He was a businessman.

His death—or even the attempt on his life—would make a big splash. And it already was. Even on my way back into the hotel, all I’d heard were people whispering about the attempt on Anatoly Balakin’s life and the unknown man who’d saved him, risking his own life in the process.

Yeah… Malik was going to fucking pay for that one when he woke up.

I focused on the buildings across from me. If I, personally, was taking out a high-value target like the Pakhan, I’d get somewhere that couldn’t be easily seen by cameras. I’d be crouched low so no one could see me from the street. I’d be close enough to get my shot cleanly, but I’d still be far enough away that when the job was done, I could quickly gather my shit and get the fuck out.

Or maybe I wouldn’t leave. Wouldn’t go on the run. Maybe, if I had balls big enough, I’d live my life normally. And a man taking on the job of assassinating Anatoly Balakin had balls that were just about too fucking big for the United States of America.

If I was just cocky enough, too, I’d do the hit from my apartment. And therewereapartment buildings over there. Because who would think to look in someone’s own home first? If someonewas just cocky enough, they’d think, surely, no one would do a hit from the comfort of their own fucking living room. Which would give them ample amounts of time to do clean up and get rid of the weapon.

I snatched up my laptop again and watched the video where Malik got shot, forcing my rage down as I watched those bullets slam into him and knock him back against the SUV. Instead, I watched that laser, and then, I went through all the surrounding buildings, going through their security feeds again. Except this time, I was much more careful.

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