Page 85 of Shatter Me

I've been such a fool. Falling for pretty words and heated glances while ignoring the darkness beneath. The signs were there in his calculated moves, his need for control, and the dangerous glint in his eyes when crossed. Like a fool, I ignored each one.

35

DMITRI

Isee Igor's smirk fade as Katarina steps forward. My fingers twitch near my holster, every muscle coiled. The warehouse air reeks of oil and rust. Tash stands beside Igor, her eyes burning with hatred when they meet mine.

"Release her first," Igor demands.

"Together," I counter. "On three."

Katarina moves with measured steps. One. Two?—

A glint of metal catches my eye. One of Igor's men raises his gun.

"Down!" I shove Katarina toward her father, diving for Tash. Gunfire erupts, bullets punching through metal and concrete. I grab Tash's arm, yanking her behind a shipping container as shots ping off the steel.

"Stay down," I order, drawing my weapon. Blood pounds in my ears. Igor's shouts mix with Katarina's scream.

More of his men emerge from the shadows. I count six, no, seven. Too many angles. A bullet grazes my shoulder, hot pain slicing through my muscles.

"Erik, northwest corner!" I call into my earpiece, taking out the closest shooter. "Nikolai cut off the exit!"

Tash presses against me. Her pulse races under my fingers where I grip her wrist. Another spray of bullets forces us deeper into cover.

"When I move, run for the black SUV," I tell her. "Don't stop."

"I hate you," she spits.

"I know." I pop up, firing three precise shots. Two men drop. "Now!"

I push her ahead, providing cover fire as we sprint through the chaos. A bullet catches my thigh. I stumble but keep moving. Have to get her out. Have to keep her safe.

Igor's enraged roar echoes through the warehouse. More shots. More screams. But Tash is almost to the vehicle. Almost?—

Pain explodes in my side. I spin, firing back at the shooter while shoving Tash the final few feet to safety. Blood soaks my shirt, but adrenaline keeps me upright. Keep firing. Keep her safe. That's all that matters now.

"Move!" I shove Tash toward the SUV, my body shielding hers as bullets whiz past. Blood seeps from my wounds, but the surge of adrenaline dulls the pain. All that matters is getting her out alive.

"Akim, start the car!" I bark into my earpiece, firing back at Igor's men. Two more drops, but others keep coming.

Tash stumbles. I catch her arm, half-dragging her the last few yards. A bullet slams into the door beside us. She flinches but keeps moving.

"Get in!" I wrench open the back door, practically throwing her inside before diving in after her. My side screams in protest. Warm blood soaks through my shirt, pooling beneath me on the leather seat.

"Go!" The SUV peels out as more shots crack against the bulletproof glass. Tash curls into herself, hands over her ears. I pull her against my chest, not caring that I'm staining her clothes red.

The warehouse shrinks behind us. My heart hammers against my ribs as reality crashes in, and I realize how close I came to losing her. How easily Igor could have killed us both.

"Are you hurt?" I run my hands over her arms and her sides, checking for injuries. She's trembling, but I find no wounds.

"You're bleeding," she whispers, staring at my blood-soaked shirt.

"I'll live." The pain starts breaking through the adrenaline haze. "We need to get somewhere safe."

Tash's fingers dig into my arm as Akim takes a sharp turn. I hold her tighter, feeling her rapid breaths against my neck. We made it out. She's alive. That's all that matters right now.

Blood loss makes the city lights blur as we speed through the streets. Akim pulls into a secure garage beneath one of our properties. The screech of tires echoes off concrete walls.

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