Page 16 of Cruel Russian Pakhan
Maybe I’d slipped into some kind of coma or delusional mental state since I hadn’t eaten properly in the past seven days, and I was still at Lev’s house.
But if this was a dream…I couldn’t help but wonder how his lips would feel against mine before they trailed further down my body towards…
Katya!
I inhaled deeply and shook my head, trying to chase the thoughts away.
It wasn’t a dream. This was real life. And if I zoned out again and Lev needed me, I could get us both killed.
I needed to focus on something other than the man in front of me. So I pressed my hands flat against the cold wall behind me, trying to hold on to the last ounce of my sanity.
My thoughts drifted to Daisy and Arnold.
Was this how they felt that day at the bank? Terrified? Did they worry about me and what would happen if they didn’t make it?
I choked back a sob, realizing that if I died here, no one would miss me. No one would sit around and talk about the memories we shared or anything I’d done. And somehow, that truth broke something deep inside me.
Then Lev cursed, snapping my focus back to him. He pulled the trigger…
Nothing happened.
“Fuck, I’m out,” he growled.
My eyes widened and my pulse skyrocketed as two gunmen approached fast.
I tried to inhale air into my lungs, but my chest felt constricted. And with each passing second, breathing became more difficult. Due to lack of oxygen, my head began to spin.
Just then, two cars screeched to a halt nearby. When the men turned toward the sound, momentarily distracted, Lev yanked me down again, and I screamed. He threw his body over mine as more gunfire exploded around us.
My ears rang and my heart felt like it would burst. I didn't hear a car pull up beside us, but I felt when the pressure of Lev's body was no longer pressed against mine.
God! Had he been shot and rolled off? Were they going to kill me next?
His voice snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts. “Vera! Let’s go!”
Lev was already up, yanking me to my feet. He shoved me into the back seat of the waiting vehicle and jumped in after me.
The door slammed shut, and Rocco hit the gas, tires screaming as we sped down the street.
I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to calm my nerves that were firing off like a pinball machine, but it was useless. I was trembling so hard my teeth chattered, and my fingers felt numb from the shaking.
Lev spun toward me, his eyes blazing.
“This is why you don't run away, Vera!”
I flinched and hugged myself tighter, willing my body to cooperate, but it refused to obey me. I couldn’t stop shaking. I lowered my gaze and bit down on my lip, trying to hold back the tears that I was fighting hard to keep at bay.
“You could’ve been killed!” he growled.
I turned away from him and looked out the window, my body trembling harder than before, as if the adrenaline was searching for a way out. My breaths came in ragged bursts, and my chest ached from the way my heart kept slamming against it.
After everything I’d just been through, the last thing I needed was him scolding me like some damn child. Maybe Lev was used to this kind of life, but I was just a waitress. I’d never had to check “capable of dodging bullets” on a job application.
More than anything, I just wanted to be back at his mansion, locked away from the world…and more importantly, locked away from him.
Lev didn’t say anything else. Only the sound of our heavy breathing and the soft purr of the engine filled the small space. Then he shifted beside me and gently turned me and pulled me into his arms.
I wanted to pull away from his touch, but the need to be held after everything I’d just been through won out. I didn’t have the strength to fight him, not now, and I was pretty sure he didn’t, either. Letting him comfort me felt like the least I could do, especially after he’d just saved my life.
