End of a Fight

End of a Fight
Tatiana

I wait for death when I hear the bang. 

What is it supposed to feel like?

Should I see my whole life pass before my eyes? Is a light supposed to appear at the end of a dark tunnel or something of that sort? Should I be feeling any kind of pain or is it supposed to be smooth and peaceful?

Whatever it is, none of it happens.

I can still feel my body, and my senses are sharpened, as if I’m simply closing my eyes to sleep but adrenaline is keeping me from relaxing.

What is going on?

Cautiously, I force my eyes open again. I’m still alive. And apparently, I wasn’t the one who got shot.

It was Oleg. 

He has stumbled backward, and his eyes are on his chest where a huge blood stain is covering his shirt.

My brain is struggling to understand what happened, but I push these intrusive thoughts aside. He was hit, but he is not dead yet. And considering this is the devil incarnate, I doubt he will go down with a simple shot to the chest.

My hand is already moving to my feet before I can even make sense of what I’m doing. Grabbing my folded blade from my boot, I open and stick it into his heart, a few inches above the hole the bullet made.

“This is for my family!” I grunt, using all my strength to twist the knife in his chest. Bile threatens to climb up my throat, but I force it back down. My wrist hurts with all the pressure I’m putting, but I ignore it.

My emotions are all over the place now, but I need to remind myself that this is indeed for my family. For everything that Oleg took from me, all he prevented me from having.

He took my biological parents from me while I was still a baby. I never got to see their faces, I never got to hear their voices. I was only left with stories of who they used to be and what-ifs. 

For years, I wondered what my life would’ve been like if I got to be raised by them. Having them by my side through my first steps, school, college…

And then there were Lev and Ilya, two angels who took me in and accepted the burden of raising me as their own child. They gave me so much love and attention, giving up on their own lives to keep me protected.

And Oleg took them from me, too.

It is true that I wouldn’t have met Angelo if it weren’t for him, but I’m not willing to give Oleg any credit.

He also took the only important thing Angelo had in his life.

We’re two broken souls because of him.

“And this is for Angelo’s brother,” I add, pushing Oleg against the car and sinking the blade deeper into his heart.

The horrified look on his face is so satisfying. He deserves to suffer way more than this, but I’m tired. Physically and mentally.

When blood sputters from Oleg’s mouth, I let go of the knife and take a few steps back as I realize what I’ve done.

He slides down the side of the car and collapses to the ground, his widened eyes still on me. 

Oleg gurgles something, but I can’t understand what he’s saying. I’m torn between turning my gaze away from him, afraid to have this memory haunt me for life, and watching him die, committing to memory this moment, so I never forget he is finally gone.

I watch as his head tilts back and his body goes limp against the car. His eyes are still open, but there’s no more soul in his body.

If there ever was one…

Oleg is gone.

Dead.

Beyond redemption.

He is no longer walking this Earth, taking people’s families from them. There’s one last evil person on this planet tonight.

My whole body starts shaking aggressively as realization washes over me, and I feel like I’m about to faint. My legs give out under me, but before I hit the ground, strong arms hold me from behind and pull me up. 

The scent of something musky and familiar hits me, and I start crying, unable to control my sobs.

“Shhh, it’s okay, baby. It’s over.” Angelo’s voice soothes me, his arms strongly holding me close to his chest. 

I’m numb, exhausted, sad. It’s a mix of emotions I can’t quite interpret. The only feeling I want to acknowledge right now is how safe Angelo makes me feel in his arms.

There’s movement around us, men surrounding us, but I’m not afraid anymore. Angelo is here. And considering he is not tensing up, I can only assume these guys are from the Saints. 

My eyes are still fixed on Oleg’s body as Angelo walks away from him, taking me to a car parked close to the front gate. Staring into his lifeless eyes is strange. It’s like I’m waiting for him to blink at any time, revealing that he is actually alive.

Angelo sets me down in the car, but when he moves to close the door, I grab him by the wrist, still shaking and crying compulsively. 

“Where are you going?” I ask, my voice cracking. I look at him, my eyes pleading. I don’t want to be alone. I can’t stand the idea of him being away from me right now.

He looks back at me, his brows creasing slightly as he takes me in. I know he is worried about me, but I can see he is also distracted by everything happening around us. The Saints are everywhere, probably checking the mansion and making sure all is taken care of. 

I have no idea how they are going to handle all those bodies, but I can’t find it in me to ask, or care.

I just want to get away from this place and never come back.

“I’ll let the guys know I’m taking you home,” he explains, his voice calm and soft. He lowers to place a kiss on my forehead and brings our noses together, his gaze held on me. “I’m not going anywhere. Don’t worry.”

I nod, the lump in my throat still present. But I force it down, willing myself to be strong so he can do his duty without having to worry about me.

Angelo closes the passenger door softly and walks away from the car. I watch out of the window as he pulls Dice aside and says something to him. He nods in return. Then Angelo comes back and sits beside me in the driver’s seat.

No words leave our mouths as we drive out of the Rominas’ property.

We’re close to the highway when something occurs to me, and I speak for the first time after minutes in silence.

“What about Yakov? What happened to him?” I ask, my eyes widening in shock as I realize I haven’t seen him the entire time I was at the mansion. 

Angelo’s jaw clenches, his face darkening as he shakes his head.

“We couldn’t find him anywhere,” he informs me angrily, not giving me much information. 

That feeling of dread comes back to me, and a shiver runs down my spine.

It isn’t over, is it? 

Oleg is gone, but what if Yakov decides to come back to haunt us, wanting revenge for his father?

“Shit,” I murmur, more to myself than to him.

“We’ll get to him. It’s just a matter of time,” he tries to reassure me, but it doesn’t work much.

We remain a few more minutes in silence until Angelo glances sideways at me and clears his throat. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” 

His voice is filled with concern, and my heart shrinks in my chest. My jaw hurts from the punch I got, and the small wound in my neck stings, but it’s nothing compared to what the others had to go through, I’m sure. I’ve suffered more psychologically than physically.

“It’s not a big deal.” I shrug, not wanting to worry him further.

“What did he do?” Angelo asks through clenched teeth, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

“I’m fi—”

“What did he do?” he cuts me off, repeating his question.

I take a deep breath and lean my head against the leather seat.

“He punched me in the face, and his blade sort of cut my neck, but it’s nothing deep,” I add quickly when his head snaps in my direction to check the extent of my injuries. I run my fingers over the cut on my neck and hiss when it stings, but the blood must have dried because my hand is clean when I pull it back.

“Son of a bitch,” Angelo snarls under his breath. His brows are creased, and the muscles in his jaw are tensed. 

“I’m really fine,” I repeat, firmer this time. “I’m just mentally exhausted, and I can’t bring myself to think about everything that happened tonight. But I’ll be okay, as long as you’re with me.” I reach for his hand and squeeze it, hoping my touch will reassure him since my words don’t seem to be enough.

“I’m never going anywhere,” he states firmly, gripping my hand tighter. I run my thumb across his palm that’s on my thigh, comforting him just as he is doing with me. “I love you. I figured out tonight that I never got to say that to you. And I know this is not the right moment to do it, but I was so afraid to lose you. I—” His voice cracks and the hand on the wheel clenches, his knuckles turning white with the pressure.

His words echo in my ears, and my heart swells at his confession. 

“I felt the same thing. I almost died tonight. Twice,” I add, remembering the two times I faced Oleg. And somehow, I managed to survive. “I could only think about how I never got to say I love you and how we didn’t really have a chance to build something together.”

Tears pool in my eyes again, but Angelo pulls my hand to his mouth and places a kiss on it. 

“I made you a promise, remember?” he reminds me. “I will give you the life you deserve. And that selfishly includes me. You’re never getting away from me.”

“Good.” I smile at him, feeling a bit of the weight on my shoulders lift as I stare back at the man I have come to love.