Chapter 81 Chapter 81
CHAPTER EIGHTY-ONE
Irina's POV
Everything hurt so badly I could barely breathe.
My stomach felt like it was on fire.
After Dimitri got out of the car I tried to stop him.
"No!" I screamed but he was already gone.
"Drive!" Dimitri shouted to the driver whose name was Alexei, surprisingly. But I didn't care. Even though that name was the last thing I wanted to hear, I had to trust this one with my life.
Alexei stepped on the gas and we shot forward.
Bullets immediately started hitting the car.
"Get down!" Alexei yelled at me.
I tried to duck but the pain was too much.
We swerved violently and I was thrown against the door.
More bullets hit the car and glass exploded everywhere.
"Hold on tight!" Alexei shouted. I could sense the fear in his voice.
But then something hit us hard. Another car rammed into our side.
We spun out of control.
I screamed as we flipped and everything became a blur.
Then we crashed. The impact was so hard I thought I would die.
My head hit something and everything went black for a moment.
When I opened my eyes again everything was upside down.
No wait, the car was upside down.
I could smell smoke and gasoline.
"Alexei?" I called out.
But he did not answer.
I looked towards the front and saw him.
He was not moving and his neck was bent in a wrong angle.
Oh God, he was dead.
I wanted to cry, but I couldn't. Tears weren't coming. Fear rose in my chest, making it hard to think clearly. I took deep breaths to clear my head.
The smell of gasoline grew stronger. I needed to get out before the car exploded.
I tried to move but pain shot through my entire body.
My stomach hurt the most, it felt wet and warm.
I looked down and saw blood, so much blood.
"No," I whispered. "The baby."
I had to get out, I had to save my baby before it was too late.
I unbuckled the seatbelt and fell hard onto the roof.
Pain exploded through me and I screamed.
But I had to keep moving.
I crawled towards the door and pushed it open.
Every movement felt like dying but I kept going.
Finally I made it out of the car.
I dragged myself away, leaving a trail of blood behind me.
I could hear sirens in the distance but they sounded so far away.
I made it to an alley and collapsed against a wall.
I could not move anymore, my body would not let me.
I looked down at my stomach and the bleeding was getting worse.
"Please," I whispered. "Please let my baby be okay."
I touched my stomach gently, trying to feel my baby. Trying to get the baby to kick and tell me it was okay, but I felt nothing. Just blood, covering my palm.
“Please… fight. Please stay with me.” I whispered to the baby.
I thought about Dimitri and wondered if he was still alive.
Had Viktor killed him? Would I ever see him again?
Tears fell down my face.
"I am sorry," I whispered to my baby. "I am so sorry."
My eyes started closing and I could not keep them open.
Maybe this was it, maybe this was how I would die. Alone in an alley, bleeding out, never seeing Dimitri again.
"No," I said to myself. "Stay awake, stay awake."
But it was so hard and I was so tired.
I heard footsteps running towards me.
"Over here!" A man's voice shouted.
I heard more footsteps getting closer.
I forced my eyes open a little and I saw Dimitri, running towards me.
He was alive, he came back for me.
"Dimitri," I tried to say but it came out as a whisper.
He dropped to his knees beside me.
"Irina," he said. "Irina can you hear me?"
"You came back," I whispered.
"Of course I did," he said. "I will always come back."
"The baby," I said weakly. "Is the baby okay?"
Dimitri looked down at my stomach and his face changed.
He looked terrified.
"We need a doctor!" He shouted. "Now!"
A medic appeared and checked me.
His expression was serious and that scared me.
"What is wrong?" I asked. "Tell me what is wrong." My voice came out as a whisper.
The medic did not answer me. Maybe he didn't hear me.
"We need to get her to a hospital immediately," he told Dimitri. "Or she will die."
Those words hit me like a punch.
Die, I was going to die.
"No," I whispered. "I cannot die, the baby..."
"You are not going to die," Dimitri said firmly. "I will not let you."
He carefully lifted me and I cried out in pain.
"I know baby, I know," he whispered. "Just hold on."
He carried me to a car and placed me in the back seat.
He climbed in beside me and held me close.
"Drive!" He shouted. "To the nearest hospital!"
The car sped away.
I looked up at Dimitri and his face was blurry.
"Dimitri," I whispered. "I am scared."
"I know," he said. "But you are going to be okay."
"What if I am not?" I asked. "What if I die?"
"You are not going to die," he said again.
But I could see the fear in his eyes.
"If I do," I said. "Promise me you will save the baby."
"Irina do not talk like that..."
"Promise me!" I said as loudly as I could.
"I promise," Dimitri said and tears fell from his eyes. "I promise."
"Thank you," I whispered.
My eyes were closing again.
"No no no," Dimitri said. "Stay awake Irina, stay with me."
"I am trying," I said. "But
I am so tired."
"Just a few more minutes," he begged. Tears gathered in his eyes. "We are almost there."
I tried to stay awake but the darkness was pulling me down.
"Dimitri," I whispered. "I love you."
"I love you too," he said. "So much."
"Tell the baby," I said. "Tell the baby I loved them."
"You will tell them yourself," Dimitri said.
But I was not sure about that.
The darkness was taking over and I could not fight it anymore.
"I am sorry," I whispered.
Then everything went black.