Page 75 of Defiant Devotion

Kelly missed twice, but as she walked forward, elbows locked, both hands on her gun, she ensured that he was directly in her line of fire.

And she shot and shot. Plugging him with one bullet after the next, she sank lead into his chest, his stomach, his neck. They weren’t clean shots, but all of them worked to kill him.

Just in case, I lifted my gun to fire once. A clean hole between his eyes would promise he was definitely dead in case her shots didn’t work fast enough.

“Get the—” Irina lunged forward again, diving low to grab something off the floor. She wasn’t afraid of the violence, not even caring that O’Malley was still falling over and slumping to his death as he stared at Kelly glaring down at him.

The detonator had fallen to the floor from the botched handoff between the bomb-laden soldier and O’Malley.

Irina dipped to get it at the same time the soldier did.

But before either could claim it, the man stood and tried to rip at the bombs, probably intending to sever the wires and set it off just the same.

“What the?—”

Gunfire followed the grumbled question to the side of the room. Two shots sounded off, and the Ilyin guard dropped down. His hands didn’t move.Hedidn’t move with his head blown to bits.

I whipped my head around, finding Uncle Oleg standing in the hallway.

He still blinked his eyes, clearing the sleepy, drowsy look from his face. With his gun still lowering, it was clear he was the one who’d shot him.

Finally,finally, I lowered my arms. Releasing a long exhale, I sighed and let all the pent-up stress seep from me at the sight of my uncle, the Boss, standing there and taking charge.

It was over. It had to be over, and as I willed my heart to slow, I tested a new reality on myself.

They were dead.

All of them.

Every one of our most determined enemies were dead or soon would be.

Eva eased Kelly back from O’Malley’s body. Uncle Oleg walked further into the room, more alert and concerned. He glanced at me, raising his brows while Irina backed up to help Eva with Kelly, who seemed the most stunned.

I opened my mouth to say something. To tell Uncle Oleg thanks. Or to confirm that we were okay. Something had to be said to snap us further out of this shock.

But I didn’t need to. Tires squealed outside and the hammering footsteps of running men came.

“Sonya!”

My lips slightly lifted of their own accord.

Ben.

It was Ben yelling as he ran inside. Lev was right there with him. They didn’t stop, still holding their guns as they rushed toward me and Eva.

Only when his arms were wrapped tightly around me did I know everything would be okay.

“Rurik called and said he’d received a notification that the power was cut,” Lev said, talking to Oleg.

“He’s alive?” Kelly cried out from behind Irina as she hugged her.

Lev nodded.

I stared up at Ben, needing another moment of the comfort he gave me. As they started to talk and collaborate on what had gone down, I closed my eyes to accept Ben’s kiss.

Then resting my cheek against his chest, hearing his steady heartbeat, I held on to my future and knew it would be as bright and full as I dreamed it could be.

The danger was over.

---