Chapter 60 Nikolai
Gunfire exploded around us.
I pulled Anya behind a marble pillar. Bullets chipped at the stone. Guests were screaming and running everywhere.
"Stay down!" I shouted over the chaos.
"Dmitri!" Anya tried to pull away. "I need to get to Dmitri!"
I held her tighter. "You will get yourself killed!"
"I do not care! He is my brother!"
I looked out from behind the pillar.
Dmitri was still standing in the middle of the chaos with gun still pressed to his head. Guards were advancing on him.
Damn it.
"Stay here," I ordered Anya.
"No! I am coming with you!"
"Anya, please. Just this once, listen to me."
She looked at me. Tears were streaming down her face. "Do not let him die. Please."
"I will not."
I kissed her quickly. Then I stepped out from behind the pillar.
Immediately, bullets flew towards me. I fired back. Two guards dropped.
"Dmitri!" I shouted. "Get down!"
But he did not move. He was frozen. The gun was still at his temple.
I ran towards him, firing as I went. I took down anyone in my path.
A bullet grazed my shoulder. Pain exploded. But I kept moving.
I reached Dmitri, grabbed his arm and pulled the gun away from his head.
"What are you doing?" He struggled against me.
"Saving your life, you idiot!"
"I do not need saving!"
"Your sister thinks you do! Now move!"
I dragged him towards cover. More bullets flew past us.
We dove behind an overturned table. Dmitri was breathing hard.
"Why did you do that?" He asked.
"Why save me? I chose this!"
"Because Anya loves you. And I love her. So keeping you alive keeps her happy."
"She should not have to choose between us!"
"Then stop making her choose!" I fired over the table. Hit another guard. "Stop being a martyr and fight!"
Dmitri stared at me. Then something changed in his eyes.
He grabbed a gun from a fallen guard. "Fine. Let us fight."
We stood together. Back to back. And started firing.
The guards kept coming. Wave after wave. But we held our ground.
"There are too many!" Dmitri shouted.
"I know!"
"We need backup!"
"I know that too!"
Then I heard it. The sound of engines. Cars screeching to a halt outside.
Mikhail's voice boomed through a megaphone. "Nobody move! Or we start shooting everyone!"
I smiled. "Backup just arrived."
My men poured into the garden. Hundreds of them. All armed.
Mikhail had disobeyed my orders. And I had never been more grateful.
The tide turned immediately. Alexei's guards were outnumbered now.
"Fall back!" One of them shouted.
They retreated, dragging their wounded with them.
I looked around. The garden was a war zone. Bodies laid everywhere. Blood covered the walls.
"Anya!" I called out. "Anya, where are you?"
"Here!" Her voice came from behind the pillar.
She ran out and threw herself into my arms. "You are alive. Thank God, you are alive."
"I promised I would not let him die." I looked at Dmitri. "Either of you."
Dmitri walked over. He looked at me. Then at his sister.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
"Do not thank me yet. This is not over."
Because Alexei was still out there. Somewhere in the chaos.
"Where is he?" I demanded. "Where is Alexei?"
"There!" Mikhail pointed.
Alexei was running towards the house, trying to escape.
"Oh no, you do not." I started after him.
"Nikolai, wait!" Anya grabbed my arm. "Do not go alone!"
"I have to finish this."
"Then I am coming with you."
"No. Stay with your brother."
"I am done staying behind! I am done being protected!" She picked up a gun from a fallen guard. "I am coming with you. Final decision."
I looked at her. And saw the determination in her eyes.
And I sighed.
"Fine. But stay behind me."
We ran after Alexei through the house, up the stairs.
He was heading for the roof. Of course he was.
We burst through the door. Alexei was standing at the edge. A helicopter was landing behind him.
That was his escape plan.
"Going somewhere?" I aimed my gun at him.
He turned. Blood dripped from his broken arm. But he was smiling.
"You think you won?" He laughed.
"You think this is over?"
"It is over. You lost." I said coldly.
"Did I?" Alexei looked at Anya. "You will never have a normal life with him. You will always be looking over your shoulder. Always wondering when the next attack will come. Always afraid."
"I would rather be afraid with him than safe with you," Anya said.
"Touching. But stupid." Alexei stepped towards the helicopter. "This is not over, Nikolai. I will come back. And next time, you will not be so lucky."
"There will not be a next time."
I fired.
The bullet hit Alexei in the leg. He fell, screaming.
The helicopter started to take off without him.
"No! Wait!" Alexei crawled towards it.
But it was too late. The helicopter was gone.
He collapsed. Blood pooling beneath him.
I walked over and stood above him, aiming my Gun at his head.
"Any last words?" I asked.
"Go to hell."
"After you."
I pulled the trigger.
But the gun clicked. It was empty.
Alexei laughed. A broken. "You cannot even kill me properly."
"Then I will do it another way."
I grabbed him by the collar and ragged him to the edge of the roof.
"Nikolai, do not!" Anya shouted. "You will be no better than him!"
"I do not care."
"But I do!" She ran over and put her hand on my arm. "Please. Do not become a monster for me."
I looked at her. And I saw the fear in her eyes.
Not fear of Alexei. Fear of what I might become.
"He deserves to die," I said, my heartbreaking that I couldn't end this bastard.
"Yes. But not like this. Not by your hands. Let the authorities deal with him."
"The authorities are corrupt. He will walk free."
"Then we will make sure he does not. But please. Do not do this."
I stared down at Alexei. At the man who had taken everything from me.
Every fiber of my being wanted him dead.
I released him. He fell back onto the roof, bleeding.
"You are under arrest," Mikhail's voice came from behind us. He had called the authorities. "For kidnapping, extortion, attempted murder, and a very long list of other crimes."
Police officers swarmed the roof. They dragged Alexei away.
He was screaming, cursing amd threatening. But it did not matter. He had lost.
Finally.
I let out a sigh and turned to Anya.
She was crying.
"It is over," I said. "He cannot hurt you anymore."
"I know." She threw her arms around me. "I know. Thank you. Thank you for saving me."
"Always. I will always save you."
We stood there on the roof, surrounded by chaos.
But at that moment, nothing else mattered.
She was safe. Dmitri was safe.
And Alexei was finally gone.