For a moment, I shut my eyes as Akim swerved left and then right, hurrying past the cars on the road. I had never been in a car chase and felt anxious. But the fact that we were being chased by who knows, scared me.
Any and all thoughts flew out of my mind as I slammed up against the car door. Akim had taken a sharp turn, and the car spun in a circle for a moment. I moaned as I tried pushing myself off the door.
“Sorry, hold on,” Akim huffed as he regained control and sped up. I didn’t get a chance to respond as I started sliding towards him. Holding onto the door handle, I kept myself from joining him in the driver’s seat.
Looking around, I noticed the scenery changing. The streetlights were fewer, and the couple that were there only dimly lit the area around them. I could make out a couple of cars next to the road and some people standing around. I swallowed hard, realizing we had entered a bad part of the city.
I saw similar places around our town. My brothers had always warned us of the kind of people living in such places. My heart beat faster as fear tried to take control. There was a loud pop, and then I felt the car sliding.
Glancing at Akim, I realized he was trying to get control of the car as he turned the steering wheel left and then right. We slid and began spinning again. As the car came to a complete stop, he looked at me. “Get out and stay low. But stay on your side of the car,” he said demandingly.
He was out of the car before I could protest or even form a reply. His door slammed shut so hard, I could feel it vibrating through me. There were screeching sounds as more vehicles came to a stop behind us. Glancing back, I saw five men jumping out of the other cars.
Opening my door, I slid out and closed it softly. Sweat was running down my brows and stung my eyes. Wiping at them, I battled to breathe. I was overwhelmed with all that was going on. I wanted to call my brothers, but wasn’t sure how that would help, except to get me into more trouble.
Carefully, I moved to the hood and peeked over it. I was shocked at the scene unfolding before me. One of the men was already on the ground. He was lying on his side, holding his stomach. I could see a dark liquid seeping through his hands. He was making the most horrid sounds.
Akim was running at full speed, curving left and right to miss the spray of bullets heading his way. I watched as he jumped and slid over the hood of the other car. The first shooter stood up, and before he could squeeze the trigger, Akim was behind him. He held him to his chest as the second man rose and started shooting at him.
I watched in horror as Akim slit the man’s throat. Blood gushed out, and I felt my stomach turning. He let him go, and the man dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes. I wanted to crouch and hide, but for some reason, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
Moving swiftly, he lunged at the other man. I held my breath. I didn’t want Akim to get hurt or even killed because of me.
But he knocked the man off his feet. They were struggling on the ground behind the car. I couldn’t see what was happening. Fearing for his life, I ran towards him, not thinking twice about my safety. As far as I could see, this had to be the last man, and I wanted to help if I could.
As I ran around the back of the car, I saw Akim sitting on the man. He was holding the man’s head in his hands and slamming it into the floor. Seeing him like this made me realize just how used to the bratva life he was. I also concluded that I was far from accustomed to it.
He made what he did seem effortless. It was like a part of his nature. I didn’t know him as well as I thought. No, I had summed him up very wrong. Holding my hands over my mouth to keep from screaming, I walked backward slowly.
I watched as Akim started getting up. He glanced at me, but it appeared as if he was looking through me. His eyes looked like blazing balls of fire. I hadn’t seen a look like that since I was a little girl. I remember my father’s look after he had been in an altercation with some bad men. That was the look he had.
He appeared to notice me, and his eyes suddenly softened. “Are you okay? What are you doing here? I told you to stay hidden,” he huffed. He started stepping over the man when something caught my eye.
I looked to my left and saw a man running at me. He was about to grab me when a deafening sound filled the air. I closed my eyes and ears as the ringing set my mind ablaze. I heard the man ‘ufff’ before feeling a hot liquid raining over me.
Opening my eyes, I looked at the man lying on the floor at my feet. Looking up, I saw Akim standing a couple of feet away with a gun in his hands. I didn’t know where he got it, but I was glad he had one.
He took out his phone and made a call. I just stood there staring at the man bleeding out. Looking down, I noticed the blood on my dress. Akim came over after his call and draped his jacket over my shoulders.
It wasn’t long until two other cars pulled up. Four men got out and came towards us. “Maybe you should wait in the car,” Akim said, squeezing my shoulder.
For a moment, I just stood there. My legs felt cold and dead. Moving slowly, I walked to the side of the car. Turning and leaning against it, I saw Akim assisting the men in rearranging the bodies. They set them up to look like they had killed each other.
Another two men were hustling around the car. These had to be either his men or Morozov’s men. One was changing a wheel, and the other was wiping it down. Akim walked to me, holding a damp cloth. “Can I wipe your face and arms?” he asked. His tone was soft and kind.
I held out my arms, watching his face as he tenderly wiped the blood from my arms. He stepped closer and wiped my cheeks and chin. “There, now you look better. Come on,” he said hanging the cloth to the man who had changed out tire. “Let’s get out of here.”
I could only nod as he opened the door and assisted me into the car. I was shaken by what had just happened. He got into the driver’s side and started the car. I felt his hand on my knee and jumped a little.
“How are you?” he asked tenderly.
“I would just like to leave,” I replied. My voice was almost gone. I had to clear my throat before repeating myself.
Akim nodded and pulled away. We drove around for a while before pulling into one of the less famous hotels in town. He parked as close to the door as he could. Switching off the engine, he inhaled deeply before getting out.
I watched as he moved around and opened my door. I took his hand as he offered it. I felt my insides shaking and was glad that he didn’t notice, as it felt like my entire being was shaking. Placing his arm around me, we headed inside.
As we entered, I noticed the four women standing in a little cluster behind the reception desk. They looked at us; two shook their heads, and then the oldest one appeared to be telling the youngest one what to do. As we stopped at the desk, three of them moved to the side.
The way they were googling me made me feel uncomfortable. Akim let go of me and stepped forward. I pulled the jacket tighter and hugged it to my body. “Can I get two adjoining rooms for the evening, please?” Akim said calmly.
She looked into his eyes, fluttering her lashes as she replied. “Let me check.”
I didn’t like her attitude, and if not for all we’d been through, I would have told her so. But for now, I just stood about a foot away, waiting for him.
The woman looked from Akim to the other three standing to the side. Looking back and smiling excessively, she spoke in a softer tone. “I am sorry, sir; we only have one room available at the moment.” She sounded truly apologetic, but something in her smile made me feel uneasy. She glanced at me as if she wanted to say something else, but she didn’t.
“Is there something wrong with the room you have available?” Akim asked a bit harshly.
We have been through a lot in such a short period. I felt sick to my stomach. I could only imagine how he was feeling. Irritation from him was the least of her worries if she didn’t accommodate us. I felt like a ticking time bomb.
“No, not at all. It’s just that the two of you seem… well, never mind, who am I to judge,” she huffed, looking me up and down. She took a deep breath before continuing. “It’s just that the room only has one bed.”
He glanced at me before replying. “We’ll take it, thanks.”
The woman nodded and took down his details. He used a fake name, so we couldn’t be tracked. He explained this to me in the car before we got here. Once she was done typing on the keyboard, she collected a set of keys from the wall behind her.
Akim held out the business card the Morozovs had issued him in case of emergencies. The woman swiped it and handed it back with the keys. “Enjoy your stay,” she said as he turned to me.
“We need to get clean clothes,” he whispered as he stepped up to me. “There,” he said, pointing to a gift shop.
I walked behind him as he grabbed two shirts and a pair of pants. Moving to the other side of the shop, he took a jacket, a gray tracksuit, and sneakers. Heading to the counter at the door, he stopped suddenly. Akim glanced at me and then collected some underwear from a different shelf.
As he paid, I wondered if anything he took would fit. But it wasn’t important at the moment. I just wanted to get upstairs and behind closed doors. I wanted to feel safe again. I scanned the people as we moved to the elevator. Everyone seemed to be busy with their own things. They didn’t even notice us.
Getting out of the elevator, I watched him as we moved to the door. He swiped the card and held the door open for me. I entered and glanced around. There was no couch in this room. It had a large double bed, side tables, and a dresser against the back wall.
To the side was a wrought-iron table with two chairs. On top of it was a flower vase and a tray with two glasses. Next to it was a small bar fridge and what looked like an ice machine.
As I heard the door closing behind me, I felt a shiver running down my spine. Panic suddenly filled me as I realized I might have been the target of the attack. He might have been more prepared for something like this if I had just told him who I was.
Akim walked around me. He stood before me with the two bags in his hands. “I’m so sorry for all of this,” he said. “I would have brought guards if there was any chatter about an attack. I never intended to expose you to something so…” He glanced at the floor as his words dried up.
I was shocked. How could he think this was his fault? Watching him shift, I realized he thought the attack was targeted at him. However, I couldn’t see how that was possible, no, it had to be me they were after.
It was some of the Chernykh’s enemies coming after me to get to my family, I felt sure of it. Could I be the reason he was in danger? Glancing at him as he placed the bags down by the door, I knew I couldn’t tell him.
The guilt ripped through my core, shooting my emotions into overdrive. Holding my head in my hands, I started pacing up and down. I had to find out, I had to make sense of this mess. But most of all, I had to know if I was the reason for the attack.
But how was I to do so without letting my family know what was going on? I swallowed hard as a lump pushed up in my throat. I felt my eyes stinging as tears started running down my cheeks. I was out of answers and didn’t know who to turn to for advice.
“Hey, you,” Akim said lightly, pulling on my arm.
I stopped and looked at him. His eyes were filled with a softness I could only describe as care. He pulled me closer and hugged me. “It’s okay, you’re safe now,” he breathed out over my head.
His muscular arms felt like ribbons of power. His chest was like a soft pillow as I relaxed into his hold. He rubbed my back, and I could feel my fear slowly dissipating. “I will keep you safe,” Akim whispered into my hair as he kissed my forehead.
If he only knew, he would not be so kind and caring. Or would he, I wondered as he held me tightly.
Breathing in his rich, earthy scent and feeling his chest muscles against my face made me hug him a little tighter. I knew I had to fight this attraction for him. But for a moment, I allowed my body to absorb his essence. He made me feel safe.
Taking a slow and deep breath, I tried stepping back. Akim held my shoulders. Glancing at him, I smiled weakly. “I’m going to get cleaned. I feel a little drained.
He stared at me for a moment, holding me at arm’s length. “Okay,” he finally said after what felt like an eternity. “But are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes,” I replied softly. “I think a hot shower and sleep is all I need now.”
He nodded as he let go. I picked up the bag from the gift shop and headed to the bathroom. Placing the bag on the bathroom cupboard next to the basin, I stared in the mirror. Who was this woman looking back at me?
It looked like a child had styled the messy bun on my head. Lifting my arm to remove the clips, I felt weak. My arms were sore as if I had visited the gym. I felt sure it had to be from the tension of the earlier situation.
Removing the hair bands, I noticed red specks between my dark blond hair. No wonder the women at the front desk had looked at me so strangely. However, I wondered if they had even noticed. They were so enthralled with Akim, I was sure my looks were the furthest thing from their minds.
As I removed the jacket, he so kindly wrapped me in it, and I saw the blood splatter down the front of my dress. It was ruined and belonged in the furnace. Once I was completely naked, I quickly checked myself for any injuries. I was relieved that I had none. All the blood on me was from the man Akim killed as he wanted to grab me.
I took the body wash from the gift shop bag and got into the shower. Opening the tap, I set it a tinge hotter than usual. I wanted to burn the blood off of me as I scrubbed. After washing myself three times, I started feeling a little cleaner.
Closing my eyes, I lifted my face. I didn’t want to get out. The warm water was soothing, and I could feel the tension in my muscles easing up. But I knew I couldn’t stay there forever. Reluctantly, I closed the water and got out.
Once I was dry and dressed in a tracksuit, I opened the door and stepped into the room. Akim was crouched in the corner, digging through his bag. Even though I felt slightly calmer, my nerves hadn’t settled yet. I got into bed, turned on my side, and pulled my legs up. Laying in a small bundle, I tried to find sleep as I heard him closing the bathroom door.
I lay still as a mouse, listening to all the sounds around me. The wind was softly playing with the leaves on the large tree outside. I could hear the shower running through the closed door. Below in the street were cars moving up and down as people went about their evening.
The water stopped running, and I could hear him moving around in the bathroom. The door opened, and Akim came out. I closed my eyes and pretended to be sleeping. I listened as he made a call asking someone to collect our luggage from the other hotel and deliver it here in the morning.
I felt the bed dip as he got in beside me. To my surprise, I felt his arm wrapping around me as he moved closer. His warmth felt good, and before I knew it, I was asleep.
