Chapter 49 Chapter Forty-nine
Nikolai's POV
I was already moving, and Matteo moved with me. Across the hall, Don Moretti stood, barking orders. Guards drew weapons. Chaos erupted. Every window was shattered. Spewing glasses across the hall and onto the guest.
But my eyes found only one thing. Elena! She was frozen for half a second. Shannon grabbed her arm, but did not attempt to pull her. Shock was visible in their faces.
Carson stood instantly, pulling both women down behind the table as bullets tore through the far wall. I crossed the distance faster than I remembered deciding to. Another shot rang out. Someone screamed. I reached them fast. “Elena.” Her eyes snapped to mine. I grabbed her wrist. “Move.” Carson nodded once at me, already shielding Shannon as we pushed toward the nearest corridor. Behind us, the hall erupted into full warfare, so much for boring.
Gunfire echoed through the hall like thunder trapped inside a metal box. I shoved Elena behind me, firing at the masked men as they advanced. Matteo returned fire beside me, precise as always, while Moretti roared for his men to cover the women.
“Where is Shannon? Where is my daughter?” Moretti bellowed over the chaos.
Elena jerked her head toward him. “Dad! We’re here!” Moretti’s eyes widened with relief, but there was no time for embrace, only commands and quick decisions.
He grabbed Elena’s arm, pulling her toward me as he shot down another man approaching from the left. “Take her!” he shouted, shoving her to safety. My eyes bulged seeing he was entrusting his daughter to me, “Both of them! Get them to a secured room now!” he ordered, "If I found a scratch on any of them, you are dead!"
Seriously, he is asking a favor from me, and he is acting cocky.
I grabbed Elena while Carson grabbed Shannon, dragging her toward the east hallway. “Elena, move!” I grabbed her hand, pulling her behind me.
But instead of running, she jerked her hand back. “Who was she?” Elena demanded.
I stared at her, stunned. “Are you serious right now!” Another gunshot pinged off the pillar behind her head. I dragged her down just in time, pressing her against the wall. She was breathing hard, fear, adrenaline, and anger all mixed together, but still glaring at me like that was her priority. “Elena,” I snapped, “we need to go, now.”
But she wasn’t listening. “I asked you a question!” she hissed. “Who was that woman hanging on you?”
I blinked, utterly dumbfounded. “You’re asking me this while people are trying to kill us? Didn’t you hear your father's words? That he would kill me if anything happens to you?” I shouted over the gunfire.
Elena nodded stubbornly. “Yes.” A bullet ripped through the glass beside us. I cursed, pulled my other gun from my holster, since the first one's bullet was exhausted, and fired two rounds at the nearest masked shooter. He fell, but more were rushing in from the side entrances. I could see Valkor and his men holding down the other end,
“Elena,” I growled, “I will explain later. Get up.”
“No!” she snapped. “Tell me who she was.”
I wanted to strangle her. Not really, but God, she was pushing it. “Elena, you are impossible!” I shot back. “Do you want to die? Because if this is how you die! You’re going to hell straight.”
She squared her shoulders, eyes blazing. “Don’t change the topic. Who is she?”
I stared at her in disbelief. Real, actual disbelief. This girl was using an active shootout to interrogate me about Gianna. “You’re out of your mind,” I muttered, firing off a few more shots. “Are you this stubborn or is it hereditary?”
She gasped. “Nikolai!”
I grabbed her wrist again. “Move!”
She tore it free again, glaring daggers at me. “Not until you answer me! Who is she?”
Bullets rained down again, cracking into the marble floor inches away. “Elena!” I barked, “I can't believe Moretti raised a brat like himself!”
She gasped in outrage. “Did you just insult my father?”
“He did a terrible job if you think this is the right time for a relationship talk!”
“I said don’t change the topic!”
I nearly screamed in frustration. I raised my gun and shot another attacker trying to flank us. “If you don’t come with me right now, I swear I will toss you over my shoulder and drag you out.”
“Try it,” she shot back, standing her ground like a reckless idiot. She meant it. She wasn’t going to move. Elena Moretti had decided she wanted an answer, and she wouldn’t budge until she got one even with bullets flying.
God help me! I exhaled sharply, chest rising and falling. “Fine!” Her eyes widened slightly, she hadn’t expected me to cave. I gritted my teeth. “She is Gianna.”
Elena’s eyes narrowed. “And what is she to you?”
“Not this again,” I snapped.
Her glare sharpened. “Tell me!” Another bullet whizzed past my ear. I ducked, yanked her behind a broken pillar, and fired a few rounds over her head.
“Elena,” I hissed, “this is not...”
“Tell me!” I locked eyes with her. She meant it. If I didn’t answer, she wouldn’t move. She would rather stand in the middle of a mafia shootout than let whatever she imagined fester in her mind. She is stubborn, manipulative, and infuriating.
And God help me, I liked it too much! I like everything about her. I leaned closer, my voice dropping to a dark growl. “Fine. She is someone I used to fuck.” Elena inhaled sharply, jaw clenching. “But,” I said through gritted teeth, “she means nothing to me. Do you hear me?”
She didn’t blink. “Then why did you let her grab you?”
I felt a vein pop in my forehead. Because if I had shoved Gianna away in front of dozens of Mafioso, it would’ve started a different kind of war. Because I had been heading toward Elena. Because appearances mattered in this world more than feelings. But Elena didn’t understand that. She wanted honesty, not politics. “Because...” I started.
“No excuses!” she cut me off, pointing a finger at me like I was the one being unreasonable. That’s when I snapped. In frustration, panic, and jealousy. In everything swirling inside me. I grabbed her, yanked her forward, and smashed my mouth against hers.
Her eyes bulged wide in shock. Her breath caught. For a split second, her body froze against mine. It wasn’t gentle, not planned, not controlled, It was raw frustration poured into a kiss. I pulled back just enough to whisper against her lips, my breath hot and angry. “Shut up,” I growled. “And move.” Her mouth hung open, stunned and silent for once in her life.
I grabbed her hand again, this time she didn’t yank it away and I pulled her behind me as we bolted through the hall. Matteo appeared out of nowhere, firing behind us, shouting curses, telling us the back corridor was clearer.
“Elena!” Shannon yelled from across the room, running toward us.
"Shannon!" Carson called out, running towards them grabbing Shannon's hand.
“Go with them!” I ordered.
“No!” Elena snapped again, still breathless from the kiss, cheeks flushed. “I’m staying with you!” I cursed under my breath. What's Valkor thinking, bringing up his little girl this way?
Although I couldn’t deny it, I wanted her close, even in a warzone, but I know she would be safer if she were tucked somewhere.
I shot two more gunmen and pulled her behind me as Matteo and I continued firing until the path cleared. When I had a second of silence, rare and dangerous. I sprinted toward them, guiding them deeper into the mansion.
We reached a side hallway leading to a storage room, reinforced, with no windows. A decent temporary hideout.
“Stay here,” I told them firmly, grabbing Elena’s shoulders. “Do not come out. Not until I return.”
Elena stared up at me, fear shining behind anger. “And what about you?”
“I’ll handle the rest.”
She opened her mouth again, stubborn, reckless girl, when her father appeared from nowhere, “No arguing, do as he says, Elena.” he pushed her gently. Elena's lips shut almost immediately, and I wanted to laugh. Just a few hours ago, she was already cowering, while it took me more than a thousand years to pull her here. "And you be useful!" He yelled at his brother.
"But I don't have a gun..." Carson said and Shannon chortled.
"Stupid, who says you need a gun?" Valkor cursed at his brother, "Go with them and don't come out. I don't have time to explain to your father." Without another word, I turned and took the other exit while I shut the door behind them and turned back toward the chaos, gun raised.