“Come,” he replies and we rush over to one of the open trucks.
I lay Maksim in the back and Alejandro grabs a first aid box. He rips away the fabric from the wound and I see Maksim’s been shot close to his heart. he’ll need medical attention immediately if we hope for him to live.
Maksim looks at me, breathes out a ragged breath then his eyes roll back in his head.
“No, wake up,” I shout. “Wake the fuck up.”
Today there are too many reminders of the deaths of those who are no more in my life. I thought of my father earlier and right now Maksim looks like Viktor as he died in my arms.
“Get out of the way,” Alejandro says moving me aside.
“That’s my cousin.” It’s like I’ve been programmed to say that.
“And I’m a fucking doctor, unless you have the same skill as me, move.”
I move and Alejandro checks for a pulse on Maksim’s neck.
When he starts doing CPR my chest caves.
Dominic rushes up to us at that moment with his men with blood on his face. He sees Maksim in the truck and his expression falls.
Alejandro pumps hard on Maksim’s chest and gives him the rescue breaths. I know how to do that, but I never knew how weird it be to watch someone who means something to you die in front of you.
As the scene of horror plays out before me my phone rings in my back pocket. It’s because I’m programmed to answer it why I do. I don’t even take note of the unrecognized number calling that I usually loathe.
“Aiden Romanov,” comes Jude’s voice and it’s the first time that this man has made me feel like he’d had me where he’s wanted to put me the whole time.
“Motherfucker.”
“Call me whatever you want. It’s me who’s in charge now.”
“How the fuck did you know we were here?”
“I played the waiting game. I know the truth Aiden Romanov. I know who you’re looking for and it’s not just your son. You and your men have some type of skills I have to give you credit for. It’s amazing you managed to find out Aleksei was alive, let alone where I’m holding Eric Markov.”
“Fucking bastard. You have my son. I just saw him. Fucking give him back to me.”
“Much as I would love to get rid of the little runt, you’ll be dead before the day is out so that’s not happening. You’re on my turf now. In my lair where I have the backing of the leaders of the Order. The little posse of me you brought with you is nothing. Definitely not when I own Eric Markov. He’s a weapon unlike anything any of you have faced and he’ll do anything I say if he wants his mother and sister to live. He doesn’t have to know I no longer have possession of his mother. I found you because he can track any phone I tell him to and there’s not a God damn thing you can do about it. I know where you and Maksim are. And Ilya. Ilya who is with Olivia.”
Fuck. Fucking hell no. He knows where Olivia is.
“Leave Olivia alone.”
“She’s mine. I told you that before. What I never said was she was a great replacement for Gabriella. I fucked her the same way. Both begged me to stop. It’s always sweeter when they do that.” He laughs and something inside me shatters like a bolder going through thin ice. Another part of the past reveals itself. It was him. He abused Gabriella. And he did the same to Olivia.
“Olivia is mine and I’m taking her back. Besides I’m sure Eric will be persuaded to destroy all of you once he sees his sister. My what a shock that will be.”
Jude hangs up and my blood freezes.
He’s going after Olivia. The horrific thought of him taking her along with watching Alejandro try to revive Maksim tears me apart.
“I have to get him to a hospital now,” Alejandro shouts snapping my mind back in focus. “I have a heartbeat but he’s weak. Go to the girl.”
Dominic pulls me out of the way so Alejandro can get in the driver’s seat of the truck. It takes seconds for him to gun the engine and drive away.
I watch them go and its’ only when Dominic tugs on my shoulder that I see Massimo is behind us. He would have seen and heard everything.
A myriad thoughts race through my mind. everything is out of control and I can’t fall apart with it.
I think of Olivia and I move.
“I have to get to Olivia,” I blurt jumping on one of the bikes.
Massimo and Dominic don’t answer, they just follow me.